Jacob Ben Avraham

        ONE PASSOVER IN JERUSALEM  

 

 

 

   I will tell about these events, how they happened as I best recall, so many years ago, although they seemed like they happened just yesterday. 

    I am a merchant, as my father was before me, as my father’s father was. Buying and selling has been our trade for hundreds of years, every year following the same trade routes from my home port, to Alexandria.  There I buy Egyptian cotton, flax, some turquoise, lapis, and amethyst stones to make into necklaces and rings.  These would sell very well in Rome and in Athens among the wealthy Romans and Greeks.  They would pay many denarii and drachma for these wares.

     From Alexandria, I’d go to Joppa and begin my journey to Jerusalem, stopping to rest in Emmaus for the night.  Jerusalem was very busy around the time of Sukkot and Passover, with people being in a festive mood.  They would spend their money for small luxuries .

     I would pick up a few more things to sell or trade in Judea and go north to Caesaria . From there, I would board ship to Athens, then Rome, and afterward, back home to my family.

     I am not a rich man mind you, but I am not poor either.  I give thanks to God that I am a good provider and my family does not starve by any means. We try to follow the mitzvoth of the Torah and always attend our synagogue on the Sabbaths. 

     This year started off as the last.  It was during the reign of Tiberius Caesar when the iron hand of Rome held its grip on Judea.  I paid my passage on the merchant ship and when we were filled with fellow merchants and their wares, we cast off anchor and headed toward Alexandria, the first stop.

     To pass the day, I listened to sailors’ talk which consisted of stories about high winds and rough seas, when Poseidon stirred up the sea bottom, and giant waves crushed ships against the pillars of Hercules.  As a Jew, I do not believe in these pagan gods, but only in Adonai, who first spoke to father Abraham a few thousand years ago.

     On this trip, however, the talk was interesting since in concerned a certain Judean carpenter who taught torah in the synagogues. He also had special power to heal all those afflicted with illnesses.  This was one person who I’d love to meet, as I had hurt my shoulder once in performing a mitzvah. I helped a man pull a cart from a ditch, but the cart was very heavy on my shoulder. Perhaps this man could heal it.  Perhaps he would also buy some Egyptian cotton too. No telling if this man would be in Jerusalem at this Passover time.

     We made port in Alexandria in good time.  I bought some merchandise and the next day, we set sail to Joppa.  We had fair winds and calm seas during our short voyage.  We disembarked at Joppa and I proceeded to unload my merchandise.  As usual, I rented a donkey and a cart to transport my merchandise during the two day trip to Jerusalem.

     By the end of the first day, I reached Emmaus. There I spent the night at an inn.  There I heard more talk about this carpenter, whose name was Yeshua. He used to build furniture, farm equipment, and mend wheels.  But now, he traveled visiting different synagogues and taught from the Torah and from the prophets.      

     This was all very interesting to me, but what amazed me the most was the talk that he healed all the sick that came unto him, he had even given sight to the blind and made crippled men walk, even,  might I dare to say, even given life to dead men.

      I also heard it say that he had some followers, twelve, men from all walks of life.  They just gave up everything to follow him.  I went to sleep that night thinking of all these things, wondering how much truth there was in it all..

     The next day, I started off again toward the city of Jerusalem. The city of the prophets.  As usual, I expected great crowds of Passover observers.  I reached the city late in the afternoon.  I found the inn where I usually stayed, secured my merchandise with the inn keeper, who also provided feed for the donkey. I sat down for a meal of some bread, grapes, a bit of roasted lamb with lentils and wine.  Afterward, I sold a few articles near the inn and settled down for a night’s rest.

     The next morning, I awoke to much excitement, seeing people running to and fro.  I asked the inn- keeper about the excitement, and he told me that last night a trial had taken place in the middle of the night at that! The high priest Caiaphas had tried a man for blasphemy and that there were three other criminals to be executed by crucifixion by order of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.

     I had never seen a crucifixion, but it was said to be a horrible death, a slow death that only the Romans could come up with.  Beheading was more merciful, reserved only for Roman citizens, not for Judeans. 

     I went outside to see a crowd running toward the governor’s palace.  Out of curiosity, I followed along.  The crowd was very thick with all kinds of people, both Judeans and foreigners alike.  Little by little, the crowd pushed more towards  a narrow road.  There were mixed emotions in that noisy crowd.  Some were shouting curses, others were wailing and beating their breasts and crying for mercy, but mercy for who? For criminals?

     I was finally pushed by the crowd to the edge of this narrow road, which lead outside one of the gates of the city.  Soon, I managed to see some movement on the road.  There were some Roman soldiers marching behind a mounted centurion.  Afterward, came two prisoners each carrying a roughly hewn cross-beam across their shoulders.

      The prisoner which got my attention was behind the other two.  He was being whipped by two burly roman soldiers, each brandishing a short whip made of ropes.  It was obvious to me that this man had already been beaten, very much so.  As this gruesome parade of misery and human suffering moved more and more toward the city gate, I managed to have a better look at the third prisoner.  I learned later that the fourth prisoner had been set free in honor of the festival of Passover.

    The third man was about 20 cubits from me, when I noticed that beside me was an old man with a long white beard.  He was sobbing greatly and praying for mercy for this third man.  He looked up at me with tears in his eyes, and then he spoke these words to me;

     “It was all foretold by the prophets of old, my son”, “by Isaiah, by Daniel, that the Son of David would be afflicted and carry the burden of our sins.” “he would also be born in the town of Bethlehem as foretold by the prophet Micah”

     “Who is he? I asked.  The old man replied,

  “His name is Yeshua, raised in Nazareth, who worked as a carpenter, who came to fulfill the Torah and the Prophets. I heard him teach at the Mt. of Olives,  I was there that day, and he also taught at my synagogue.  He is full of the Spirit of Adonai my son.  He is a righteous man indeed.”       

     “But why” I asked “do they want to crucify him, why?”  The old man did not get a chance to answer my question, for suddenly, there stood in front of me, a tall, rough looking roman soldier.

     “You” he barked, as he stepped nearer to me, his finger pointing directly at me, “carry that man’s cross” and he pointed to Yeshua, “he’s too weak to carry it any longer.”

     I felt uncomfortable with the soldier’s request, in fact, a little angry.  “Why should I, a free man, carry the cross of a condemned man?” I protested.  The soldier stepped nearer to me, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

     All of a sudden, I felt a hand on my arm. It was the old man.  He looked up into my eyes which were still full of tears.  “My son” he pleaded, “do not despise such an honor.  You have been chosen by God to carry the burden of the Son of Man, as he is carrying yours, and the sins of the whole world.”

     I did not understand the complete meaning of his words until now.  The roman soldier looked at the old man, and then to me,

     “You’d better take the old man’s advice if you know what is good for you” he growled as he continued to glare at me, his hand still on the hilt of his sword.

     I looked at Yeshua, who was now on his knees, with the heavy cross beam tied across his shoulders.  Sweat and blood were pouring from his face.  There was a large circle of thorns embedded on his head, buried deeply in his scalp.  Blood was matted in his hair.

     When I saw him, my heart was filled with compassion.  Never had I seen a human being so mutilated, in the midst of so much suffering and hate.  I took a few steps toward Yeshua.  The Roman soldier then gave an order and another soldier took his sword and cut the ropes that tied Yeshua’s arms to the cross beam.  But even free of the ropes, Yeshua continued to hold the cross beam as if it were a part of his being.  Little did I know that it would be so true.

      I was now beside this man Yeshua.  What I saw horrified me.  Pieces of flesh  were hanging from all parts of his body.  His eyes were swollen and chunks of his beard had been torn out.  There were pieces of sharp metal and bone embedded in his back and legs.  His body was broken and bloody, a mass of human carnage, a victim of hate and wrath.  What ever did this man do to deserve such punishment I asked myself?  Didn’t the old man say that he was a righteous man?

     I bent down to help him pick up the crossbeam.  Then he looked at me with a look I’ll never forget.  Under his swollen eye lids came a look of peacefulness and love, together with the physical weariness and pain.  I spoke only these words to him;

     “Yeshua, I have been ordered to assist you, and I will do so to ease your suffering”

     He slowly nodded his head, and I put my head under one side of the crossbeam, with my arms over the top, and together, we both pushed up with our knees.  The crossbeam felt heavy against my shoulder.  All of a sudden, the pain hit me again.  I remembered so many years ago, when I was helping a fellow merchant to lift a cart.  I had hurt my shoulder and I had been in so much pain ever since.  Lifting things would bring on this pain.

     Yeshua seemed to have sensed that I was in pain.  I looked at his peaceful face and said;

      “It’s the pain, I hurt my shoulder many years ago”

     Then Yeshua did something that to my dying day I’ll never forget.  He stretched forth his hand and ever so gently, touched mine squeezing it softly. Suddenly, strength and power surged through my arms, back, neck and entire body.  The pain in my shoulder vanished.  I lifted up the crossbeam without any pain whatsoever.

     I looked at Yeshua amazed.  This man, Yeshua, had healed me.  This Yeshua was more than just a man.  Could he really be the Messiah of Israel that the prophets spoke of?

     Together, we walked slowly down the street, the other two criminals were ahead a ways.  The crowd was full of mixed emotions.  Some shouting and cursing, others weeping and beating their breasts, pleading for mercy.  We went through one of the city’s gates. We followed the road out of the city, towards a hill that resembled a skull. 

     Some of the crowd began to disperse, others followed our gruesome procession up the hill.  Up and up the hill we went.  The crowd was now sparse, with now only a few men and women.  Some of the religious leaders were following behind.  The Roman soldiers were also there, barking orders one to another.  I looked up into the sky. In a few hours, the Passover lambs would be slaughtered.

     This time, instead stead of being a joyous occasion, it would be a Passover of sadness, of grief, of a righteous man being condemned to death.  It just didn’t make any sense to me.  All I knew was that I was there to help this man named Yeshua, and to help him bear this cross that he would soon embrace to meet the arms of death.

     We finally reached the top of the hill.  A roman soldier directed us to a spot in front of a long pole, which would be the center beam for the piece we were carrying.  He ordered me to drop it.  I let go and the piece fell to the ground and Yeshua falling right next to it.

     The roman soldier then pushed me away, and proceeded to lift the cross beam and nail it to the center pole using four long iron nails.  What followed would be something I’d never forget, the image still etched into my memory. It was an image of Intense suffering, pain, cruelty, and just plain madness.  Two roman soldiers grabbed Yeshua by his arms and dragged him over to the cross.  They then threw him down between the two crossed pieces of roughly hewn wood.  They then proceeded to stretch out his arms across the crossbeam.

     One of the soldiers held Yeshua’s arm to the crossbeam as the other grabbed a mallet and a thick, long, spike nail.  The nail seemed to be a hand span in length and as thick as a middle finger.  He then placed the nail on Yeshua’s wrist and proceeded to bring the mallet down on the nail.

     The nail penetrated flesh and muscle quickly, and held fast to the roughly hewn wood.  Blood poured out of the wounds and dripped onto the ground.  But what amazed me more were the words that proceeded from Yeshua’s lips;

     “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

     One would expect curses and not words of forgiveness to proceed from the mouth of a condemned man, but Yeshua was not just an ordinary man.  I’d like to think that what the old man told me was true, the he indeed was the Messiah that all Israel hoped would come, to free this nation from this wretched Roman rule.

     But then, if he is the Messiah, then why allow all this to happen?  He could have prevented it. Was there something I didn’t understand? A detail overlooked? A word of prophecy that the Torah teachers failed to mention?

     I watched now as the Roman soldiers took hold of the cross, pushing and pulling it upright, and then dropped it into a hole in the ground.  I gazed once more at this Yeshua who was now suspended between heaven and earth, by two nails through his wrists and feet held fast to a block of wood.

     This Roman cross of suffering and affliction now stood erect with the beaten and bloodied body of Yeshua, who spoke not a curse, but words of forgiveness.  Could he indeed be this long hoped for Messiah of Israel?

     I could not bear to watch any longer.  I could no longer help him or do anything for him, so I started back down the hill.  I turned to look once more. I saw a woman and a man by the cross, and Yeshua was looking down at them. He seemed to be talking to them.  I wanted to stay, but my feelings of anger and grief were besides me. Anger toward this cruel Roman rule and injustice, and grief for this Yeshua who deserved none of this.

     Then he looked toward me, just for a brief moment, I felt something in my heart, which penetrated into the depth of my soul. I felt his thoughts which were saying;  “thank you for showing me compassion, and for helping me with my burden. This burden I carry is for the whole world.”

     I then saw one of the criminals that was nailed to a cross beside him, say something to him. Yeshua turned and spoke some soft words to this man, I saw this criminal smile, in spite of the pain and agony.  The words that Yeshua spoke also penetrated his heart and soul.

     My eyes welled up with tears, I couldn’t stand by any longer and see this suffering.  I continued to walk back down the hill.  I no longer wished to look back, but only to leave the city and leave behind me this scene of hate and pain, of suffering and grief.

     I reached the inn where I was staying at.  I paid the inn keeper a few shekels of silver, then took the donkey and cart and headed north to Caesaria where I would continue on my journey.  I just wanted to get away from this city, which now, only brought violence and hate to its Passover feast.

     As I traveled northward, I noticed that the sky was turning dark, thick black clouds hid the sun from view.  It was a strange feeling. A day turned like night. This had never happened.  Even he donkey acted strange. It stopped suddenly and started to bray, stomping the ground kicking up a cloud of dust.

     I do not remember how long I stood there in the road. With the donkey, the cart, and all my wares, trying to figure out these strange events. I felt bewildered, a bit confused. Who was this Yeshua really? Messiah? God made man? A man connected to God in a way I could not understand?

     Suddenly, I felt a rumble, from under the earth which grew louder.  The ground under my feet began to shake.  I heard a clap of thunder and saw a bolt of lightening which lit up the sky for one brief moment.

     The sun then came out from behind the clouds, and began to set toward the west.  I turned once more to look towards the east, to gaze upon the city of Jerusalem, the Daughter of Zion, who murdered the prophets, whose inhabitants lay within the iron grasp of the Eagle of Rome.

     I am telling theses events the way I remember them. My name is Simon, a merchant from the city of Cyrene.  This story is a legacy I have left to my two sons, Alexander and Rufus, who, like me, now follow in the footsteps of our Messiah, Yeshua.

 

                  By  Rabbi Jacob Ben Avraham

 

copyright:  2014 Petersen-Barksdale publ. Story 3 from “God Tales”

 

PIC:  a small mother dove sits on her egg, in our backyard , as the mother cares for her children, so God also cares for us all

MESSIAH YESHUA IN THE PASSOVER
From EXODUS 12:1-13

Vs 2; “THIS MONTH SHALL BE THE BEGINNING OF MONTHS, IT SHALL BE THE THE FIRST MONTH OF THE YEAR TO YOU” 

So where does January 1st fit in? It doesn't!. This was an invention of man, to change the calendar that God had already given us. God operates on a lunar calendar, and the Gregorian calendar uses the sun. But if we are going to understand the events and dates that events occur in the Bible, we need to be familiar with the lunar calendar. The month of “Nisan” which usually starts in April or late March, is the “New Year” for us. This year, 2017, “New Year's day” was on March 27th
Vss 3-5; ON THE TENTH OF THIS MONTH, EVERY MAN SHALL TAKE FOR HIMSELF A LAMB......................YOUR LAMB WILL BE WITHOUT BLEMISH...FROM THE SHEEP OR FROM THE GOATS. 

Something tremendous is about to happen, a joyous occasion, an event of “Thanksgiving” sort of speaking. In the USA we are accustomed to celebrate “Thanksgiving” in November, with turkeys, and we invite all family and relatives over to eat. In Egypt, the Israelites were slaves, and were about to be freed. This “Thanksgiving” occasion called for “lambs” perfect lambs without illness, or deformities, One of the names of “Yeshua” our Messiah is the “Lamb of God” who was also, and still is “without blemish” what happened on the 10th day of the month of Nisan two thousand years ago? Yeshua entered Jerusalem on a donkey, to be known as Messiah, to heal the sick, and teach the Torah, to be known by the people, everyone greeted him with palm branches and shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David” and five days later shouted “Crucify him” (well, not all shouted that) many wept and many understood Daniel's prophecy that the “Messiah would be “cut off” (crucified) in Daniel chapter 8. This date is commonly known as “Palm Sunday” in the christian communities. “Palm Sunday” was on the 9th of April this year.

Vss 6-7; YOU SHALL KEEP IT UNTIL THE FOURTEENTH DAY OF THE SAME MONTH, THEN THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OF THE CONGREGATION OF ISRAEL SHALL KILL IT AT TWILIGHT. AND THEY SHALL TAKE SOME OF THE BLOOD AND PUT IT ON THE TWO DOORPOSTS AND ON THE LINTEL OF THE HOUSES WHERE THEY EAT IT” 

A day begins at “twilight” when the sun goes down, it is the start of a new day. So, five days after the lamb was in the houses, being inspected to see if it had any blemishes, it was slaughtered at “twilight” and the blood was placed on the two side beams of the houses, and on the top beam. 
When we see Yeshua in this, we see him in Jerusalem, comes in on the tenth of Nisan, then on the 14th day of Nisan, five days later (ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fourteen) he is crucified on the cross of Calvary, for our sins, once and for all time, The blood on the doorposts and lintel form a “cross” we can imagine the head of Yeshua at the top, wet with the blood from his head where the crown of thorns was, and the two side posts where his hands were nailed, and the blood ran down to the base of the cross.

Vs 8; AND THEY SHALL EAT THE FLESH ON THAT NIGHT, ROASTED WITH FIRE, AND WITH UNLEAVENED BREAD AND WITH BITTER HERBS, THEY SHALL EAT IT” 

We often see this done in parks, on BBQ pits, families bring hamburgers, hot dogs, fajitas, sausage, etc and roast them over an open fire, well in Goshen, the lambs were roasted over open fires on spits, we look at the symbolism of “fire” and we are reminded of “heat, light, destruction, purification, zeal, and judgment. Yeshua was “roasted” on Calvary's cross in the fire of judgment, being judged for all of our sins, past, present, and future. Yeshua is also known by the name “The Bread of Life” who was born in the “House of Bread” (Beit-Lechem) or in English “Bethlehem” it is only fitting that the “Bread of Life” would be born in the “House of Bread” Unleavened bread symbolizes “without sin” leaven symbolizes “sin” as “leaven or yeast” puffs up the dough, and so we get bread made with flour and yeast, sin often makes us “swell or puff up with false pride” . The “bitter herbs” remind us of the slavery that the Israelites went through in Egypt for 400 years. We are reminded of the “slavery to sin” being bound to Ha Satan. We don't know exactly what kind of bitter herbs were used back then, but today, we use horse radish. The bitterness of sin is passed when we come to Yeshua and accept Him as LORD and Savior.

Vss 11-13: …...”YOU SHALL EAT IT IN HASTE, IT IS THE LORD'S PASSOVER, FOR I WILL PASS THROUGH THE LAND OF EGYPT ON THAT NIGHT AND WILL STRIKE ALL THE FIRST BORN OF EGYPT, BOTH MAN AND BEAST, AND AGAINST ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT, I WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENT, I AM YHVH. NOW THE BLOOD WILL BE A SIGN FOR YOU ON THE HOUSES WHERE YOU ARE, AND WHEN I SEE THE BLOOD, I WILL “PASS OVER” YOU, AND THE PLAGUE SHALL NOT BE ON YOU TO DESTROY YOU WHEN I STRIKE THE LAND OF EGYPT” 

This is the night when the Egyptians get paid back for all their abuse and cruelty. In one night, Egypt was ruined. And a few days later, Egypt's army found itself on the bottom of the Red Sea. Egypt never quite recovered from the blow. Adonai-Elohim was saying to Pharaoh “I AM the LORD God, and YOU are not ME!” nor were the gods, any kind of gods, if anything, demonic entities. Each plague was against one of the many gods. “darkness” came against “Ra” the sun god. The death of the cattle came against “Apis” a god with the head of a bull. The Nile turned to blood, against the Nile goddess, and so forth. But the “Blood Standard” would “save” all who found themselves behind the closed doors of the houses where the blood was. Even the Egyptians
Many who “woke up and smelled the coffee” sort of speaking, who realized they were on the losing side, if they put blood on their doors, they would also be saved. This shows that we serve a just God who is not racist. He accepts ALL people of ALL NATIONS, and RACES. Who would trust in the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus the Christ) that is why we see a “mixed multitude” that left Egypt together with the Israelites, it consisted of Egyptians and Nubians (people from Ethiopia and Sudan) who were living in Egypt at that time. The LORD would PASS OVER those houses where the blood of the lambs was placed. Today when we trust in the one-time sacrifice of Yeshua (Jesus) who shed his blood on Calvary's cross, we are saved from eternal destruction, eternal death, and separation from our creator. Just as the blood standard was in effect back then, it is still in effect NOW, and always will be.


HAPPY PASSOVER SEASON………………….Rabbi Ben Avraham

PIC:  View of Jaffa-Tel Aviv

7.  A STRANGE JOURNEY    by J. Ben Avraham

     The young man found himself in some sort of tunnel.  It was a swirling tunnel that seemed to be made up of radiant light.  This radiant tunnel of light seemed to revolve around and around, pointing to some kind of distant vortex which seemed to grow nearer and nearer.

     At first, he felt himself being pulled through this strange tunnel rather slowly, then, the speed picked up.  He managed to see through the sides of the tunnel the blackness of the night sky filled with an array of heavenly stars.  These were the same stars he saw night after night, now; they seemed closer, even closer still.

     He thought back to the warm, summer nights when he often lay down in the grassy hills near the olive groves.  He would look up into the sky and imagine he was father Abraham, seeing the same evening stars, those twinkling, tiny lamps that gave testimony to God’s splendid creation, the same God whose promise was fulfilled so many thousands of years ago, that through him, a nation would be born. 

     Now these same stars became a white blur as they rushed passed him, or perhaps it was he who was rushing past them through this strange tunnel of light.

As he looked to the far distant radiant vortex, he noticed a star which was brighter than all the others which were around him.  The star grew in size as he moved through the tunnel, faster and faster. 

     The star seemed to take on a certain shape as he got nearer.  He saw that the shape took on the appearance took on the of a four-square city of a whitish-golden glow.  He saw a wall, a wall that seemed to stretch for miles and miles and appeared to have no end.

     Beyond the walls lay the city itself in a dazzling array of multi-colors.  The tunnel of light ended suddenly and the young man found himself suspended high above the city looking down.

     Gazing down upon the golden city he observed a multitude of heavenly hosts array in dazzling white tunics with golden belts around their waists.  Their feet were shod with golden sandals encrusted with all sorts of precious stones.  No doubt these beings were angels as they also had enormous white wings which were folded behind their backs.   

     The angels were all busy at work, building and inlaying precious stones in mansions of all sorts and sizes.  As far as his eyes could see, there was construction work going on.  It seemed that this entire city was getting prepared, prepared for some event, a very special event.

     As the young man continued to look out over the golden celestial metropolis, he saw one of the angels looking up at him.  The angel opened up his radiant white wings and flew upward towards him.  In a matter of seconds, they were face to face, both suspended above the glowing city of golden white light. 

     “Peace and blessings to you son of Adam” spoke the angel with a resounding voice.

     “And to you angel, blessings and peace” replied the young man at the wonder of this entire splendor.

     “Welcome to the Kingdom of Heaven, the great city of the King” continued the angel. 

     “I’ve heard that name before” replied the young man, “I’ve heard it mentioned by a dear friend of mine. To whom does this city belong?”

     “It is the city of the King” spoke the angel with pride, “The KING of kings and LORD of lords, the creator of the universe and all that is in it.  It also belongs to all who are HIS and to all who believe on HIS name.”  

     “I see” spoke the young man, “I see all the heavenly hosts down there busy building all those glorious mansions.  Are they not for you who believe on HIS name, you, who indeed belong to HIM?”

     “Indeed” replied the angel, “we do belong to HIM and we believe on HIS name who is HOLY, but this city is built for all redeemed man, for all men and women, great and small who have trusted and who will trust in the complete work of redemption of the LAMB”  

     “Redemption?” questioned the young man, “Redemption from what?”

     “From the curse of sin” replied the angel, “the sin which all mankind has inherited from Adam, who is father of all who breathe the breath of life Oh Son of Man.”

     “And how” questioned the young man, “is this redemption to be fulfilled?”

     “The blood” replied the angel, “for without blood there can be no remission of sins.”

     “But that is the reason for the sacrifices” answered the young man, “We have daily sacrifices at the temple.  The priests and Levites take bulls and goats and…”

     “They are but shadows, oh man” interrupted the angel.

     “Shadows?” questioned the young man.

     “Yes” replied the angel, “shadows of things to come, mere shadows of He who has come to fulfill all the prophesies of the Torah and the Prophets.  It is He who walks among you this very day.”

     The young man stood there wondering, wondering and marveling at the words of the angel.  Just who could this be he thought? Did he know him?  The angel seemed to know his thoughts.

     “It is He who teaches in the synagogues, the essence of the Torah and of the Prophets.  It is He who makes the words of Moses come to life and gives sight to blinds eyes and strengthens the legs of the lame.  It is He who heals all sort of diseases and raises the dead.  He is the one who comforts the sorrowful and who embraces the children.”  The angel stood there gazing into the eyes of the young man, hoping that the words would enlighten his soul.

     The young man just stood there, suspended high above the holy city of God, thinking, contemplating over the words of the angel.  As he was deep in thought, only one person came to mind.  Only one person could meet that description.

     “Could it be my dear friend Yeshua?” asked the young man, looking deep into the eyes of the angel.

     “Indeed” replied the angel with joy, knowing now that understanding had reached and penetrated his soul.  “Your heart has revealed the truth to you, and this same Yeshua will suffer at the hands of sinners.  He will be mocked and stricken, he will be despised and chastised with whips, and by His stripes will all mankind receive healing.”

     “Those are the words of the Prophet Isaiah.” said the young man, still deep in thought. 

     “Indeed” replied the angel, “and that prophecy will soon come to pass.”

     “But who would want to hurt my dear friend Yeshua?” asked the young man a little perplexed.  “He has done no harm to anyone, only good has he done.” 

     “Does a lamb offend so that a serpent will strike?” asked the angel, gazing intensely into the eyes of the young man.  “Nay, yet the serpent will indeed strike the lamb and the shepherd will be slain, yet the shepherd-lamb will rise from the dead on the third day.  Hear this oh man, the serpent’s head will then be crushed

And only then will the captives that lie in Abraham’s bosom be set free.  The Son of Man will take the key of life and open Heaven’s gate to receive the redeemed.

All those who sleep in the dust of the earth, from righteous Abel to him that will be at the side of the lamb will inherit this same city which you now see.”

     The young man marveled at the angel’s words, taking in all this wonderful news.

     “And how do you come to know all this?” asked the young man

     “It has been revealed to me by the Father” answered the angel.  “It is He who knows all that will come to pass, and as the Father thus wills all that is to come, so does the Son give testimony to the Father by His obedience, even unto death.”

     “When will all this occur?” asked the young man, his questioning eyes gazing into the angel’s.

     “Soon” answered the angel, “very soon, but I must now return unto my labors below as you must return to yours, as you are being called back.  Soon, very soon we will meet again and this City of God will be your inheritance as one of the redeemed by the blood of the lamb.”

     The angel then opened his snow-white wings, aglow with the Shekinah light and flew back down to the streets of the City of God.  There he rejoined the rest of the multitude of heavenly hosts, and continued to build inlaying precious stones in the mansions of the redeemed.

     The young man just stood there, hovering above the City of God.  He watched the angel as he returned to his work with the others, becoming just a tiny speck amidst the vast multitude of heavenly beings.  He stood in awe, taking in the glorious splendor of Heaven.  How he wished he could stay, being a part of the heavenly host.

     All of a sudden, he heard a voice.  It was a voice of thunder, a voice of command, of infinite authority.  He felt the air vibrate around him; the resonating voice seemed to engulf him completely, seemingly to draw him away from this heavenly realm.  Indeed, he felt now that he was being drawn away, entering the same tunnel of light which brought him to this city of peace.

     He felt himself being pulled away, faster and faster.  As he looked back he saw the Kingdom of Heaven growing smaller and smaller until it looked like just another one of the bright stars of the heavens.

     Around and around he traveled, feeling an unseen force which he could not explain, a force which pulled him through this strange tunnel of glowing, pulsating light.  He observed around him all the stars of heaven going past him, leaving behind them small tails of light.

     Up ahead, he noticed a small, round object of blue and white color.  The object got bigger second by second.  He then noticed brown and green mixed with the blue and white colors.  The object then got so big that it seemed to engulf him completely.  The he noticed familiar objects; trees, hills, and mountains.  He noticed a familiar countryside of green meadows and date palms.  He finally saw something very familiar, it was his own house.  Behind his house was a small, rocky hill.  He felt himself being drawn into that that hill, a hill that harbored an empty tomb.

     Suddenly, everything went dark.  He felt confined, lying down on a hard, stone surface.  He felt bound by cloth and a horrible stench of death permeated the pitch dark atmosphere.  Then suddenly, a voice rang out, a voice that he recognized the voice of a friend, his master and teacher, the voice of God, saying....

                                  

…LAZARUS, COME FORTH!!!  

 

 

PIC:  awaiting the flight crew,  when I served as chaplain, "Fuerzas Armadas de El Salvador"

 

 

 

 

                                                                   

So as not to copy word for word I will tell this story in my own words; 

There was once a heathen who had married a godly woman, and the husband often made light of religion, especially Judaism.  Once he was so mad at his wife that he cast her out of the house and said:

"I will not allow you to enter this house again until you have spit in the rabbi's eye 7 times" 

The unhappy and distraught wife roamed the streets and moaned her situation, she prayed to God to find a solution, she prayed in private but you know, there seems to always be someone listening,

The story eventually got around to the rabbi and he thought and pondered the situation. Finally, when Sabbath came, and the godly woman was always at Shabbos service, the rabbi went up to the bema (the preacher's podium) and began his discourse;

"I have a serious problem, I have a serious eye infection, and the Holy One (Blessed be his holy name)told me in a dream that the only cure for this eye infection was to have a pious woman's spittle fall into my eye, so, I can think of no one better than that woman in the back" and he pointed to the outcast woman.  "I want you to come up and spit in my eye 7 times, since "7" is the number of G-d and I will be healed of this infirmity."

The woman, very much surprised, obeyed, went up to the Bema, the rabbi bent down and looked up at the pious woman, she spit in his eye 7 times.  Then the rabbi stood up and said,

"Now return to your husband and tell him that you indeed spit 7 times in the rabbi's eye, and pray for him that he will come nigh unto God and the Torah"   

retold by J. Avraham 

PIC:  The Sea of Galilee from a nearby mountain park overlooking Tiberius

Shalom to all,  thank you for reading the Parashiyot and thank you Willa for responding, and asking for an explanation of the festivals (Moedim) that follow Passover. 

As we know, PASSOVER starts , this year, on Monday Evening.  This is when the majority of the synagogues and Jewish household will celebrate Passover, however, the festival consists of 7 days, so one has 7 days to celebrate it.  Example, at our synagogue in Houston, TX we will go to a nearby hotel and hold the ceremony, then, on Friday, the 4th day of Passover, we will have a special Spanish language Passover service for the Sephardic members and guests.

YESHUA is represented as the PASSOVER LAMB, who was "roasted" in the "fires of judgment" As the lambs and goats were roasted in the fires that the families of Goshen had in their dwellings, so was our Savior, Messiah and LORD judged for our sins on the first Passover day in Yerushalayim.  One of my short stories is "One Passover in Jerusalem" which I will post on Passover Eve in this forum's literature section.

THE 7 DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD  follow the first Evening of Passover, at that time, the only animals sacrificed were the lambs and goats.  At our Spanish language Passover, we always serve roast lamb and goat meatballs, in memory of the first Passover.  The unleavened bread is symbolic of "sinlessness" since "Leaven" (Chamtez) symbolizes sin, since this substance is a 'living organism' which when encounters warm water and sugar, it "puffs up" or "swells up" that is why bread rises.  Sin is similar in that our "pride puffs up" and we are giving a message that says, "I am going to do what I want, I am a rebel".  By not eating regular bread for 7 days, eating only "Matzah wafers" we are saying, "I am consciously rejecting sin in my life" and making an effort to live by Torah standards, but we must realize that this shouldn't be for only 7 days, it should by 24-7,  365 days a year life style. 

FIRST FRUITS/SHAVUOT/PENTECOST  this celebration comes 50 days after the first day of Passover, this was when the Israelites gave thanks to YHVH for a good harvest and offered up a "Minchah" offering of 2 loaves of wheat bread, it is said that each loaf weighed 5 pounds.  The loaves would be "waved" back and forth, sideways and from front to back, symbolizing the "North, South, East, and West" which symbolizes all of creation. the number "4" symbolizes "creation" .  This is a "thank" offering to YHVH for the blessings of a good harvest, something like the pilgrims celebrated in November in 1621, but on a smaller scale.  This also symbolizes "Yeshua" as the "Bread of Life" (Lechem Chayim)

Shabbat Shalom............Rabbi J. Ben Avraham

PIC:  standing outside the ruins of the synagogue at Capernaum, July, 2015

TZAV: (Command)
LEV: 6:8-8:36…………JEREMIAH 7:21-8:3.............MARK 13:1-37………………………………

We continue to look at the "Korbanot Shel Mishkan" (the sacrifices of the tabernacle)

"The Burnt offering" (korban Olah), "The grain offering" (Mincha) , "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, this had to come from the heart, a "turning away from sin" like Yeshua told the woman caught in the act of adultery, "Go and sin no more" she was forgiven and was told to go and sin no more

The burnt offerings symbolized the recognition of our sin nature and a willingness to give one self to God... The sin and trespass/guilt offerings symbolized the offerer's recognition that "I have sinned" in a specific way, unintentionally, and forgiveness was sought. if the trespass was some property damage, item lost or stolen , the person offering the animal had to first "compensate" the lost, THEN, bring the offering, the grain and peace offering were to "give thanks to God" for blessings received, it could be a bumper crop of wheat, an increase in cattle or in the herds of sheep and goats.

Every time we go to the park for a BBQ or host a Thanksgiving turkey for family and friends , we are in a way hosting a "Peace and/or grain offering" do we not have meat? bread? and drinks there? of course, can you in imagine fajitas without tortillas and soft drinks or juice? these offerings included "wine" and also olive oil and Frankincense were added to the meal/grain offerings.

We can see Yeshua in all of these offerings, The clean animals symbolized Yeshua, the Sacrificed Lamb, the grain offering Yeshua the Bread of Life, the peace offering, Yeshua Prince of Peace.

In this Parasha we see "Ner Tamid" or "Esh Tamid" (the eternal flame or fire) the burnt offering roasted all night and ashes were left in the morning, they were removed to a clean place outside the camp, and a new korban added to the flames, Fire symbolizes purification, destruction, heat, light, it also symbolizes our zeal and love for God and the things of HaShem and service to Adonai, 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 take the "ashes" to be the things of yesterday, yet they will be remembered and not forgotten, and YHVH takes into account ALL the things we do for his name's sake, honor, and glory, we might look upon them as ashes from yesterday's service, yet HE looks at them as future rewards in the World to Come. YESHUA is our ETERNAL FIRE and LIGHT, HE will NEVER BURN OUT

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" the word "Yesod" (foundation) or "base" is the middle "Word" in the Torah. It talks about Aaron being anointed as high priest. He is symbolically a type of "Mashiach" (Messiah) since "to anoint" is "m sh k" in Hebrew letters, He was the mediator between the people and God,

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, and the foundation stone" upon who our faith is based on.

It is also interesting to see that the first word in the Torah is "B'reisheet" (In the beginning) the middle is, as we know "Yesod" (base or foundation) and the last word in Deuteronomy is "Israel" giving us the message that Yeshua is the Foundation stone of Israel from the beginning. If we take the last letters of the first three words in the first verse of Genesis we get the word "Emet" (truth) "alef" "mem" and "tav" which is one of Messiah's titles, Yeshua Ha Emet, from his statement "I AM the Way, the TRUTH (emet) and the life.

Aaron and sons were anointed with blood on his right ear lobe, the right thumb, and the big toe on his right foot. This can symbolize our "HEARING " (Shema) and putting into action what we hear from his Word, our DOING, through mitzvoth (good deeds/ and per-forming 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.
__________________________________________________ ________ _____ ________________________________________________________________

JEREMIAH 7:21-8:3, 9:22,23

Adonai speaks through Yirimyahu telling Israel to repent and return to God, yet God told Jeremiah that Israel would not listen to him, sad, that was the case, sacrifices were performed without true repentance, kind of like the big bosses of the Mafia murdering and gunning down people, and then going to mass at the church and confessing before the priests, Israel was taken into slavery to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzer. We need to get back to God today, by true Teshuvah (repentance) from the heart, not just with words, God did not ask for sacrifices when HE took his people out of Egypt, he only asked for obedience, yet Israel failed to obey, the "Korbanot" was HIS way to point his people back to Him, through Yeshua, Ha Emet, the foundation stone, from the beginning.
__________________________________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________________________________

MARK 13: 1-37

Yeshua tells his talmidim about the future. “The end is near” he tells them. But many will say; “Well, that was thousands of years ago, and the end is not here. But we need to realize that our perspective of time is not the same perspective of YHVH’s time. If “one thousand years are like a day, then, in reality, time isof no matter to YHVH. Yeshua is saying that; “Many will come in my name” and we see that is true, that there are many false “Messiahs” in this world, many are preaching and teaching “false doctrines” many religions that “seem” to be so called “Biblical” change verses here and there to support THEIR DOCTRINE. We must ask ourselves when listening to someone teach, “What this person is saying, does it support what the Bible teaches?” if it doesn’t, then, it is “Man’s opinion” nothing more . before Yeshua returns to the earth, the Gospel must be preached/taught to all nations, and that is happening as we write this .

What can we do about all of this? Live and prepare our lives as if Yeshua will returns somewhere in the far future, …..yet….be ready as if He will come tomorrow. It is good to make plans, yet YHVH always has the final word!

Shabbat Shalom…………Rabbi Ben Avraham

PIC:  youth studying Torah,  La Herradura, El Salvador

 

 

6.  TESTIMONIUM VERITATIS  (True Testimony)   by rabbi Ben Avraham

 

     I pace back and forth here on the patio.  The fortress of Antonia is full of life and busy during the day, but at night, so quiet, ever so quiet.  As I look out over the city of Jerusalem, there are faint lights here and there. Torches burning on the walls.  Zealots waiting in hiding for an unwary Roman soldier, while the rest of the city sleeps.

     The moon has traveled across the sky , and a multitude of stars can be seen.  It’s hard to believe that the same heavenly bodies that can be seen here are seen in Rome.  It has been a season since I have been back to that city that was founded by Romulus, the city of the Tiber, where the mob cries out for justice, for crimes unsolved and the senate plays the role of gods.  The senate is corrupt, always looking for a few denarii more.

     Tiberius has concerns for lands conquered, forever worrying about uprisings.  Here in this land called Judea, the people hate us.  The eagle of Rome is but an ugly reminder of the strong overpowering the weak.  We are an intruder that offends their religion, and laws that oppose their own laws.

     My report is overdue to Tiberius.  I should have written it two weeks ago.  The criminals were tried and condemned, executed according to Roman law and justice.  I could have written the report with ease, telling Tiberius that indeed, Roman justice was served.  In every report, the crimes of the criminals are recorded.  The first two were thieves and almost killed two of my officers in the attempt to rob them.  Their punishment was just.  But the other man’s punishment, now that I think back, seemed somewhat unjust.

     The man named Yeshua Ben Yosef, a carpenter by profession from the town of Nazareth.  What crimes did he commit that warranted crucifixion?   Crimes against Rome I think not.  There was no proof. Crimes against his own people? Did not the leaders of his own people bring him to me for judgment? Why did they not judge him themselves?

     I am plagued for the wont of answers, for deeper understanding in this matter.  It is also a matter of conscience.  Tiberius will want a report, and a report he will get, but at what price? At the price of my position as procurator of Judea?  For putting to death an innocent man?

     When I first heard of this man Yeshua I was awed.  Unlike the other Judeans who are forever complaining about taxes, this man Yeshua said they should pay the taxes.  When the mere presence of Rome embitters their souls, this man Yeshua befriended Romans.  Even one of my best centurions abandoned his belief in the gods of Rome when this Yeshua healed his servant.  I can’t hardly blame him, I can’t remember even one time when the gods of Rome did me or Claudia any favors. 

     I wish I had met this Yeshua sooner, perhaps he would have healed our grandson.  We asked the favor of the gods on him, yet he died of fever nonetheless.  I was very curious about these miracles, so I assigned Decius, one of my trusted servants to follow this Yeshua, yet from a distance as not to arouse suspicion among his twelve followers.

     My servant came back and reported that this Yeshua indeed took five loaves of bread and a few fishes which he received from a lad, and fed five-thousand people.  Now I ask myself, how could that be possible? Could anyone do that? I posed the question to my dear Claudia and she told me that indeed, it would be impossible if he were only a mere man.  I felt that she had more to say, yet she contained herself.  Later that night, before coming to bed she looked me deep in the eyes and I remember her words; “I do believe that this Yeshua is more than just a man!”

     Her words still echo in my ears, “more than just a man” but if that man is more than just a man, then what can he be?  Only a god is higher than man.  I ask myself, can this Yeshua be a god on this earth? A god that would be a king?  Yet this Yeshua refused kingship, at least kingship here in Jerusalem.  When he was before me that infamous day, I even asked him if he was a king, and I remember too well his words: 

     “You say that I am, did you hear that from others?”

      Yes, I remember hearing rumors among the Judeans that this Yeshua was a king prophesied by the Jewish prophets of old.  Then I remember his other words to me;

     “My reign is not of this world”

    But if not of this world, what other world is there?  Decius did not leave out details when I questioned him more about Yeshua.  The more he talked about Yeshua, the more excited he became.  I had to continuously remind him of his position as servant and protocol.

     I have seen a change in my servant however,  a change for the better, not to say that he is a bad servant, only now he asks if he might do extra things, saying,  “I wouldn’t mind going the extra mile”.  He has a strange peace about him, like all the others who have come into contact with this Yeshua.  Decius also told me that once while he was following Yeshua and his followers from a distance, Yeshua just stopped walking, turned around and looked at him.  Even from the distance, he could sense that Yeshua was looking straight at him.  He slowly nodded his head, and then continued walking.  It was if he knew why my servant was following him.

     Decius told me that on various occasions he had heard Yeshua mention  “the Kingdom of Heaven”.  Could this be the answer to his kingship?  But then where is this place called “heaven?” if not on earth, could this be some sort of home for the gods? A place from whence the gods rule the earth?  Would it be, I wonder, the same place where the gods of Rome live? Or…is it different?

     So many unanswered questions I have,  and no easy answers.  I heard it mentioned by the followers of Yeshua that  “the truth would set men free”  but free from what?  And what is truth?  Alas, the same question I posed to Yeshua when he was before me after having spoken these words to me;

     “Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice”

     I hear myself thinking that the “truth” is opposite of falsehood. It is looking at the facts and acknowledging the facts no matter what.  This I would have to do.  Yes, I will report the facts about Yeshua to Tiberius.  He would want nor expect no less.  I will tell him who I really think he is.  I will give my “Testimonium veritatis” my testimony of truth.

     Many call Yeshua a king, but he says that his kingdom is not here.  With the reports and facts that I have received from Decius my servant, I can only conclude that he indeed has the makings of a king.  He cares about his people, he feeds them bread and fish and teaches them about love.  He discourages hate and rebellion.  He shows compassion to the poor, he hates injustice and teaches honesty.  Oh if only Rome were ruled by someone like him, how different it would be.

     My servant also told me that he talked about “his father”.  His followers said that his father lives in Heaven, and that “he and his father were one”.  I wonder if that means that both Yeshua and his father are both kings?  What could be the truth about that I wonder?  Again, questions without solid answers.

     I am glad I gave him the title, “King of the Jews”.  I do believe he earned that title.  Let Caiaphas and the rest of those religious leaders foam at the mouth like rabid dogs.  The more I think about it, the more I believe Yeshua was delivered into my hands on account of jealousy, or jealousy with a lot of misunderstanding about this “Torah” as the Jews call their holy writ.  The religious leaders teach it one way, and Yeshua teaches it another way, so who’s right?  Can both be right?  I wonder where this carpenter got so much understanding.

     The Jews also say that their “Torah” said something about a “coming Messiah” who would be a king.  According to the records he was born around the time it was prophesied, during the Jew’s festival of Sukkot.

     Some of the Jews believed that this coming “king” would free Judea from Roman rule, but here we stand.  Rome has not fallen and I am still governor of Judea.  So where, I ask myself, does this Yeshua fit into all this?

     As I look over all the facts, I find myself wanting and guilty of condemning to death an innocent man, or maybe more than just a man, a god become man perhaps? So how can men kill a god?

     My head is still dizzy with still unanswered questions, and the moon is high above in the night sky.  I have the parchment, quill , and ink on the table, but this letter will have to wait until morning.  Tiberius will  have to wait one more day for this report.  Whatever happens, happens, by the will of the gods....or should I say....God?

    

                                                               

                                                                    Pontius  Pilatus

                                                               Gubernator Iudeae            

 

AUTHOR'S ENDING COMMENTS: 

 

We might never know what went on inside the mind of Pontius Pilate.     He was certaining aware of the miralces and teachings of Yeshua (Jesus).  Did he really believe Yeshua was God? Only our Father in Heaven knows for sure.

 

PIC:  Bible study session in El Salvador at a barber shop  "Jesus salva"

 

                                  SARAH (the sequel.....the story continues)     by Jacob Ben Avraham                        

         

      Sarah stood in awe as she marveled at the beautiful sights and wonders of the city of the King.  Angel stood by her side and pointed to the brilliant array of colors. 

     “You see all those colors Sarah? They all emanate from the Throne of Grace of King Yeshua.  They are all the colors of the rainbow”

     “How beautiful” replied Sarah looking here and there, completely enthralled with the marvelous sights and sounds of her new heavenly home.

     “This is your home Sarah” replied Angel with a happy smile, “and all these people are your family.”

     Sarah looked all around her.  The city of the King was constant activity. There were people all around her, big people and small, all dressed in glowing white tunics.  They were girded with golden belts around their waists and wore golden sandals.  There was constant conversation with laughter; some were singing praises with up lifted hands.

     “These are the redeemed from all ages past” said Angel.  “These are the ones who accepted the free gift of life from King Yeshua.  Through his shed blood, their sins were blotted out and their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.”

     “Wow” cried Sarah with joy, “Do they all have special names like me?”

     “Yes” replied Angel, “Their names are engraved on their golden head bands.”

     Sarah looked at all the redeemed that walked the streets of the Lamb’s holy city.  She saw that everyone wore golden bands around their foreheads, engraved with special names.

     “But I don’t have one Angel!” said Sarah sadly, touching her own head, feeling only her soft, dark, curly hair. 

     “Ah, but you will receive one.  King Yeshua himself will give you your own headband with your name engraved,” replied Angel with a smile.  “I’m going to take you to meet him right now.  Are you ready to meet your king?”

     “Oh yes” exclaimed Sarah happily, “Let’s go!”

     “Alright” said Angel, opening up his radiant white wings, “Hold my hand and up we'll go. 

     Sarah held on the Angel's hand as they both soared upward and few over the golden city of the king.  Sarah gasped with wonder as she saw all the beautiful sights and sounds of Yeshua's kingdom.

 

         Fountains of pure, crystalline water shot high into the air, emanating from different geometric shapes of pure, transparent crystal.  Above some fountains were suspended pyramids of crystal rotating around and around, reflecting the light that came from the Lamb’s Throne of Grace.  The radiant light reflected by the prisms came forth in all sorts of dazzling colors.

     “What beautiful colors”, exclaimed Sarah.  “Is the whole city like this?”

     “Yes” replied Angel.  “The whole city reflects the beauty and majesty of King Yeshua, and look,” continued Angel, pointing ahead, “there’s the Lamb’s Throne of Grace and his holy temple.”

     Sarah looked ahead and saw a monumental throne of pure gold with a base of green emerald.  The throne was aglow with radiant, golden light shining forth the glory of God in all directions.  There was also a river of crystal clarity flowing from the base of the Throne of Grace.  The river parted into four directions, flowing to the north, south, east, and west. 

     “Let’s go up a little higher” said Angel, “We can get a better view from far, far above.”

     With these words, Angel and Sarah flew up and up, higher and higher above the City of God.  Sarah looked down to see the river that flowed from the Lamb’s Throne of Grace divide into canals.

     “You see Sarah” spoke Angel, “The River of Life flows to the north, south, east and west.  In each direction, it splits up into more canals so that every dwelling on every street here in the New Jerusalem has a canal.”

     Sarah looked with excitement and awe at the canals which flowed alongside the streets of gold.  On each street stood mansions, great and small.  Behind the mansions lay lush, green vegetation and all kinds of fruit trees that lined the canals from the River of Life.                                                                  

     “How beautiful is everything here” exclaimed Sarah.  “Is all the Kingdom of Heaven like this?”

     “Yes” replied Angel with a smile, “and you have only begun to see everything that the LORD has in store for those who love him, and for those he loves.”

     Sarah was enthralled by the wonderful sights and sounds of the New Jerusalem.  There were so many beautiful buildings, mansions, and so many people from all ages going here and there.  Some were laughing and conversing one with another with smiles of joy.  Others were singing praises to the most high God, with uplifted hands with psalms of praise on their lips.

     “Come” said Angel, “let’s go over there” as he pointed out a beautiful temple with a throne bathed in glowing, radiant light standing right in front of it.

     “Angel and Sarah flew down to where the holy temple and the throne were.

They were both dwarfed by the majesty and splendor of God’s Throne of Glory, engulfed by the lamb’s Shekinah light.                                                       

     Angel pointed towards the temple entrance from which came a chorus of heavenly voices of the redeemed, singing psalms of praises with the sounds of all sorts of stringed instruments.  At different intervals, the sounds of trumpets and shofars were heard.

     “Now little Sarah” began Angel, “you will meet your king.”  With these words, Angel stepped forward and shouted, “My LORD and my God Adonai-Elohim, Yeshua Ben David, I present to you Sarah, Princess and daughter of light.”

     At once, the whole entrance of the temple was filled with radiant, glowing light.  The light was so bright that both Sarah and Angel fell to their knees and bowed their heads to the ground.  All around them rang voices proclaiming;

“Holy, Holy, Holy is the LORD God of hosts, May all Heaven and earth be filled with your glory.”

     When Angel and Sarah looked up, they saw the figure of a man clothed in dazzling white array.  He wore a golden belt around his waist and wore golden sandals.  Around his head was a golden crown which read; “KING of kings and LORD of lords.”

     He looked down at Sarah and opened his arms saying, “Welcome my dearest daughter, welcome to your home.”

     Sarah looked up at the man in dazzling white, knowing that he was more than just a man, he was indeed the LORD.

     “Yeshua?”  Exclaimed Sarah with wonder, “You’re King Yeshua, aren’t you?”

     “Yes my dearest child” replied the king with a broad smile, “I AM who I AM, the KING of kings and LORD of lords, your father and your God.”

     Sarah went up close to King Yeshua.  He then reached down and with all tenderness, picked little Sarah up and held her to his breast.  Sarah looked into his eyes and noticed a few tear drops.  In spite of Yeshua’s radiant countenance, she noticed a touch of sadness. 

     “Why are you sad King Yeshua?” asked Sarah curiously, pointing to the tears in his eyes.

      “I had so many plans for you my dearest daughter” replied Yeshua.  “You would have been the pride and joy of your mother Leah, a special gift of life. You would have excelled in many things.”

     “You know my mother?” questioned Sarah, still gazing into his eyes.

     “Yes”, replied Yeshua, “she is also my daughter. For a while, she was very angry and confused.

     “Well wouldn’t you know it” said Sarah, crossing her arms, “She sent me right back to you, guess she didn’t want me after all.”

      Yeshua looked at Sarah with eyes of tenderness, full of love and compassion

“Like I said dearest one, your mother was angry and confused.  She listened to bad and evil counsel.”

     “Yes, I know.” Sarah replied, “Angel told me all about counselors who follow this Beelzebub guy, he has other scary names too.”

      “Well” said Yeshua with a smile, “You won’t have to worry about him here.

There is no place for evil in my kingdom.”

     “That’s good” said Sarah, “I wouldn’t want to meet him anyway. Oh by the way King Yeshua, do I get a place to live here?” asked Sarah with wondering eyes.

     “Indeed you do” replied Yeshua as he placed Sarah back on her feet.  “But first, I must give you your little golden head band with your name.” 

     “Wow “cried Sarah with glee, “my own headband, like all the others here have?”

     “Well” replied the LORD, “everyone has a distinct and unique headband.” And Yeshua reached into his long, white tunic and drew out a small, golden headband with the title “Sarah, little princess, daughter of Light”

     Yeshua reached down with all tenderness and gently placed the headband around Sarah’s head.

     “There” he said with joy, “this is yours for all eternity.”

     “Like forever and ever” questioned Sarah?

      “Yes” replied the king of glory, “forever and ever.”  Sarah beamed with joy as she felt the golden headband around her head.

     “Angel” said Yeshua, “I believe my daughter Angelique was looking for a roommate.”

     “Yes my LORD” replied Angel, bowing his head.

      “Sarah would you like to share a mansion with your sister Angelique?” ask Yeshua.

     “Oh yes” replied Sarah, beaming with joy.  “I think I saw her name written on a flat rock when I was in front of the Wall of Sorrows.”

     “Yes” replied Yeshua, “You saw her tomb stone, but she is alive and well here in the New Jerusalem.  She is part of my holy choir, singing praises to my holy name while playing the ten stringed lyre.”

      “I would love to meet her” said Sarah with a broad smile.

     “You will indeed” replied Yeshua.  At that, Yeshua turned towards the entrance of the holy temple and cried out with a loud voice, “Angelique, daughter of the most high God, come forth.”  The voice of Yeshua echoed like thunder.  It seemed as though all of Heaven shook at the sound of His voice.

     At the sound of King Yeshua’s voice, a beautiful young woman came out of the temple arrayed in a dazzling white tunic with a golden belt around her waist.  Her feet were shod with golden sandals and she also wore a golden head band with her name engraved in it. 

     “Yes my LORD” said Angelique, bowing her head and prostrating herself to the ground.

     “Arise my daughter of light” said Yeshua, reaching down and taking Angelique by the hand.  “This is my daughter and your sister Sarah.  She will share your mansion.”

     “Hello Sarah” said Angelique embracing her with heavenly love.  “How do you like the Kingdom of Heaven, the New Jerusalem?”

     “It’s awesome” replied Sarah, looking around with wonder.  “So many beautiful things to see and so many people.” 

     “I’ll show Sarah around my LORD.”

     “Great, my daughter Angelique” said Yeshua smiling, “I’ll see you later.”

     “I too must take my leave” said Angel, “there are more children arriving here that I must meet.  It was nice meeting you Sarah.” 

     “It was nice meeting you too Angel” replied Sarah, waving her hand goodbye to her nice celestial guide. 

     “Well” said Angelique, taking Sarah by the hand, “I’ll show you around.  I’ll introduce you to some of the writers of the books.”

     “Books?” questioned Sarah, looking a bit confused.

     “Oh yes” replied Angelique, “King Yeshua has 66 books, and one special book called the ‘Book of Life’.  That’s where all of our names are recorded.”

     “My name too?” questioned Sarah.

     “Your name too” answered Angelique with a smile.

     Angelique and Sarah walked along the streets of gold, stopping to speak with different people, people from different eras of time past on earth.  Sarah was enthralled with all the different sights and sounds of the New Jerusalem. In just a short time, she met people from all time periods, some seemed young, and others a bit older.  Then Angelique pointed out a man with an elderly face and a very long white beard.

     Angelique and Sarah walked over to this man who seemed to be deep in thought. 

     “Shalom Moshe” greeted Angelique.  The elderly man turned to look at Angelique and smiled.

     “Shalom to you too sister Angelique, and who is this pretty young lady?” asked Moshe, pointing to Sarah. 

     “This is Sarah, she’s new here.  I’m showing her around.  Sarah, this is Moses who wrote the first five books of King Yeshua’s Torah.”

     “Nice to meet you Moses” said Sarah.

     “Nice to meet you too” replied Moses, embracing little Sarah with a warm hug.  “And here are some things for you” said Moses, handing her 5 scrolls all rolled up and tied together with a scarlet colored strap.

     “These scrolls contain the words that King Yeshua told me to write many, many earth years ago.  Many of the words talk about Him.” 

     “I’ll make sure to read these” responded Sarah as she tucked the scrolls under her arm.  “It was nice meeting you Moses” smiled Sarah happily.

     “It was nice meeting you too Sarah” nodded Moses with a smile.  “See you later Angelique.”

     “Shalom to you too” replied Angelique.

     Both Sarah and Angelique continued to walk along the many streets of gold of the celestial city of the king.  Angelique introduced Sarah to many of the writers of the Bible.  She was especially happy to meet Jeremiah, who gave Sarah a beautifully embroidered silk shoulder bag to put all the scrolls she received from the king’s prophets.

     Sarah and Angelique continued to walk along the streets of Heaven, enjoying and taking in the beautiful sights and sounds of Heaven’s bliss.  Finally, Angelique pointed out a huge, golden mansion, embedded with all sorts of precious stones.

     “That’s our home Sarah”

     “Wow” cried Sarah, “It’s so beautiful and so big!”

     “Yes” replied Angelique, “and I often invite people over.  Moses has been my guest many times.  Adam, Eve, and Enoch came over a while ago too.  We really enjoy each others company” continued Angelique, walking towards the steps which lead to the mansion’s entrance.  “They told what life was like when they lived on earth.”

     “Do you remember your life on earth?” asked Sarah.

     “Not really” replied Angelique sadly, “if you remember from my tomb stone, I died when I was three months old.”

     “Oh” said Sarah, nodding her head slowly, “I wasn’t even allowed to be born.”  The two walked the remaining distance to the mansion’s front steps deep in thought.

     “Well” said Angelique, stopping in front of the twelve red-marble steps that lead up to the mansion’s ornate mother-of-pearl entrance, “This is home!”

     Sarah stared at the lovely, golden mansion with awe.  It was made of solid gold bricks with twelve rectangular shaped windows framed with pure silver.

     Embedded in the silver frames were rubies and sapphires.  The entrance of the mansion was framed roundabout with mother of pearl.

     Sarah and Angelique together walked up the twelve marble steps and passed through the entrance.  Inside the mansion were all kinds of geometric shaped sculptures.  Some were made of pure crystal and out of the crystal ran living water.  The floor was made of red and black marble inlaid with twelve Lapis Lazuli stars of David.

     There was a large, marble table with twelve chairs of velvet cushions.  On the table were dishes made of pure gold with crystal goblets by their side.  In the center of the table were large plates also made of pure gold which held all kinds of nuts and fruit.

     There was a skylight made of pure, transparent crystal which allowed radiant light to come through.  This light emanated from the Lamb’s Throne of Grace, which also illuminated the entire city of the king.

     “Let’s go upstairs and I’ll show you our room” said Angelique, pointing to a winding black marble and jasper staircase.  The railing that was on either side of the staircase was made of pure gold embedded with rubies and emeralds.

     The two girls climbed the staircase and entered what appeared to be a large bedroom with two large beds made of shittim wood overlaid with pure gold. The mattresses were made of pure satin, stuffed with lamb’s wool.  Covering the mattresses lay dazzling white satin sheets with matching satin pillows.  On the wall beside the beds were bookshelves divided into 66 squares.  The bookshelves were also made of shittim wood, overlaid with gold.

     “This is where you will put your scrolls Sarah” said Angelique, pointing to the squares.  “One scroll for every square.  When you read the scrolls, you will remember every word as our memories here are perfect.”

     “Wow” exclaimed Sarah, “I’ll start to read right now.”

     She placed the scrolls she had received in the wooden squares on the wall beside her bed.  Sarah kept the first one she received.  Sitting on her ornate bed, untied the scroll and began to read.

     “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth……..” after a while she tied up the scroll and placed it in the first square.

     “Moshe wrote many wonderful things” Sarah remarked, “Too bad about Adam and Eve, that they listened to the serpent and lost fellowship with King Yeshua” said Sarah sadly.

     “Yes” replied Angelique, “but King Yeshua made it right again in that He loved the world so much that He went down to earth in human form.  He died on a cross and His blood cleansed all mankind of sin.  That is how we can all have a right fellowship with Him again.  For all those that believe on Him, he has given everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

     Angelique’s face shone with radiant light as she explained the words of the Apostle John to Sarah.  The girls embraced each other, overjoyed to be together forever in God’s holy eternal city.

     “Sarah” continued Angelique, “when people like us die as babies and young children, we don’t experience the spirit of rebellion caused by sin.  This happens to older people, so the king looks on us as innocent and perfect in his eyes.  When king Yeshua was on earth, he said once; ‘Let the little children come to me, for theirs is the Kingdom of God’ (Luke 18:16) He was talking about us.”

     “What’s out there?” asked Sarah, pointing to the doorway at the end of the bedroom.

      “That leads to the outside patio, come on, I’ll show you.”

      Angelique took Sarah by the hand and led her through the arched doorway which was also framed with mother of pearl.  The two went out onto the patio which was supported by beautifully carved marble pillars.  On the patio were flower pots made of red clay, from which grew many flowering plants giving the air a fragrance unlike anything on earth. 

     “See out there?” said Angelique, pointing to the distance.  “That is one of the tributaries of the River of Life which flows from the Lamb’s Throne of Grace.  Those trees that grow next to the river give all manner of fruit.”

     Sarah was enthralled by the beautiful sight of the river and trees, the lush emerald green grass and flowering meadows all around.  She was delighted with the aroma of flowers and the continuous music that was heard coming from the celestial temple.

     Sarah looked down from the upstairs patio and saw something that intrigued her.  “What’s that?” she asked, pointing to a rectangular crystal framed in pure silver.

     “Oh” replied Angelique, “that’s the crystal of images. Everyone up here has one of those.  Would you like to see it?”

     “Sure” said Sarah filled with curiosity.

     Angelique and Sarah went down stairs and out the back doorway which led to a ground level patio.  It was like the upstairs patio, but this one was surrounded by flowering trees and shrubs.  Twelve marble columns supported the upstairs patio, all carved with intricate designs.  The base of the downstairs patio was made of red marble inlaid with all sorts of precious stones.  Seven steps led from the patio to the lush carpet of green grass and flowers.  In the near distance was the River of Life, adorned with the fruit bearing trees.

     Angelique and Sarah approached the crystal of images which made a soft humming noise.

     “This is powered by the Lamb’s Throne of Grace” said Angelique, allowing Sarah to observe it closely.  The crystal was attached to a curved block of sculpted quartz, allowing the crystal to hang vertically, facing the viewer.

     “What does it do?” questioned Sarah, now intrigued by this strange object.

     “This allows us to see what is happening on earth” responded Angelique “Would you like to try it?”

     “Oh yes” cried Sarah, clapping her hands full of joy. “I’d like to see my mother again.”

     “OK” replied Angelique, “Just stand in front of it and pass your hand close to the crystal.”  Sarah went up and passed her little hand in front of the crystal, all the while, thinking of her beloved mother Leah.

     All of a sudden, multicolored lights appeared inside the crystal followed by an image.  It was the image of a woman laying down in a graveyard in front of a newly dug grave.

     Leah Holtz woke up from a deep sleep.  It had been the first time in weeks that she had slept so soundly.  She slowly got up; her body covered by newly fallen autumn leaves.  She had spent the night in the cemetery in front of her daughter’s little grave marker.

     The air was crisp and fresh. She got up and brushed off the leaves which clung to her worn sweater.  Her eyes filled with tears as she looked once more at the little wooden cross with the words “Sarah” inscribed on a small plaque which was nailed to the cross.   Leah had made her peace with God, with herself and above all, with her little daughter

     Leah pulled her sweater around her body as she left Old Oak cemetery and headed home.  There would be a lot to do in her apartment.  She could take her time as today was her day off from work.

     In spite of not having eaten anything since the day before, she felt full of energy.  She walked home quickly, arriving at her apartment in a matter of minutes.

     She put the key in the door lock and walked in.  The sight she saw caused her to gasp.  “Oh my God Leah” she said to herself out loud, “How could you have lived like this?”

     Looking around she saw a dirty apartment, with empty beer and wine bottles scattered here and there.  Her wedding picture which once hung on the wall lay shattered on the floor amidst pieces of broken glass.

     There were piles of dirty dishes in the sink, and the carpet was dirty with bits and pieces of food particles everywhere.

     “Well”, Leah said to herself, “Time to clean up.”

     With those words, Leah went to work.  She went to the closet and took out a vacuum cleaner, a mop, and a bucket.  She went to the kitchen and looked for some liquid cleaner and rags.  When she had gotten everything ready, she turned on the radio and looked for a Christian station that played popular praise and worship songs.  After the music started playing, she began washing all the dirty dishes, pots, and pans.

     Little by little, the dirty, grubby looking apartment came to life again.  Leah opened the windows to allow the fresh, crisp autumn air in.  She danced and sang the words to the different songs and praise hymns she heard on the radio.

     She started up the vacuum cleaner, passing it back and forth across the living room floor.  She was so involved with her cleaning that she almost didn’t hear a soft knocking at the door.  Leah turned off the vacuum for a moment to be sure of the noise.  The knocking at the front door repeated a few times more.

     Leah wondered who it could be as she had not received many visitors since her husband had left her.  She went and opened the door to find a rather large man with a duffel bag by his feet. He looked rather old and dirty with disheveled hair and a small amount of beard growth.

     He hung his head down, not even lifting it when Leah opened the door.  He was a pitiful sight to lay eyes on, a symbol of depression and utter failure.

     “Yes, may I help you sir?” asked Leah, trying to look into this man’s face.  In the past, she had seen many homeless people sleeping under bridges.  They were usually by the highways with painted signs asking for pennies.  From time to time she had given a dollar or two or some change.  She thought that perhaps this man was a homeless guy, coming to ask for a bit of change.

     The man finally lifted his head and looked Leah in the eyes.  “Hello Leah”,

he said rather sheepishly.  Leah looked deeply into his face, a face she had known for years.

     “Roger?” she asked, backing away a few feet.  But yes, it was him, the husband who had left her for another woman.  Now he was back, humbled it seemed a sight of defeat.

     “Yes Leah, it’s me” responded a very different Roger Holtz, no longer the proud, arrogant flirt as before, but now a very humbled and meek man.

     “May I come in?” he asked, looking hopefully into Leah’s eyes.

     “Your name is still on the lease, so it’s still your place” said Leah rather quietly, turning her back to Roger.  She went to the living room window leaving a rather meek Roger Holtz at the door.  Roger entered and sat down on the living room sofa, leaving his duffel bag just inside the door.

     Leah continued to stare out the living room window, her mind being absorbed with memories, memories of a wedding day and a short lived relationship ending with deceit and unfaithfulness. 

     “You have no idea how much you hurt me Roger” shouted Leah as she whirled around and walked quickly to the sofa to confront her husband. 

     “I know I was wrong” said Roger, looking up at Leah, his eyes expressing sadness and remorse.  “I can’t undo what I did, I can only ask for your forgiveness.”

     Leah looked at a very different Roger sitting there on the sofa.  She knew in her heart that she had to forgive him since God forgave her for what she had done to her innocent unborn daughter.  Was she any different than Roger? Roger had destroyed their marital relationship, but Leah had destroyed a life that was within her.  Which was the worst sin?  Leah knew what she had to do.

     “Roger” began Leah slowly, “I’ll forgive you for walking out on our relationship, but it isn’t easy.  Wounds take time to heal, especially emotional wounds.”

     Leah now came over to the sofa and sat down beside her husband.  Roger looked at Leah with all sincerity and tenderness.  “Thank you Leah” he began,

“I’m different than before, I know the LORD now, I really know Him.  I accepted Jesus as my LORD and Savior.”

     “When did that happen?” asked Leah, looking at Roger with wonder and awe.

     “Just today” responded Roger.  “Do you remember Eddie Williams from our high school football team?”

     “Sure” replied Leah, “Big Eddie the quarterback, all 250 pounds of him, who can forget all the touchdowns he made?”

     “Well” continued Roger, “I saw him on the football field at the city bible college.  I went to the college to look for work.  I waved to him and we started talking about old times.  I told him how I had left you and that I was with Cindy.”

     Roger paused and hung his head.  “I still can’t believe I did that.”

     “Go on Roger” said Leah, gently touching his hand, “Remember I forgive you.”

     “Well” continued Roger, “When he heard that I had left you for Cindy, he turned and walked away, then stopped and just turned around and charged me like a linebacker on the opposing team.” Roger paused for a few seconds, not knowing how to continue.

     “And then what happened” asked Leah rather quietly, her interest now aroused.  Her soft voice encouraged Roger to continue.

     Taking a deep breath, he continued.  “He tackled me, knocking me off my feet and when I hit the ground, he sat on my chest and opened up a bible and started reading it.”

     “Big Eddie with a Bible?” replied Leah with surprise.  “I can’t believe it, but wow, that’s awesome.”

     “I tried to get up”, Roger continued, “but Eddie held me to the ground and told me that I was going to listen to him.”  Roger paused and took another deep breath.  “He told me that I did wrong in leaving you and that I should return to you and honor my commitment to our marriage.”

     “God works in mysterious ways Roger” said Leah quietly.

     “Then he started reading from the New Testament” continued Roger, “and told me how Jesus had died for my sins and that I needed to have a real relationship with him.  You know what Leah? What he was saying really made sense to me for the first time.”

     As Roger looked into Leah’s eyes, she saw something different in him. He had that sincere look, a ray of hope, a sincere desire for a new beginning.

     “And….what did you do Roger?” asked Leah, her voice ever so gentle.

     “I accepted Jesus as my LORD and Savior; really I did, with all my heart.  I felt a real change come over me.”

     Leah reached out and took his hands in hers.  “You’re born again now Roger, now we both have a home in Heaven.”

     “Wow Angelique” said Sarah jumping up and down in front of the crystal of images, “did you hear that? Now both my mom and dad will be here some day with us and King Yeshua, and with all these people up here!”

     “Yes” replied Angelique with a smile, embracing Sarah, “It is so wonderful when the whole family is part of Yeshua’s family.  We have so much reason to rejoice in the LORD.”

     The two continued to gaze into the crystal of images, observing the couple on the sofa, a couple now joined together in faith, through the covenant of the King.

     “As soon as Eddie let me up” Roger continued, “I embraced him and thanked him for sharing the love of God with me.  I ran back to where I was living with Cindy.  I didn’t even want to look at her.  I just ran into the bedroom, threw all

     my clothes in this duffel bag and ran out the door.”

     “And Cindy?” asked Leah with questioning eyes, “What did she do?”

     “She just stood there with her mouth hanging open, wondering what was going on” replied Roger.  “I told her quickly that I was going back to you.”

     “And what did she say?” asked Leah, now really intrigued.

     “Well” continued Roger, “she just threw out a string of cuss words and slammed the door behind me.  I didn’t look back Leah, I just ran as fast as I could away from there.  I belong here with you.  Can I stay?”

      Leah looked into Roger’s pleading eyes.  Yes, he had done wrong, but so had she.  If the LORD had forgiven her, who was she to turn her husband away?  The prodigal husband had returned, now, equally yoked.

     “Yes Roger” replied Leah lovingly, “You can stay, it’s your home, and it’s our home.  Now we’re a family united in Christ.  He heals all hurts.”

     Roger embraced Leah with all tenderness.  “We’re a re-united family Leah” said Roger with tears in his eyes, “You, me, and our little one we’re expecting.”

Roger gently touched Leah’s empty womb.  At his touch, Leah recoiled and quickly got up from the sofa and went over to the window again.  She tried to hold back the tears, but they still came.

     “I’m not pregnant any more” cried Leah, her voice echoing both anger and sadness.

     Roger just sat there rather shocked, his eyes wandering from her womb to her eyes.  “You had a miscarriage?” he asked.  “That’s OK; we can always have another child.”

     “It was an abortion Roger!” shouted Leah, her eyes flashing with hurt.  “An abortion! Did you hear? I was angry at you for leaving me.  I hated you and I struck out at our precious, innocent daughter to get even!”

     Roger couldn’t respond.  He didn’t know what to say. He just continued to stare at Leah’s now angry countenance. 

     “She’s dead Roger, do you hear? Dead!” cried Leah, with tears streaming from her eyes. “I killed her, I killed our unborn daughter, and she’s dead!”

     “No mommy, I’m not dead.  I’m alive up here in Yeshua’s kingdom” shouted Sarah, jumping up and down in front of the crystal of images, waving her hands in the air trying to get her mother’s attention.  “I’m alive up here with my friend Angelique and…”

     “She can’t hear you Sarah” interrupted Angelique, embracing Sarah, looking deep into her eyes.   “People on earth can’t hear or see us up here.”

     “I wish my mom and dad could hear and see me” said Sarah, looking up at Angelique with wishful eyes.

     “I know that Sarah” replied Angelique lovingly, “but I think that deep in your mother’s heart she knows that you’re alive and well up here.”  The two embraced each other with heavenly tenderness.

     Sarah and Angelique continued to gaze into the crystal of images observing the emotional scene back on earth.  Husband and wife now reconciled, still needed to go through the healing process.

     Roger continued to look at Leah.  Deep hurt now showed in his eyes, but amidst the hurt, there was the look of forgiveness and peace.  He knew that he was partially to blame, but this would be a new beginning.  There would have to be total forgiveness.

     “I forgive you Leah” said Roger, now embracing his wife.  “God forgives you too.  You of all people ought to know that.  You have been a believer for many years and know more about God’s love than I do.”

     Roger cupped Leah’s face in his hands.  His words were like honey, sweetening her sorrowful soul.  “One thing I know,” continued Roger, “Our little girl is alive in God’s kingdom, and I am sure she’s looking down at us right now.”

At these words, both Roger and Leah looked up toward the ceiling of their small apartment.

     “Angelique, look!” cried Sarah all excited, pointing to the figures in the crystal of images, “they’re looking at us, see? They’re looking right up at us, they can really see us.”

     “Yes” smiled Angelique, “it seems that way doesn’t it?” 

     “Let this be a new beginning for both of us” said Roger, embracing his wife.

Leah’s eyes filled with tears of joy as she accepted her husband’s embrace.  Yes, she knew she had been forgiven.  Her heart was filled with joy to know that both God and her husband had forgiven her.  She would have to forgive herself now.

     “Pastor Anderson still needs a maintenance worker at the church, if you still need a job” said Leah, knowing that a new beginning with only one paycheck would be a little tight.

     “Do you think he would accept me?” asked Roger hopefully.

     “Now that you are a genuine member of the family of God, I don’t think he would have any problem accepting you,” said Leah, knowing that her “new Roger” would put his whole heart and soul into their renewed relationship, new job included.

     “Well” replied Roger, “why don’t we go visit Pastor Anderson now, I’d like to share our new beginning with him.”

     “Great idea” said Leah, her face aglow with joy.  “It would be a great testimony and it’s almost time for the Wednesday evening service.  The pastor will also be very surprised to see me again, after all this time away from church.”

     The two embraced each other again, two renewed hearts and lives ready to embrace a renewed relationship with the LORD’s guidance.

     Sarah and Angelique stood watching the couple in the crystal of images.  Sarah sensed their love and renewed devotion to each other, and to King Yeshua. 

     “I’m so happy that both my mom and dad will be with us here someday” said Sarah, beaming with joy.

     “Yes” replied Angelique, “They are both children of God now.  They will have a home here in Heaven too, just like we do.” 

     Sarah and Angelique stepped back from the crystal of images.  The embraced couple slowly faded away until the crystal returned to its former transparency.

     “I have an idea, let’s go over to the River of Life and pick some fruit from the trees,” said Angelique, pointing to the row of fruit trees that grew by the river’s edge.  There were all kinds of fruit bearing trees; including vines producing ripe green and purple grapes. 

     Sarah looked around and found 3 wicker baskets at the foot of the mansion’s marble steps.  She picked them up and handed two of them to Angelique. 

“Are we going to eat all the fruit ourselves?” questioned Sarah with wondering eyes. 

     “Of course not,” laughed Angelique, “We’re going to invite Moses, Joshua, and Aaron over to enjoy the meal with us.  Then they can tell you how life was like when they lived on earth.”

     “Wow!” exclaimed Sarah, full of excitement, “that would be great.  I have so many questions to ask them.”

     “Well, shall we go?”

     “Yes” said Sarah with a smile, “Let’s go!”  So both Angelique and Sarah, baskets in hand, walked down one of the many flowering paths that lead to the River of Life.

 

PIC:  Fuerza Aerea Salvadoreña,  El Salvador Air Force, when I served as volunteer chaplain a few years ago, inside a Helicopter with the mechanic.

 

PARASHA: “VaYIKRA” (and he called)

LEVITICUS 1:1-6:7………………ISAIAH 43:21-44:23……………MARK 11:1-12:44


……We start the book of Leviticus, this part of the Torah has to do with the Mishkan (the tabernacle) now ready to be used, and the sacrificial system that will be instituted within the Mishkan. All the sacrifices point to and illustrate MESIAH YESHUA (Jesus the Christ) who he is and what his one-time sacrifice means to us as believers. Even though the sacrificial system was completed with Messiahs’ death on Calvary, it is still worth while studying the meaning of it all, since it is a very integral part of the Torah.

…..The first thing you must do is read over the scripture verses, from Chapter 1:1 through 6:7. Now we are ready for a discussion. The whole idea of a “Korban” (sacrifice) is to generate the idea of “substitution”. The sacrificial system involves; a gift, a death, a substitute, a renewed relationship. “The gift (haMatanah)” comes from the person offering, which is an animal. The animal, which would be a goat, a lamb, a bull, or a bird, would be killed and the blood splattered on the altar (mizbeach), the animal would be a “substitute” for the person who offers it. The sins of the person “transfer” to the animal. Through the sacrifice, the relationship between the offeror and YHVH is renewed. But remember that the “sacrifices” are just symbolic of what they really mean,

Which is Messiah Yeshua taking on ALL of our sins and him being nailed to the cross, and shedding his blood for our sins, giving us a “renewed” relationship with Him, through a “born again” experience.

…..There were 5 kinds of “korbanot” (sacrifices); 1. The burnt offering (Olah) 2. The sin offering, 3. The guilt or trespass offering; 4. The Peace offering (Korban Shelamim) 5. The grain or meat offering (Minchah). Each one identifies our relationship with Messiah Yeshua.

…..THE BURNT OFFERING (Olah) This involved an animal sacrifice, the animal was completely burned on the altar and the ashes taken away and buried “outside the camp” the head, the inner organs, and the legs were burned as well. The pieces of the animal were arranged on the altar and burned. The head could symbolize our “thoughts” the inner organs could represent our “inner being, the heart, and the legs, our “walk” all of these were “offered up” to YHVH, thus symbolizing our “complete surrender to God in all that we are and have. The altar as you remember was made of hard wood overlaid with bronze and had a grill in the middle, and under the grill was earth and stones, Wood was laid on the grill and the animal was cut up and laid on the grill and burned. This reminds us of Yeshua who was “sacrificed” by his own free will on a WOODEN cross, and was consumed by the “fires of judgment” He was judged for OUR SINS. The animal’s throat was cut and the blood was poured out and splashed on the altar. The person offering the animal showed that he/his family was “offering themselves to the LORD”. It also symbolizes our awareness of our sin nature. This sacrifice originated in Genesis, with Adam and Eve, Abel offered an “Olah Korban” so did Abraham, when he offered up the ram instead of his son Isaac, so did Noah, when he left the ark.

…..THE SIN OFFERING (korban chatat) This also involved an animal sacrifice. It symbolized our specific sins that we commit by mistake, (active) or something we do not do, or forget to do (passive). In this korban, the person would offer the animal as a sacrifice, the person would place his hands on the head of the animal, transferring his “sins” into the animal, which would be the “substitute. The animal’s throat would be cut and the blood splattered on the altar. The priest would offer on the altar the fat, the liver, and the kidneys of the animal. These could symbolize our inner being. In this, the person confessed their sins and they did it by free will, and the animal symbolized Yeshua who paid our sin price in full.

…..THE TRESPASS OR GUILT OFFERING; This involved the same process, only that the person who committed an offense against another would also have to bring compensation for the wrong doing, either in payment in silver or gold, or payment with animals. When we offend another person, be the person a brother or sister in Messiah or an unbeliever, we need to “compensate” the sin, if we can do it, sometimes, we cannot, if the sin is against the person’s character, no amount of money can repay the damage done, only a sincere confession in humbleness. So, we need to watch our “walk”.

…..THE PEACE OFFERING (Shelamim). The word “Shelamim” comes from “Shalom” (peace) this was an enjoyable sacrifice in which both the priest and the offeror and his family would enjoy “roast beef, goat, or lamb”

This was a “thankfulness” offering for blessings received. The animal was offered in the same way, only the meat was shared between the priest and his family, and the offeror and his family. We see this kind of “korban” even today in the parks, when families go out and BBQ ribs (hopefully beef and not pork) chicken, beef sausage, steaks, etc, many times they invite friends and family to enjoy in the “grilling and BBQ” they also have bread, or tostadas, tortillas, drinks, salad, etc to accompany the meal.

…..THE MEAL OR MEAT OFFERING (minchah) this was a non-blood offering on the altar, in this korban, fine flour was offered, mixed with olive oil, frankincense, and also, the flour was made into cakes, rolls of bread, or flat breads (tortillas) but made without leaven or honey. These usually accompanied the peace offerings, to make the meal a “feast”. The fine flour symbolizes “YESHUA THE BREAD OF LIFE” the oil THE RUACH HA KODESH (The holy Spirit) the frankincense, OUR FELLOWSHIP THROUGH PRAYER. The animal itself represented Yeshua who gave his life for us, and took upon himself ALL of our sins, past, present, and future. The word “KORBAN” (sacrifice) comes from the Hebrew verb KARAV which means; “to come near”

…..We can only come near to YHVH through the shed blood of Messiah Yeshua, who was the “sacrificed lamb” the Bible says that “without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sins” Our sins were “atoned for once and forever. That is why the “new covenant” or “renewed” covenant is a BETTER covenant, because there is no more need for animal sacrifices, because YESHUA took their place.

ISAIAH 43:21-44:23.......................................... .................................................. .................. ..

…..YHVH speaks through the Prophet Yeshayahu and is complaining that Israel has forgotten about God, they no longer bring sacrifices, but are engrossed in sin, He explains that craftsmen will use their skill to make idols, that have no value, what a waste of craftsmanship! They can take iron and make a plowshare, swords, and even an idol. Is the fault in the iron? Or in the craftsman? Iron is just a material from the ground, the craftsman can turn it into something for usefulness or for idolatry. The worker in wood can cut down trees, make perhaps a plow, a wheel, use the wood for fuel for fire, or make a wooden idol. Is it the wood’s fault? or does the fault lie with the craftsman? Even today, we can use money either to buy food for our family, pay our bills, or buy and sell drugs! Does the fault lie in the money? Or the use of it? We can use money to honor or dishonor God and those around us, the choice is ours. God cries out to Israel; “I SHALL WIPE OUT YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS LIKE A CLOUD, AND YOUR SINS LIKE A MIST, RETURN TO ME AND I SHALL REDEEM YOU” (44:22)The promise still stands. If we “teshuv” to HIM, HE will save us!

MARK 11:1-12:44.......................................... .................................................. ...................

…..There are several themes in these verses. Yeshua is in all of them. One theme is that when he went into the temple in Yerushalayim, he threw over the money tables and chased out the money changers, saying “My house is a House of prayer but you have made it a den of thieves” there are many synagogues and some churches that refuse to conduct business on the Sabbath or on the day of worship because they are reminded of that verse. However, Yeshua called them “thieves” these money changers were exchanging foreign money such as Greek “drachmas” and Roman “Denarii” for Israel “Shekels” in order to buy sacrifice animals. Many times, the money changers would not honor the exchange rate, and would “cheat” the clients. If 12 Mexican pesos equaled 1 US dollar, it would be like accepting the 12 pesos and giving the person 75 cents! Perhaps these money changers were cheating in this way.

…..In 12:29-31 Yeshua quotes the “Shema” Hear O Israel YHVH is our Elohim, YHVH is ONE (Echad) and he continues, Love Elohim with all your heart, being, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself. Yeshua just summed up all the 613 commandments in two verses! Because all the commandments have to do with our relationship with YHVH and our relationship with our fellow man. That is the purpose of Bible study, to learn of these commandments and put them into practice, so as to deepen our relationship with Messiah Yeshua and to be a good witness to our fellow man, and…bring lost mankind to a saving relationship with Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Christ)

Shabbat Shalom………rabbi Ben Avraham

 

PIC:  me, between two Israeli IDF supervisors, (Madrichot) in Tel Aviv, at Medical supply base   July/2015

                                                                        GOODMAN “J”  (A tale from 17th Century New England) 

 

 

    The evening was slowly making its appearance in the western sky. A few stars were already visible.  A brisk autumn breeze was blowing, moving tree limbs back and forth, with brown, yellow, and red leaves falling gently to the ground.

     The afternoon Sunday service was now ended at the White wood meetinghouse. The congregation members were slowly making their way back to their humble homes.  One by one, families all left the meeting house.  Husbands with wives and children, single folk, all had received a good lesson from the Good Book today. Indeed, the reverend Williams had preached long and well over the plan of salvation, the joys of heaven, and the horrors of hell fire.  Unrepentant sinners would have to answer to their indifference, and the saintly folks would have happiness and bliss to look forward too.

    Goodman “J” left the meeting house with the others, while walking towards the well trodden forest path that would lead him back to his humble house on the edge of Whitewood Township. “Yes” he thought, “the reverend Williams had indeed outdone himself today, a few people had stepped forward to repent of their sins and worldly ways, receiving a clear message from God’s holy writ.”  

       These were days of tension, of confusion and bitterness climaxed by mass superstition. Judges and magistrates were lead on by a group of young, hysteric girls. It was only two weeks ago in Salem town that 19 innocent townsfolk were condemned as witches by the honorable judges Danforth and Hawthorne, questioning the title “honorable”. 

      This group of restless young girls had been in the presence of Tituba, a negro servant woman, who perhaps being the only real witch had instigated wild and unruly thoughts in their minds.  What could be worse than this group of wild girls lead on by the spirit of Beelzebub?

     “Yes”, thought Goodman J “the devil was indeed loose in Salem and in the gullible minds of persons everywhere who were not grounded on the solid Rock of God’s Holy Writ”.  It was sad to think that educated magistrates would fall prey to the whims of those girls. That resulted in the innocent hanging at the end of a hangman’s noose.  Hopefully, the Rev. Hale would clear things up in Boston, bring the wrongdoing into the light of justice.

     Goodman “J” continued to walk the forest path that would eventually lead to his humble home.  He had often heard tales from the townsfolk about the forest being enchanted, wolves and other beasts howling at night.  Even a bear or two pouncing on an unwary passerby, a disgruntled Wampanoag lurking behind a tree with a scalp in one hand and a bloodied tomahawk in the other. Goodman “J” however, paid no attention to the townsfolk tales.    He had only encountered peace and tranquility during his many walks through the forest, going to and from the meetinghouse.  He enjoyed watching and listening to the forest birds such as the crows, grackles, robins, jays, and cardinals.  He would oftentimes leave behind bread crumbs and crushed corn.  The squirrels and chipmunks would often follow him, expecting a morsel or two.

     Goodman “J” was also popular with the town’s children.  He would often sit under a tree and the children would gather around.  He would then tell these precious little ones stories from the Holy Writ, from the Old testament and the New. He would also explain the Psalms and Proverbs giving vivid illustrations. Sometimes, he would take them on the same forest path and tell them about the animals of the woods, the plants and trees, and how the rains fell and made them grow.  “All good things come from above” he often said, opening his arms and stretching them up toward the heavens.

     As he walked along this late afternoon, the shadows grew longer as the evening slowly approached.  About midway along the path, another path joined up bringing the two paths into one.  One ran along side of Whitewood, the other leading to Salem. While Goodman “J” approached the spot where the two paths joined, he saw another figure walking on the other path.  Soon, they were walking side by side.  The other person was a man, clothed in the typical dark, puritan manner of dress.  He also carried a walking staff that sported a skull carving on the handle.

     This strange figure seemed to blend in with the shadows of the forest, and a cold, icy wind seemed to kick up around him.  The two walked side by side for a few minutes in silence.  At last, Goodman “J” broke the silence.

     “The minister preached a good sermon today, wouldn’t you say? Many hearts and souls were affected to say the least”.

     “The minister is but a liar and a hypocrite, the town’s folk as well, the devil take them all”, replied the stranger with a scowl.

     “Callest thou the Holy Writ of the Almighty a lie”, responded Goodman?  “For out of His holy book canst only proceed words of truth.”

     The stranger looked at Goodman, the evening shadows falling across the wrinkles of his brow. “And what is truth?” he responded with a sneer.

     “Ah”, replied Goodman, “thou recallest the words of Pontius Pilate spoken so many eons ago.

     “Ay” replied the stranger and it seemeth like only yesteryear that he thus gave the order to hold fast the Son of Man to the tree.     

   “Thou knowest” replied Goodman, his voice calm and serene. “And knowest thou also that the Son of Man did indeed arise from the dead according to Holy Writ.”  

      The stranger said nothing, but a heavy frown formed across his face, and the icy wind increased around him.  The two continued to walk along the path together. Finally, the stranger spoke again,

     “For sure the stones would have been better as bread”

“Yes” replied Goodman, “but only if thou value more the bread from the earth than the bread of life from above.  That is the bread which givest real life unto man”.

     The stranger continued to frown, as the gust of icy wind increasing even more, now accompanied by a scent of something burning. “Had the Son of Man jumped from the roof of the temple, for sure the holy angels would have prevented Him from striking the ground, and thus, many would have seen and believed”, the stranger’s eyes were now glued to Goodman’s face.  Throughout all of this Goodman remaining calm, not saying a word but continued to walk along the forest path with the stranger.

     Finally, Goodman spoke again, “Blessed art those who do not see, and yet believe”.

    The stranger seemed more irritated now, the icy wind blowing up leaves and dust around him, “imagine the fame and power bestoweth upon the Son of Man, ruling over all the towns and cities of the colonies of America, and he needeth only to render a little homage to the Son of perdition.”

    “Indeed” replied Goodman, “the whole world is of the Son of Man, but only in the Father’s perfect timing”.

     “But to do a little homage… began the stranger.

    “ENOUGH”,  rebuked Goodman “J” looking straight into the eyes of the stranger. “Thou art an offense unto me. Depart from here father of lies”, he commanded. “Unto thy own way, and returneth not unto Salem nor set thy foot in Whitewood. Now go, for thou knowest thy time is limited.”

    The two stood on the path facing each other.  The stranger was now trembling with rage as he looked into the piercing eyes of Goodman “J”… eyes which spoke with command and authority.  Finally, the stranger turned, and with a gust of icy wind and a scent of burning sulfur, left the trodden path and disappeared into the forest.

     Goodman “J” continued on his way along the familiar path.  The evening had settled in and the forest was now alive with the sounds of crickets, and an occasional hoot of an owl.  The moon was still low in the evening sky when Goodman “J” arrived at his humble dwelling.

     It was a small log home with thatched roof.  There was a small kitchen near the hearth, a small bedroom with bed, table, and chairs.  Outside, next to the house was a small carpenter’s shed with a few simple woodworking tools.  There were some planks of wood leaning against the shed, and a few projects that he was working on for some customers in Whitewood.  Not far from the shed there was a “water well” with a bucket and rope.

     The long walk back to his house made Goodman thirsty.  He was happy to be home, ready for a good night’s rest.  But sadness was upon the spirit of Goodman “J” to think that there were so many people still given over to malice and deceit, and that they would follow the way of darkness instead of the light, following superstition instead of the truth. 

If only they would listen to the voice of God, through his chosen ministers and his Holy Writ, and thus, rightfully dividing the Word of Truth.  In the humble heart of Goodman “J”, he knew that in the future, more and more folks would come to know the truth, and to believe in him who spoke the truth.

     “Yes” thought Goodman “J” as he stretched forth his hands to pull up a bucket of fresh, cool water, “the truth will for sure set people free.”  And he cupped his hands to drink from the water, with the light of the moon shining upon the nail scars in his wrists.

                                             written by rabbi Jacob Ben Avraham. 

NOTES:  This is the second short story that I wrote.  The idea for this story came to me from one of my college literature courses, where all of us had to read the story "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The theme of "Young Goodman Brown" is the same, but we all know what the "J" symbolizes, and in Hebrew "   

 

PIC:  Standing in the remains of the ancient synagogue of Capernaum, where Jesus once walked and visited

 

                                                     “TANTE VEEPS” 

 

     My parents didn't tell me much about Tante Veeps.  I only remember her as a very old lady with short, white, curly hair.  When she talked, it showed that she was missing a few teeth.

     I sat beside her once at a restaurant.  I don't remember the occasion, but my mom and dad had invited her out.  So there we sat at some elegant restaurant, me, mom, dad, and “Veeps”.  When she talked to me, she would call me “Yimmy” since she couldn't pronounce the letter “J”.  She must have been a relative on my paternal grandmother's side of the family since she was from Denmark, like grandmother “Gudrun”.  I am thinking that perhaps she was my grandma's sister but I can't be sure.

     My father told me her story. She was a nurse for the danish Red Cross in Greenland.  She was stationed at Godthaab (pronounced “Gut-Hub”) the main city in Greenland.  According to dad's story, she had fallen in love with another worker, or it might have been a patient in the hospital. Well, either the patient died or worker died....or...the patient, or the worker didn't correspond with the same affection as Veeps. Whatever the story, she was broken hearted.  She never married nor did she ever give up her Danish citizenship. She remained a Dane till the day she died. 

     My memory of Veeps is limited to that specific day at that restaurant.  I was sitting next to her I do remember that.  I heard dad mention her name from time to time, and afterward, her name went into oblivion, yet the memory of her still stays within my mind and soul. 

     When I think of Veeps, I often think of contrasts and comparisons with our Messiah Yeshua, Jesus the Christ.  Unlike Veeps who never married, Our Messiah is now preparing a great wedding feast for his bride.  He is the bridegroom, the Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world, is preparing a place for all of us, his called out “Kehilah” so that one day, where He is, We will also be.  We will all partake of his wonderful marriage supper, accepting Him as our Husband, Redeemer, Savior, and King Messiah.

     Messiah was also broken hearted when he came to his own, yet his own received him not.  It is sad to think what our Messiah did for us all, for all humankind, taking upon the sin of all mankind, yet many reject him as Savior and LORD, and do not esteem his sacrifice for sin and eternal death.  Nothing else could break our Savior's heart, save only a Roman soldier's lance. 

     Tante Veeps esteemed so much her Danish citizenship that she never gave it up.  How much to believers esteem their citizenship in Heaven? In the New Jerusalem?  It is more precious than gold, silver, and all the precious stones in the world.  Our citizenship is “forever”  What we do now, as believers on this earth, will determine what we will do “forever” in the LORD's service.  Our future rewards will be determined by our works now, as “gold, silver, and precious stones.”  How do we serve Him now? In which way or ways to we render service to King Messiah now? In what ever way or ways we serve him, let's serve Him with our whole heart, mind, soul, and spirit.

 

By rabbi Jacob Ben Avraham

 

PIC:  Me, relaxing in the back yard of our Praise and Worship minister's house, Houston, TX

                                                IN MY COUSIN'S HOUSE

 

 

     My cousin John lived in a nice, quiet suburb in Flushing, N.Y.  His house, or rather my aunt and uncle's house was, to me, neither small, nor big, rather medium size, as seen in the eyes of a child back in the early and mid 1960s.

     It lay nestled in a nice, little neighborhood, amidst other houses on a neat and quiet street, lined with trees and green lawns.  There was a park nearby where I remember my grandpa took me once to swing on one of the many swing sets, and afterward, he put me on a slide and caught me as I slid down. 

     So my aunt Nina and uncle Ces, my cousins John, Gene, and Anita lived peacefully there for many years.  Of my three cousins, I related more to John since we were almost the same age, John being one year older than me. 

     My mom, dad, and I used to visit uncle Ces and aunt Nina during the Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas holidays.  We would drive down to Flushing from upstate N.Y. in our 1960 red “Studebaker” called “the red Lark”.  I would stretch out in the back seat and try to take a small “siesta” while hearing dad mention words like; “Taconic State Parkway”, “Ossining”, “Nyack”, etc...

     About two hours later we would arrive at Uncle Ces and Aunt Nina's house.  There was a front entrance on an elevated stone patio which opened up to a coat closet on the left-hand side.  In front was the living room with a few items of furniture; a sofa,  an ornament shelf where uncle Ces kept his reel-to-reel tape recorder, and a piano.  But for some reason, we always used the kitchen entrance.  I guess the kitchen entrance was closer to where we parked the car. 

     In front of the kitchen entrance were my aunt Nina's house plants, and then...the aroma of an oven baked turkey would greet us together with my aunt's “Happy Thanksgiving” or whatever the holiday at hand.  The kitchen led into a very small dining room which had some small pictures of snow-capped mountains in Chile hanging on the wall.  There was also a wooden décore piece with the words, “The Dog House” and the names of my cousins on little pieces of wood.  I remember the words on the plaque; “To stay out of the doghouse, obey the rules, to get into the doghouse, try some shenanigans”.

     The kitchen led to a short hallway with a guest bathroom to the left.  I remember a little ceramic cat on top of the toilet with a pull-out tail made of some perfumed fabric to keep the bathroom always smelling sweet and fresh.

     Around the corner from the bathroom led to the basement.  This was a place of enjoyment and relaxation, where the family and guests would go for a bit of “chitter-chatter” and TV watching.  When you went down the stairs, your shoes would echo a hollow “clack-clack-clacking sound. The bottom of the staircase ended in front of a corner shelf with grandpa's globe-lamp on top.  Grandpa Nappi had left the "Old Country" (Italy) for America in 1906

      With a flick on the wall switch, the globe lamp would light up with a soft glow, illuminating the oceans and the continents of the world.  The rest of the basement consisted of John's race-track table with little electric racing cars on a track.  There were two lean-back easy chairs in front of console TV set.  Usually on the arm of one of the chairs rested a TV guide clipped onto a small clip-board.

     Uncle Ces had his work area in the back of the basement with all sorts of tools and gizmos.  There was a bar with all kinds of drinks, and souvenirs from foreign countries hung from the top  of the bar ceiling, even a shrunken head  (fake of course).

     Near the bar, on the basement wall hung a black and white ink drawing of Uncle Ces, sitting on top of the world cross-legged, holding about twenty different foreign flags, places that he had visited.  These were in memory of Ces having worked for many years at IBM World Trade Corp.    

     During the holidays seasons the basement saw many guests sitting in front of the console TV     

     set, watching football games, or a bullfight or two from Mexico.  Uncle Ces especially liked the bull fights, since he was from Venezuela.  Once he told me that as a kid, he had fought a young bull in an arena near Caracas.

     John's room was near the guest bathroom.  There were two beds, a dresser-drawer, and a clothing closet.  On the bedroom door he had hung a funny picture of a UFO taking off and a little alien running after it yelling, “wait for me!”.  On top of his dresser were many little army soldiers all lined up with a sign on the wall that read; “watch out!”

     Another thing that made an impact on me in John's room was a little “glow-in-the-dark” Jesus on a cross which hung over the head of his bed.  I thought that perhaps this crucifix had some special powers because of what he said once when I slept over.  One thing I'd like to make clear is that our families were religiously different.  Uncle Ces and aunt Nina and my cousins were Catholics, while my adoptive family who raised me were Lutherans.  I followed the way, of course, of my adoptive family since that was all I knew.  This was many years before the Jewishness inside me, which I inherited from my biological father's ancestry, awakened inside me. 

     During one of the holidays, Uncle Ces and aunt Nina invited us to sleep over.  Mom and dad were in the guest room, and I got to sleep in John's room.  I was perhaps seven or eight years old at the most, probably in 1962 or 63.  Well, that night John and me were laying in opposite beds talking about this and that.  He told me how his friends were pestering the “parkie” (the guy in charge of the neighborhood park) when he paused for a few seconds, pointed at his clothes closet and said;

     “At midnight, the devil will come out of that closet and try to drag us off to hell unless we take hold of Jesus.”

     Then he looked above his bed and pointed to the “glow-in-the-dark” Jesus on the cross.  Now my evening was ruined.  Fear gripped me, I imagined at the stroke of midnight, the closet filling with smoke and a hideous clawed hand pushing the closet door open.  I could just imagine a horned devil in a bright red suit followed by some “imps” jumping on top of me and my cousin.  Then they would drag us both, kicking and screaming, into the closet, down the corridor to hell.  Somehow, I thought, there was a corridor that connected hell with John's closet.

     In a way I felt sorry for John that his closet was a passage way to hell.  At home in Chappaqua I also had a clothing closet and the devil never came out of that one to drag me to hell.  I remember my dad telling me a little about hell, how bad boys and girls would end up there.  Kids that were disobedient to parents and teachers would end up in the devil's hell, together with all the thieves, muggers, thugs, burglars, and killers.

     My dad continued to tell me that down in hell, everyone would have to work for the devil, shoveling coal to keep the fires going.  I thought about shoveling coal.  I decided that it would be harder than shoveling snow off the driveway in winter time, and it would be a lot hotter too.  I decided that shoveling coal would not work for me. 

     Poor John, I thought, The reason he is still here is because he is still awake at midnight.  At midnight, he would grab hold of the crucifix and foil the devil.  I could hardy imagine if he were to be asleep at midnight.  The devil would grab him and drag him off saying;

     “too late, too late John, midnight is passed, and you didn't grab Jesus, now you're mine”.

     I really hoped that this wouldn't be the case.  I wondered if my mom and dad would hear our cries, Ces and Nina too, they would have to hear something I thought.  But so far, so good, midnight was a few hours away. 

     So there we were, John was in his bed and I was in the other bed across the room.  There was a little clock on John's dresser.  It was 10:00pm, two hours until “devil time”, so close, only two hours until the closet door would open and the devil and his imps would come out and drag both me and John down to the fires of hell.  Then me and my cousin would have to shovel coal to keep the hell fires going.  That would be one “hell” of a future for both of us, not to mention our parents, who would be worried sick about us, as to where we both were.  Well, I thought, John knew what he was going.  I mean, he was nine years old, almost all grown up, he would just have to wake up on time before the stroke of midnight, he wouldn't dare oversleep, the fate of both of us was at stake.

     I turned over in bed and tried to get some sleep, yet I kept turning back over to look at the clock.  I just stared at it, the clock hands kept moving, ever so slowly.  I heard the “tick, tick, ticking” of the clock in my mind's eye, echoing in the semi-darkness of John's bedroom. 

     The minutes ticked by, and the little hand was pointing to the twelve, and now the little hand was on the eleven, five minutes before the closet would fill with smoke, followed by a red-suited red devil with a pointy tail.  The suspense was too much, and my cousin didn't seem to be worried too much.  I jumped from my bed onto John's bed and I shook him;

     “John, John, wake up, it's almost midnight!”

     “Oh yeah”, my cousin said, slowly sitting up in bed.

     I saw him reach for the 'glow-in-the-dark' Jesus on the cross.  He took it down from its hook on the wall.  We watched the clock, it was now midnight.  We both held on to the crucifix, with John mumbling some prayer.  I don't remember exactly which one, probably a Hail Mary.  We both held on to the cross for a full minute, looking at the closet.  It didn't fill with smoke, nor did the devil make an entrance into my cousin's bedroom to drag us to hell.  Now I breathed easier. 

     “It's OK now” my cousin said, “We can go back to sleep, the devil probably knew we were holding on to Jesus, so he didn't even try to grab us”. 

     John put the 'glow-in-the-dark Jesus' back on the wall.  I climbed back into the other bed and we both had a good night's sleep.

     As the years went by, I grew in knowledge and wisdom.  The Apostle Paul even wrote that when we were a child, we thought like children, yet when we grow in knowledge, we put away childish things, ideas, thoughts, as we come into spiritual maturity.  I learned that there really wasn't a passageway between hell and my cousin's clothing closet.  Perhaps my cousin was just jesting all along, and just wanted to have some fun with his younger cousin. 

      Yet I learned, through God's Word, that there really is a place called hell, a real place made especially for the devil and his fallen angels, and that sinful, unrepentant mankind would join them for all eternity.  The Bible describes it as a place of 'wailing and gnashing of teeth, where the worm dieth not and the fire never quenched'.  It is a place of eternal separation from God, absent from his eternal love, of eternal separation from one's loved ones, a place of sorrow, of remorse, of past memories of times on earth, lost chances and opportunities of salvation, never to have a “second chance”, since it is “appointed unto man once to die and after this, the judgment”

     Grabbing hold of and trusting in a plastic 'glow-in-the-dark' Jesus on a cross will not keep a person from going to hell, neither putting a magnetic Mother-Mary statuette on the dashboard of ones' car will keep a person out of hell.  Trusting in icons, statues, holy images, doing good deeds, or in anything material will not keep a person out of hell.

     The only thing that will keep a person from going to hell is faith in the LORD Jesus Christ (Yeshua HaMashiach), trusting in his one time only and eternal atonement for sin on the Cross of Calvary.  Trusting that He took upon himself ALL of our sins, past, present, and future, taking those sins with him on the tree, giving to us his righteousness, in exchange for our sinfulness.  The Bible states that God is not willing that ANYONE should perish, but for ALL to come to repentance and have our fellowship with God restored through Messiah Yeshua.

     It makes no difference if a person says; “I don't believe there's a hell!” because God says there is!  It is mentioned by different names; the Abyss, Gehenna, Hades, Sheol, the Pit, a place of outer darkness.  Hell is a holding place, like a county jail, where unrepentant sinners will wait until God's final judgment, then “Death and Hell were cast into the Lake of Fire” this is the second death (Revelation).  But scripture also says, “For God is not willing that anyone perish, that while we were yet sinners, Messiah died for us” (2 Peter 3:9)

     Anyone who dies and goes to hell goes there because he or she has chosen to go, because that person has rejected the free gift of salvation which was freely given to all mankind.  So all in all, staying out of hell does not depend on touching or holding certain objects or icons, it does depend on holding on to the promise of Messiah Yeshua, Jesus the Christ;

     For God so loved the world that he gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever that believes in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life!” (John 3:16)

 

by rabbi J. Ben Avraham (a piece of my past)

 

 

 

 

 PIC:  Me, and my sons, Adam and David, awaiting the train in Gerona, Spain   1981

                                                                THE RADIO  

 

     As far as I can remember, the radio was always on top of grandfather's oak cabinet down stairs in the basement. 

     The basement in our house in Chappaqua, N.Y. was a lonely, quiet place of boxed up memories of the past.  A place of boxed up stuff, this and thats, decorations, furniture pieces, what-knots that somehow did not make it upstairs to the living room.  Things that found a place in our house in Elmhurst, N.Y.C. now slumbered in silent solitude within 4 concrete walls.

     I had gone up and down the wooden steps that lead to the basement many times during my childhood there in Chappaqua.  At the bottom of the steps to the left stood about 5 metal shelves where my parents stacked all kinds of canned goods, right next to those shelves were the washer, dryer and sink where mom would do the wash. 

     A fuse box which held the old type circular screw on-and-off fuses found its place against the concrete wall next to the sink.  Quite a few times I remember my dad changing a fuse or two which had given up their ghosts.

     Across from the washer and dryer were the oil burner and hot water heater.  In-between those two down-stairs residents stood grandma's two-wheeled shopping basket, no longer in use any more.  It just stood there as a reminder of the many trips she must have taken back and forth from the local food markets in New York City so many years ago.

     On the other side of the basement there were boxes and boxes of things like old Good House-keeping magazines, Field and Stream mags, piano sheet music which belonged to my mom, eskimo garb, and grandma and grandpa's “1906” trunk.  This was the trunk that they used when they came to America from the “Old Country.  I say “1906” because stuck to the bottom of the trunk was a piece of newspaper with that date under the headline.

     The basement was divided in half by a center concrete wall.  On the other side of it dad had built me a “train table” where his Lionel trains lay, lined up on the train track.  I used to turn on the power and run them for a while, putting “smoke pills” in the chimney of the locomotive and watch the engine bellow out puffs of white smoke.  These trains were one of those “hand-me-downs” that fathers sometimes give to their sons.  I saw some more trains in other boxes that somehow, never left their cardboard housing.  Those were the ones dad bought back in the 1930s.

     At the other end of the basement was the wall that divided our house from the great out-doors.

Right next to the back-yard door was my wooden toy-chest with out-grown toys, some broken, some still in good shape.  Once out-side there was a steep hill that ended at an oak tree and my swing set.  This was especially good during winter when there was icy snow.  I would “belly-flop” and slide down the hill on my belly until I stopped at the swing-set.

     On the other side of the back-yard door was grandpa's oak cabinet with 4 pull-out drawers.  The bottom two would open vertically, the top tow would open horizontally.  The bottom two had

 a piece of cardboard wedged between so as to keep them close, since the key was lost long ago.  I don't recall much of the contents of that oak cabinet, only that the bottom part had a shoe box with some silver-ware with the monogram “P” and the date “November, 1914 engraved on the knives, forks, and spoons.  This was the date of grandma and grandpa's wedding.

     In the top-left drawer was a folded up ship's flag with the stars and stripes and an anchor amidst the stars.  This belonged to the Texaco Tanker “Ohio” when grandpa was captain back in the 1930s.  Guess he took it as a keep-sake. 

     On the top of the cabinet sat, “The Radio”.  It was unlike our small yellow plastic kitchen counter radio, which had a clock-face and a swivel dial which was permanently set to WFAS-1230 AM.  The radio in the basement came in two parts.  There were two black, metal boxes, one on top of the other.  The larger one was full on knobs and switches with three half-moon like windows with lines and numbers on their faces.  Below the windows were two large dials with the markings; “main tuning” and “band-spread”.  On the main tuning dial was the letter “h” and the letters and numbers; SX-25.

     The other knobs and switches had other letters on them like; BFO, AF Gain, RF Gain.  The speaker lay inside of the smaller black box on top of the radio.  The back was hollow with just some folded-up wires hanging out.  The radio just sat there with the three half-moon like yellow eyes staring lifelessly at the iron food shelf which stood across the room. 

     I imagine that in the years past, these dials must have lit up many times with the speaker vibrating with music from the Benny Goodman band, the Andrew Sisters, the Amos and Andy show, news from different announcers.  I can imagine the famous speech made by president Roosevelt coming through the speaker of that radio so many years ago;  “Yesterday, December 7^th, 1941, is a day that will live in infamy.......” .  My dad told me about that day, it was the day he was recalled into the army for extended service.

     Now it was still, a quiet sentinel of the past, now a home for spiders and dust.  I had passed by that radio many times on my way out the basement door to the back yard.  I often wondered what it would sound like with the switch turned to “on”.  I tried it once, but the radio still remained silent, dead to the world, a quiet ghost of past melodies, songs, and news broadcasts. 

     Then came the day when I found myself looking at the radio, when my dad came down stairs. He came behind me and put his hands on my shoulders and said;

     “That's a Hallicrafters SX-25 Communications receiver, a short wave radio.  It can pick up radio stations from all over the world.  I bought it way back in 1937.”

     He continued to tell me how he used to tune in stations from different parts of the world.  He especially listened to “HAMS” (amateur radio operators).  He told me how once he heard a “HAM” transmitting from “Little America” (The South Pole).

     “I hope I can do that too some day dad, hear stations from other parts of the world.” I told him.  I was really interested in this now.  I can't really recall, but this was around 1966 when we had that short conversation.

     “Maybe some day Jimmy” he responded with a smile, “Maybe some day.”

     Moving day came early in June, 1966.  School had let out, I was a 6^th grade graduate, ready to go into Jr. High.  The Santini brothers'moving van came and packed up all of our stuff, all the odds and ends, furniture, etc, including dad's radio.  All went into new boxes, they went on the truck, and we said our final “goodbye” to Chappaqua, N.Y.

     We moved to Yorktown Heights, N.Y. I was enrolled in Yorktown Jr. High School, and I sat back to enjoy the rest of the summer.  Our new house in Yorktown Heights didn't exactly have a basement, it had what one could call a “downstairs den”.  All our stuff was off-loaded and grandpa's oak cabinet ended up next to the house-entrance door in the back of our two-car garage.  Beside the cabinet was his “1906 trunk”, but there was no sign of the radio.

     I figure that it must have been still packed in one of the many boxes lined up along side the walls of our garage.  For a while, I gave no more thought of the radio, out of sight, out of mind.

The months passed.  The 1966-67 school year started.  I entered into the awesome world of 7^th grade.  December turned into January, 1967, then February 9^th rolled around, my birthday.  Mom and dad greeted me with their “Happy birthday Jimmy” with a chocolate cake, my favorite.  I also received that year a “Craig reel to reel tape recorder”.  'Now what in the world would I do with this I asked myself?' Would I record myself just to hear myself talk?  No, not likely. But mom and dad had another surprise awaiting me.

     “Come down stairs, I have something to show you.” my dad said, as we both went down-stairs to the den.  He pointed to a medium size book shelf under a window.  It was divided into an upper and lower shelf, and there was something on those shelves.  I went to get a closer look. 

     “Happy Birthday Jimmy” my dad said to me smiling, “It's yours now.”

     And there it was, the Hallicrafters SX-25.  It has re-appeared.  It had found a new resting place, from on top of grandpa's oak cabinet to a book shelf.  My dad had cut a hole in the back of the book shelf to slip the power cord through to plug into the wall socket.

     “I gave it to Mr. Tebbit to fix, now it works fine.”

     dad commented that Mr. Tebbit was a friend from work.  He was an “Old radio fix-it guy”   He took the Hallicrafters, opened up the top and cleaned out the cobwebs, changed a few tubes, and brought it back to life.  Dad showed me how to work the dials, what they were used for.  He told me about the “main tuning” and “band-spread” dials.  The “BFO” switch was a “Beat Frequency Oscillator” control that was used to “un-garble” all the “garbled” conversations of the HAM radio operators. 

     Dad told me about the RF Gain and AF Gain switches (Radio-Frequency Gain) (Audio-Frequency Gain), and of course the knob that changed the frequencies.  It had Medium Wave (AM) and short wave frequencies. 

     Dad showed me the multi-strand copper wire that was screwed on to the back of the radio and ran up the curtain and was tied off on the curtain rod.  This was for reception, later on, he hung a 50 foot long copper wire in front of our house which was tied off between two ceramic insulators.

I turned the radio on, and the half-moon dials came to life.

     Different sounds came forth from the speaker; bleeps, blahs, different and strange sounds.  Dad explained the different sounds and their meanings; morse code, carrier waves, radio teletype, time-frequency stations.  We stopped to listen to the first station.  It was radio Station WWV from Fort Collins, Colorado, it announced the time every minute giving the minutes GMT, (Greenwich Mean Time)

     Soon after that, I found CHU-Canada, from Toronto, another Time-frequency station, announcing the time by minutes in both English and in French.  Now, the short wave radio listening bug had really hit me.  I picked up the first international radio station, HCJB from Quito, Ecuador; a Missionary radio station transmitting an English language broadcast.  Later on, I picked up more stations;  Radio Havana, Cuba, the BBC World Service, Radio Moscow, Radio Peking (China).  The Voice of Free China, from Taiwan, Radio Cairo (Egypt), Radio Nacional de España, (Spain) Radio RSA (The Voice of South Africa from Johannesburg)

     As the months and years went by, I heard more stations.  Dad showed me how to write down the information from broadcasts to send away for QSL cards, (post cards that verified reception from those stations).  The first one I received was from radio RSA, from South Africa.  I felt like someone important now, getting mail from over-seas.  Dad moved the radio upstairs to my bed room one year. 

     In 1970, when I turned 16, I got my first summer job working as a gardener at a community college.  All the workers called me; “Young Jim” since I was the youngest.  With the money I saved I bought a short wave radio of my own, a “Hammerlund Communications Receiver” .  It was somewhat like the Hallicrafters, but a newer model.  The two radios sat side by side on my dresser drawer, right next to my bed. 

     As the years went by, I had collected many QSL cards, then I tried to see how many “out-of-state” AM stations I could pick up.  Night time was the best.  The farthest I heard was KFI in Los Angeles, CA.  I also heard a lot of AM stations from Cuba and Canada.  I put all my QSL cards in an album, even the AM stations sent out QSL cards, some wrote back with personal “thank you for listening” letters.  This was indeed an exciting hobby, I had learned a lot about the geography of the world and about other countries. 

     High School graduation day came in June, 1972.  The Army recruiter had visited me a few months before graduation.  I signed up, so by the end of June, I would embark on a new adventure with Uncle Sam.  This adventure would last eleven years, a soldier's adventure. 

 

     July 1^st came, I had a small bag ready with some clean underwear and toilet articles .  It was seven AM in the morning.  Dad would take me to the bus stop.  I left my bedroom for the last time,  took a final look at my radios, closed the door and was off to Fort Dix, N.J. for basic training.

     Many radios stations have come and gone in the past years.  Some die out due to lack of listeners' support, and some keep on going strong.  There is one station that is still going strong, a station that got started about 3500 years ago.  This station, unliked by some, yet loved by many, is radio “Voice of God”. 

     It started with quill and ink, by a rejected prince from Egypt, who became a shepherd of millions of human sheep. He Wrote down what God told him to write, then passed on the scripts to others who would write down more stuff from God, and would pass on those scripts to others, and so on.  The station scripts became printed in book form, then when the air waves were subdued by man, the Voice of God was heard by both radio and TV, and now by the internet.  Today we can both “read” and “listen” to the broadcasts.  There are 66 programs.  YHVH-Adonai-Elohim is the station owner-president-manager. 

     The 66 programs are broadcasted day and night, 24-7.  There is the Genesis program, the Exodus program.  The station announcers are long since gone, yet their voices are still heard.  There are news programs, history programs, programs of songs, poetry, and wisdom which are on radio Psalms and Proverbs. 

     The station manager started this station thinking of mankind who he loves.  Years of preparation went into the programs.  His voice has been echoed into all 66 programs, and all talk about YESHUA, the Son, God become flesh and blood.  There is, however, QRM (interference) and a lot of static at times.  It comes from radio Satan, it wants to jam the Voice of God, but it is up to each and every listener to tune it out.  We have to use our bandspread carefully, tune out all distractions, fine tune our built in antennae, or our faith walk will be hindered. 

     So keep tuned to the “Voice of God” it is essential to our spiritual growth and it will lead you to the knowledge and acceptance of Yeshua (Jesus Christ) as your Savior and LORD.

 

AUTHOR'S FINAL THOUGHTS:

 

     You probably wonder what ever happened to my short wave radios, well, here's the “rest of the story:”

     4 weeks into basic training, dad wrote me that he had “sold the Hallicrafters” (Oh, Ok, nice going dad, guess it really wasn't mine after all, but wasn't it a birthday gift?) never saw a penny of the money.

     When I was at Fort Carson, Colorado, dad told me that he would send me the Hammerlund.  He boxed it up, put it on a greyhound bus, and...it never got to me.  He collected the insurance money, I never saw a penny of that either. (Nice going dad, put it on a bus? Hey, Parcel Post is still working, aren't they? That's OK, I forgive you dad)  The QSL cards made it though. 

     I had other short wave radios through the years.  A radio shack “Star Roamer” SWL receiver, sold it to a pawn shop.  A Zenith transoceanic,, which was stolen in Mexico, QSL cards? Disappeared inside some box in Mexico, never saw them again. 

     I do have one today, a GRUNDIG digital, about six inches by four inches.  I just take it to the beach and listen to KSBJ-FM, no more short wave.  I mean, just look for a Short wave radio station on the net now, it will come in loud and clear on “streaming” No more challenge, the hobby has kind of “died out”.

     So the hobby has gone into oblivion, vanished, replaced by the internet.  Want to listen to an international radio station? Just go to “Tune-in.com”  and they're all there, all 4 continents worth

No more need for short wave radios and copper antennae wires. 

    I harbor NO RESENTMENT against dad.  He passed away years ago.  He was a good father who taught me many things.  I miss him, he will be loved and I cherish his memory.  Radios are just material things, they can be here today and gone tomorrow.  God's Word is for ever, let's tune into that transmission.  The “Voice of God” always has a good message, it will point you to Yeshua.

 

Rabbi Ben Avraham.

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

JOURNEY TO MORIAH



The old man slowly lifted the flap covering the entrance to his tent. He looked down at his wife who was fast asleep on the large ornate rug covering the sandy dirt floor. If only she knew what the true purpose of this trip was. She would die a thousand deaths. There would be no turning back. He had to obey, no questions asked. It was just a matter of obedience. He had his orders from above. He would obey no matter what.

He walked outside into the early morning desert air. It was still cool and the ground moist from the night’s dew. Soon, the sun would arise over the eastern horizon and scorch the desert sand like a furnace.

The old man had a small ram’s horn tucked under his cloth belt that was wound about his tunic. He took it out and blew a long blast that resonated across the desert sands. He observed the many tents that covered the encampment. From two tents, two of his servants emerged, ready for the three-day journey that was ahead. They began folding and securing the tenting, poles, ropes, and wooden pegs to the backs of two donkeys.

Food was also secured for the trip. The servants packed dried fruit, dried lamb , goat meat, and skins of water. The old man personally bound sticks of wood to his donkey

And placed the piece of iron and a flint stone in a pouch on the donkey’s saddle. All was ready, only now he had to get his son up. He went over to his son’s tent and slowly lifted the flap that covered the entrance. His son was still asleep on the rug, covered with some blankets woven from sheep’s wool. Perhaps, he hadn’t heard the ram’s horn.

The father bent down and shook his son ever so softly.

“Son, it’s time.”

The son slowly opened his eyes and looked up at his father.

“Alright father, I’ll be ready in a few minutes” said the son, slowly pushing aside the woolen blankets, reaching for his sandals.

The father stepped out of his son’s tent and went over to the servants who were readying the asses and making sure that everything was tied and secure. The old man nodded his head in approval, seeing that everything was in order. He turned to look toward his son’s tent, seeing him emerging, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, but still ready for the long, three-day trip from Beersheva to the land of Moriah.

“Let’s go” shouted the old man, as he lifted his staff in the air. The four-man caravan started moving northward along a familiar trail which stood out among the desert sands.

Here and there, small desert animals would scurry around; serpents, scorpions, and lizards, all searching the sands for their morning meals.

Time passed slowly, as the caravan moved ever so slowly northward. The sun grew high into the clear, cloudless sky touching the travelers with its rays of intense heat.

At midday, the group stopped for a rest. There was a small oasis where the thirsty donkeys drank their fill of fresh, cool water. The group sat down and ate some dried fruit and a few strips of dried goat meat.

The old man, however, did not eat. He wandered a ways off from the group and just stood with eyes glued to the horizon in the east. He stood there deep in thought when he felt a hand on his arm.

“Father, will we continue our journey?”

“Now” replied the father, “we leave now.

Father and son returned to the two servants who were already waiting by the donkeys.

The servants were wondering about the full purpose of this trip, as the old man did not give a detailed explanation. They were just to be ready to make a three-day trip to the land of Moriah.

The old man gave the word, and the group of four moved out, continuing along the dry, dusty road northward to Moriah. The sun traveled across the clear, blue sky, its heat scorching the travelers with its intensity. The desert wind swirled columns of dust around and around them as they continued their trip north.

At the end of the first day, the old man gave the order to set up camp. The servants untied the tent poles with the ropes, and the tenting cloth from the backs of the weary donkeys. As soon as the camp was set up, the servants, the old man and his son sat down around a small fire and talked about the events of the day. Bread was broken and passed around along with strips of dried goats meat warmed over the fire. There was also a small sack filled with dried dates and figs.

The sun went down over the western horizon, the servants and the old man’s son went into their tents for the night. Only the old man continued to sit by the fire. After a while, he got up. With staff in hand he walked away form the camp until the camp fire was just a glowing speck in the distance.

He sat down one a large rock and stared into the star filled night sky toward the east.

He sat there thinking of God’s promise, the promise of a nation, a nation descending from his seed. But how would that be possible now? His thoughts turned to the past, a past of bitter memories. He remembered the once populous city of Sodom which lay toward the south of the great sea of the east. It was a sea which once teamed with life, but now, void of all living creatures

God had brought judgment to Sodom and Gomorra for their wickedness and vile sin.

The LORD rained down fire and brimstone so much that, save for his nephew Lot and his daughters, not so much as one soul escaped the inferno. Now Sodom and Gomorra are no more. Their inhabitants as well as the sea near it, dead. The once living sea became a sea of salt. A sea which witnessed the wickedness of its vile neighbors, the children of sin who perished under the weight of the fire of God, to arise no more.

The old man continued to stare into the east, his head filled with those memories. He lifted his head up to gaze into the starry sky. His eyes followed a star as it streaked across the heavens. His thoughts again returned to the promise, a promise made to him so many years ago. Some how, it would come to past. A nation would come from his son.

Suddenly, the old man heard footsteps. He looked toward the encampment to see a figure walking toward him in the light of the moon. The moonlight revealed the figure of his son.

“You can’t sleep father?” asked the son as he walked up beside the old man.

“No” said the old man as he embraced his son. “I have a lot on my mind” looking again towards the east.

“You’re thinking of Sodom, aren’t you?” said the son, also turning to look towards the east.

“Yes son”, replied the old man, “the LORD is not willing that anyone perish, but because of the extreme wickedness of the people of Sodom and Gomorra, their destruction was imminent”.

“Were the little children and babies of Sodom and Gomorra wicked too father?” asked the son, looking deeply into his father's eyes.

The old man thought for a while, gazing again toward the east. His son asked an interesting question which needed to be answered with wisdom. He turned again to face his son.

“What would have been better son?” asked the father, “that innocent children grow up to be wicked and vile sinners, to be destroyed and for ever be separated from the presence of God? Or that the LORD take the innocent children to be with him and so avoid becoming vile and wicked sinners, and thus destroyed , for ever to be separated from his holy presence?”

The old man’s son thought for while. His father’s wisdom made sense. “I understand father” replied the son, slowly nodding his head. The two continued to stare off into the eastern sky, their thought now like- minded. Above them, the twinkling stars slowly moved across the night sky, reminders of the promise made years ago. Both father and son were very much part of that promise.

“let’s go back to our tents son” said the old man, turning again toward the small encampment, “the night is still young”. Walking side by side, both the old man and his son walked back to their encampment for a good night’s rest.

By mid-morning, the small caravan was on its way again heading north to Moriah. The group trudged on and, stopping to rest at midday when the strong desert sun was directly overhead, bearing down with all of its intense heat. The group refilled the water skins with fresh, cool water from an oasis. The beasts also had their rest, drinking the cool, refreshing water from the oasis together with the grain that the servants had brought for them.

After the rest stop, the small caravan continued on the journey. Little by little, they made their way toward the land of Moriah, it wouldn’t be long now. As the sun set at the end of the second day, the group pitched their tents. As the evening before, the old man wandered off a distance to pray and meditate on the strange task before him. Could he dare deny God anything?

The old man’s son looked across the desert from the entrance of his tent. He saw the outline of his father in the light of the moon. This night, he did not join him. He had the feeling that his father wanted to be alone with his thoughts.

On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place afar off (Gen 22:4) He turned to watch his two servants who were following close behind him. As they got closer, he lifted up his hand for them to stop. There was a shallow well beside the road. Abraham pointed to the well. The servants went over to refresh themselves and their beasts also.

Abraham proceeded to untie the bundle of firewood from the back of his donkey. He also took out the iron and flint to start the fire. He then walked over to where his two servants were watering their donkeys. He walked slowly, pondering his mission. A test, could it indeed be another test of his faith?

“Stay here with the donkey” Abraham said to his young men, “the lad and I will go yonder and worship, and we will come back to you” (Gen 22:5) Abraham thought about the words which just proceeded from his mouth. WE will come back to you? Indeed WE?

So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son, and he took the fire in his hand, and the knife, and the two of them went together. (Gen 22:6)

Slowly, both father and son ascended the small mountain called Moriah. Abraham lead the way and his son Isaac followed close behind. When they neared the top of Moriah, Isaac looked around . He had a puzzling look on his face, as if something were missing. He finally revealed his thoughts to Abraham his father.

“My father” and he said “Here I am my son”. Then Isaac responded;

“Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Gen 22:7)

Abraham looked at his son, his eyes filled with love and compassion. He loved his boy but he also loved God. Could he dare deny the creator of life, a life that he himself created? Then Abraham said;

“My son, God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering”.

So the two of them went together. Then they came to the place of which God had told them. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. (Gen 22:8, 9)

Isaac looked up at his father with tears in his eyes. He could hardly believe what was happening. The lamb for the sacrifice, the lamb, he, Isaac, would be the lamb. A human lamb? How could such a sacrifice be?

“Father” said Isaac quietly, “how can the God of the universe, of all creation, the creator of all that is good want a human sacrifice? Does he not detest such practices?”

Abraham, with tears in his eyes looked down at his son who was bound with rope, laying on the wood. What words could he say to his son, the chosen son of the covenant?

“Yes my son” said Abraham, his voice cracking, “God does indeed detest such practices, but I still must trust him in all things.

“Is there nothing you can refuse him father?”

“nothing” replied Abraham with tears flowing from his eyes.

“Go ahead then father” replied Isaac, “I am ready to be the sacrifice he demands of you”. Abraham slowly nodded.

“I love you son”

“I love you too father” replied Isaac.

And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven saying; "Abraham, Abraham!"
“
“Here I am” replied the patriarch.

“Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do any thing to him; for now I know that you fear God since you have not withheld your son, your only son from me." (Gen 22:11-12)

“Thank you LORD” whispered Abraham, “Thank you”.

Isaac opened his eyes and looked up at his father. Both were smiling now. Both had passed the test. A test of obedience, a test of faith, a test of courage.

“It’s all right son” said Abraham, “God did not really intend for you to be the sacrifice”

Abraham sat Isaac up on the wood. He then cut the ropes that bound Isaac hands and feet. As Isaac got down from the stone altar, he looked at something moving in some bushes behind his father.

“Father, look behind you, there’s something moving.”

Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. (Gen 22:13)

Father and son stood there by the altar of stone. The body of the perfect ram was bloodied and bursting with bright, orange flames. Soon it was just a charred skeleton completely consumed by the flames.

“This was a lesson about faith my son” said Abraham as he held his son by his side.

“God had intended all along that this ram be the sacrifice that would take your place on the pile of wood. He wanted to see if I was willing to offer you up my son”

“Would you…..would you have brought down the knife upon me really father?” asked Isaac, looking up deeply into his father’s eyes.

“Yes son” replied Abraham, “I would have, and the LORD knoweth all thoughts and all deeds even before hand. Thus he prepared the ram for the burnt offering. Can you understand that my son?”

“Yes father” replied Isaac, meditating on what his father had just said, “I think so.”

“Now” said Abraham, “Let’s go back down and return home. I believe your mother is awaiting our return.”

As father and son started back down the mountain, Isaac looked back one more time at the altar and the ram, which was now only a small pile of smoldering ashes.

“Only the future will reveal the true meaning of this lesson today son” said Abraham embracing his son Isaac.

And Abraham called the name of the place, The LORD-will-provide, as it is said to this day. In the mount of the LORD it shall be provided. (Gen 22:14)

As father and son stood there that day upon the summit of the LORD’s mountain, they heard the voice of the Angel of God calling out a second time from heaven saying:

“By myself I have sworn, says the LORD because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son; blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore, and your descendants shall possess the gate of your enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.” (Gen 22:15-18)

Father and son smiled at each other. “Blessed be the LORD” said Abraham lifting up his hands toward heaven. “Blessed be his Holy Name” replied Isaac also lifting up his hands toward heaven.

So Abraham and Isaac returned to the servants who were awaiting them at the foot of the Mount of God, and went together to Beersheva, and Abraham dwelt at Beersheva. (Gen 22:19)

By Rabbi J. Ben Avraham



 

                                    OLD SHEM, THE STORY TELLER

 

Old Shem, the son of Noach, Son of Methuselah, slowly made his way up the grassy

hill which overlooked the wide expanse of the plains of Shinar.  He would make this trip everyday, after all, he had a lot to tell the youths. 

     At the top, he would make his way over to the Tamarisk trees and sit down on a large rock which rested in the cool shade of the trees.  This was the ideal place for his school for the young men of the area.  Some would even come from far away cities and towns, just to hear the wisdom of this old man, survivor of the great flood which wiped away humanity from the face of the earth.

     The hill top offered a refreshing place to sit down and hear the stories of old, a place where the cool breeze blew, contrasting the dry, hot air of the plain.  At times, Shem would offer water to weary travelers as they passed by his tents, as the hot air brought on so much thirst and weariness.

     Shem, like his father Noah, was still strong and full of life, even after so many years after the flood.  He had seen a lot in his days, the destruction of the world by water, the re population of the same, the construction of the Tower of Babel, and the continued violence and hatred of mankind.  The flood waters had taught man nothing.

     Shem often prayed that the Holy God of all the earth would permit him to live 600 years and still have the strength his father had at that age.  It was still a long ways off, he would live day by day and continue to be faithful to his calling.

     Shem finally reached the top of the rise, the cool breeze blew through his long gray beard which reached down to his waist.  His skin was burnt brown by the hot sun, and a bit wrinkled from the years of living on this earth.  He continued to work the vineyards which his father Noah had planted so many years ago,  taking care not to give himself over to strong drink of the vine, which had been his father's folly.

     Shem made his way over to the large rock.  Placing his staff next to the rock, he sat down under the shade of the trees and waited.  It was still morning so the air all around was still cool from the previous night.  The sun was just peaking over the eastern horizon when the youths started to arrive. 

     They made their way to the top of the hill.  Sometimes there would be just 10 or 12, other times there would be as many as 50 young men that would come to and sit at the feet of old Shem and listen to his stories.

     He would teach them the lessons from the past; the sin of Adam and Eve and being cast out of the Garden of Eden; the rebellion of the murderous Cain, who slew his own brother Abel.  He would tell them of the righteous Enoch who loved the God of creation so much that, one day while walking, God just “took” him.  He just simply disappeared, he was never seen again. 

     Today, he would tell them of the great flood, of the building of the Ark and how   

     God destroyed mankind from off the face of the earth, save himself and his family. He would tell the young men about the folly of Nimrod, grandson of his brother Ham, and how arrogance and pride caused him to enslave mens' souls and bodies to build a large edifice.   With this tower, the foolish men worshiped the stars

and had not the God of all creation divided their language, they would have continued in their foolishness.

     At noon, when the sun would reach its zenith, they would eat lunch consisting of small barley loaves, with goat cheese and fresh water.  The the young men would be dismissed to go home and tend to their family chores, working in the fields, tending flocks, or other family businesses. 

     The lessons that Shem taught from the events of the past drew many to his school on the hill.  The word spread and many came from all over, some from so far away that he would invite them home to stay with his family until the next session of teaching. 

     There were many today, about 40 in number.  The young men had all arrived.  They were sitting in the still moist grass, wet with the morning dew.  Shem got off the rock and walked up to the youthful gathering.  The young men all got up in honor of the aged Shem.  He motioned to them with his hand to sit back down, and the teaching began.

     “It was in the 600^th year of my father's life,  when God spoke to him.  He told him about the eminent destruction of mankind, because of so much evil.  A vessel would be built, an ark, it would float on water, since the destruction of mankind would come as a flood of waters upon the whole earth.  “This ark” Shem continued, “would save our family and representatives of the animal kingdom, it would also offer salvation to whosoever that would place trust in the God of creation, and take heed of his warning.”

     Shem continued to tell the young men about the ark, the dimensions, and the animals that came in two by two and by sevens.  Shem walked back and forth, gesturing with his hands while speaking.  Sometimes he would raise his voice, and at times it was solemn.  The young men listened with awe, at times whispering between themselves.

     “The day came” continued Shem, “when God shut the great door of the ark.  For our family of 8, salvation was sealed and assured since we were inside.  For those outside, fate was also sealed, a fate of death and utter destruction.”   Shem paused for a few minutes, the youths were still listening, wondering what would come next.  Shem continued.

     “The LORD God waited 7 days after shutting the door, then the rains began.  Higher and higher the waters rose, for 40 days and nights did the rains continue” cried out Shem with all enthusiasm.  “The waters washed away the human chaff until man was no more upon the earth.  Only the 8 of us survived, because we were inside the ark of salvation.” 

     The young men listened with awe, no one talked, and Shem continued to tell the tale of judgement; 

     “The LORD did not forget us, after a year riding the waters he brought us to rest on a mountain range north of here.” pointing his finger to the north. 

     “After letting loose the animals, we moved south to this same area, however” continued Shem, “man learned nothing from the flood and continued his worship of false deities.  Man continued to be arrogant, filled with self-pride.”

     Shem stopped for a while, paced back and forth, thinking of the next words to say, finally, continuing his speech to the young men. 

     “Nimrod, my brother Ham's grandson, built a tower to his pride and arrogance, enslaved men, ruled over them, yet the LORD God of all creation divided them all up by giving them new languages, and thus He sent them to all directions in the earth.”

     The old Shem cast his eyes upward.  The sun was directly overhead.  He turned his eyes to the bottom of the hill to see his wife and two female servants coming up towards the group of students.  Shem's wife carried a large basket of barley loaves while one of the servants carried a basket of goat's cheese, and the other carried skins of fresh water and milk.

     When the women got to the top of the hill, Shem called his students to over to the shade of the large tree under which he sat.  The students sat down and took out their small wooden dishes and bowls which they carried in small cloth sacks.  The women then served Shem and the students the barley loaves, cheese, milk, and fresh water from a near-by well. 

     The students sat quietly and ate.  Some talked quietly among themselves about the lessons learned that morning from old Shem.  Others talked about the chores that would be waiting for them upon returning to their homes.  When the students finished eating, they put their bowls and dishes back inside their sacks.  Shem's wife and the servants waited until Shem and the young men finished their lunch.  The women would also eat, but sat apart from the men.

     Shem went over to his wife and kissed her softly.  She then spoke to the servants indicating that they were done, and together, they went back down the hill to Shem's tents.   Shem's wife knew the importance of her husband's teachings, and that these young men would learn about the Almighty God of the universe.  She hoped that they would understand the error of man's ways, and to seek after the ways of God, following Him in obedience.

     After lunch, the young men sat around for a while to ask Shem questions. Afterwards, they headed back towards their homes to resume their chores and family duties. 

     On this day, one young man remained behind after the rest had left.  He remained seated under the shade of the Tamarisk tree, being deep in thought.  Shem approached the youth quietly and spoke; 

     “I see you are thinking deeply, perhaps meditating on what I spoke of today”

     “Yes” replied the youth, “How I wish that the God of the universe and of all

creation would talk to me personally some day.”

     “He just might to that” said Shem, sitting down beside the young man.  “The LORD God knows the hearts of all men.  He knows that you are searching to know Him in a deeper way, in a personal way.  It is a good thing to know the LORD and to follow in His ways.”

     The youth nodded in agreement, then he looked into the eyes of Old Shem;

“I thank you for telling me about God, the real and true God of the universe, the God you say created the heavens and the earth.” 

     “What is your name and where are you from?” asked Shem inquisitively. 

     “My name is Abram, Son of Terah, from the city of Ur.”

     “Ah” replied Shem, nodding his head.  “So you're a Chaldean.”

     “Yes” said Abram sadly, “Ur is a city of idols, of false gods.  I am sorry to say that making clay idols  and selling them is my father's business. 

     “That is not a good business to be in” said Shem seriously.  “All those who bowed down and worshiped false gods were destroyed in the great flood.”

     “Yes”, replied Abram quietly, “it is just as you have taught, yet I am still a youth and must obey the voice of my father.  At times, I must attend his shop while he looks for new customers.”

     “Yes Abram” replied Shem, “It is important to obey your parents.  They raise you and care for you, even though your father does not what is right in the eyes of God.  One day, however, you will be old enough to have a family of your own, to make your own decisions, to even move away from your father's house, to follow God with a true and whole heart.”  the voice of Shem was kind, yet firm.

     Abram agreed.  He would await that day, but until then, he would have to assist his father in the idol shop.  “I must leave now and return to my father's shop.” said Abram sadly. 

     He got up slowly from under the shade of the Tamarisk tree.  He would have preferred to stay there and listen to more of what Old Shem had to say, whose wisdom and knowledge enlightened the mind and soul of young Abram. 

     Old Shem gave Abram two small barley loaves and some cheese for his trip back to Ur.  “Take care of yourself during your trip back home young Abram” upon saying that, Shem placed his hands on Abram's head and voiced a small prayer of protection. 

     The two departed, and when Old Shem started back down the hill, he paused, eyes lifted up towards Heaven, slowly nodded, as if hearing a special message, a word of prophecy from above.

     He turned and called out to young Abram saying;

     “Abram, son of Terah”

     Abram turned and faced Old Shem.    “Indeed” continued Shem, “The LORD God of the universe has heard your     voice, and indeed, He will call upon you some day, to leave your father's house to go to a land which He will show you, to worship Him only, and to follow Him in his ways, and lo, He will raise up descendants from your seed, they will be like the stars of Heaven and like the dust of the earth, and in your seed, all the nations of the world will be blessed!”

     Young Abram just stood there, amazed at the words of Old Shem.

     “How do you know all this?” asked Abram with wonder.

     “The LORD God of all creation just revealed this to me, and it shall come to pass!” replied Shem, with voice of authority and command.

     “I will await His call, and I will obey” said Abram, full of hope and joy.

     So the two departed. Shem returned to his tents, and Abram returned to his family's house in Ur,  to await the calling of the LORD.  

 

                           By Jacob Ben Avraham

 pic:  Messianic praise and worship time, in Apartment in the city of Ashdod, Israel,  July/2015

   

                                     THE BATTLEFIELD,  by Jacob Ben Avraham

 

 

I remember the stories that the Viet Nam vets told me about jungle warfare,

about how Charlie Cong set land mines, booby traps here and there to blow up the American soldiers, about how the Cong would seek away into tunnels and “disappear” The army would send in “tunnel rats” to flush them out, armed with 45s, combat knives, they would go in after them. 

    I was still too young for the Viet Nam engagement, I enlisted in 72 and they were just sending in volunteers.  But who would want to volunteer for a war that wasn't even in your backyard? Well, there are always two sides of the story.

    Pop used to tell me about his adventure in WWII, he was a radio repairman, he would repair radios in blown-up tanks.  His weapon was the M-1 rife, although he never made it into actual combat then, he still fought in a battle later on after WWII was over,  a different war in which he changed weapons.  Later on he used nerve gas canisters.  When I was growing up, he showed them to me too.

     “Son”  he told me one day, “you'll be going into combat one day soon, and you need to choose your weapon that will do the most harm.  You have land mines and nerve gas, use them both!”

     Sure enough, I went into combat, fighting a forever-fighting enemy, relentless, a strike-and-hide type warfare.  They used to call us “mother green and her M-16” as the M16A1 rifle was the most popular in Viet Nam and after wards.  I chose nerve gas as my weapon of choice.  It would render the enemy “dead” no survivors, no prisoners, only a “body count”.  Bullets would have little effect, too many of the enemy.  What would two or three bullets do against an army of one-hundred or more, but launch a nerve-gas attack, that's a different matter.

    I saw the movie “All Quiet on the Western Front” and saw how nerve gas left soldiers dying in the trenches, and “John Boy” survived that, only to get a sniper bullet in the head because he was stupid enough to poke his head up over the trench to sketch a silly butterfly. 

     Another soldier told me how to make land-mines, that would blow up the enemy once they came out of hiding, those that would survive the nerve gas.  Well, once a soldier, always a soldier as the saying goes.  Who says you can't be a rabbi and a combat soldier at the same time. Sure you can. 

     So, here I am, on the front lines, the battle isn't even far,  just a few yards away.

The enemy just comes out under the cover of darkness,  then at dusk, they go back into hiding, only to await the setting of the sun, to come out and wreck havoc again.

The enemy has their weapon, they use germ warfare, biological hazards, so, it's a battle of nerve gas against germ warfare, who will come out winning? 

     I am still on active duty, still in combat.  This morning was no different.  I got up, and while under the cover of darkness, slowing crept forward, making sure I was not heard.  I had my nerve gas canister with me, I learned that quick spurts were just as effective holding down the trigger.  I have enough nerve gas to last a few months.  I found out the enemy's bunker, I had to be quiet, ever so quiet, as long as it was dark, I could get them.  It had to be an element of surprise, So, I crept up, still under the cover of darkness.  Then, I struck. I opened fire!

     I opened the bunker door quick as a flash, and launched the nerve gas, and three cockroaches hit the floor.  They fell from the pantry closet door and hit the floor in agonizing pain.  I remember the army drill sergeants often had us do the “dying cockroach” position.

     Those three cockroaches will never again climb on top of the cans of spaghetti Os, and around the boxes of elbow macaroni.  Yet more will come out of the woodwork, reinforcements will come.  The war will continue, another battle will be fought. 

     I put the nerve-gas canister (RAID, Roach and ant killer) along side the pantry door, and went to make some coffee.  I got dressed, got my school badge and opened the front door to meet the cats.  I gave the cats their morning meal and left for the high school.  Dulles Vikings is playing the Clements Rangers this week, hope the “Vikings” win.  (I'm a Viking). 

     I'm thinking about making and using land-mines now.  All I need is some pre-sweetened cool aid, some powdered sugar and boric acid, mix it all together and cut a dixie cup in half, put them under the counter, under the frig, and other places the enemy can gather and formulate nocturnal attacks, once they get their feet in the mixture, lights out! They're goners, even though they don't know it.

     On the spiritual front, we fight a similar battle.  The WORD of God says that we fight not against flesh and blood, but against principalities of darkness,  In a way, cockroaches can symbolize demons, they are part of the ever darkness,  Demons, or fallen angels fight believers daily, trying to ruin believer's testimony, break up marriages.  Our defense is prayer, and to be in the WORD of God, to know the Torah is our best weapon, For HaSatan, the war is over, he just doesn't realize it, the war was finished at calvary's cross.

     On the earth, the fight goes on, tomorrow, another battle, another 3 or 4 cockroaches will bite the dust,  3 down,  500 + to go, every day, except on the sabbath of course.  On that day, they'll have time to regroup and plan more strategies, have more baby cockroaches, invade the pantry and try to get into the food.  Everything, though, is sealed, even the brown sugar, they can't get in. 

     This is just another morning in the day of rabbi Ben Avraham. 

 

Rabbi J. Ben Avraham

                                     BENJAMYN’S WISH (an ancestral reflection)

                                                     By J. Ben Avraham

 

  It was early autumn in the year 1495 when John Benjamyn senior took his young son, also named John, to watch the ocean waves break onto the shores of Cornwall. 

   “Out there to the West” said John to his son, pointing across the wide expanse of the Atlantic waters, “lies a new land.  There must be many adventures awaiting those who have the courage to cross these waters.”

   “But father” replied young John a little surprised, “I thought the world was flat?”

     “Nay” said John Senior with a smile, “The navigator Christopher Columbus proved that the world is indeed round, why just three years ago he arrived to a new continent in three small ships sailing West across these same waters.”

     “really” replied his son somewhat amazed, “can it really be true?”

     “Yes son” said his father placing his arm around his son's shoulders, “even in Holy writ the Word of God says; “It is He who sits upon the circle of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22).  “Someday I hope that one of our descendants will brave these waters and cross over into the new world.  I also hope that from our family line will come a teacher of God's Word, to teach all those who would listen, yes, even there in that new world of unknown peoples, unknown to us but known to God.”

     John Benjamyn and his son smiled at each other and embraced, sharing a wish, a prayer that would hopefully come true one day in future generations.  The two stood there together gazing at the wide expanse of the ocean, an ocean that divided two continents which would one day join together in trade and commerce.

     It came to pass that one hundred years later, the seed of the Benjamyn family brought forth a daughter whose name was Ann.  One day Ann, with babe in arms,  walked with her husband, John Ellis, to the same water's edge.  Together they gazed across the great expanse of the sea and Ann shared the dream of her great-grandfather, John Benjamyn.

     “Goodwife Ann”, began her husband, “you will be happy to know that indeed, your family's wish will come true, for I have decided to sell our humble place and book passage on a ship that will take us to the new world, Yes, to the colonies of America.”

     “Oh, how wonderful, how exciting dear husband” replied Ann with joy, “Imagine the three of us in the new world, you, me, and our little Richard, making a new beginning, a new life, in a new world.”

     John, Ann, and baby Richard in arms, embraced.  They would begin a new life, face hardships together, in the British colonies of America. 

     It was a cold, mid-January morning in the year 1619 when the three boarded ship, bound for the colony in Massachusetts.  Three months later, they disembarked

and settled near what would known as Plimoth by next years frost.  Eventually, the humble Ellis-Benjamyn family moved inland and built a permanent home in Water

Town.  John and Ann shared their ancestor's dream with their son Richard who later became a wheelwright and a surveyor.  He also joined the local militia which had its beginning with Capt Standish of the Mayflower.

     In the year 1643, Richard Ellis officially joined the local Puritan church.  One Sunday afternoon he met with the minister and shared his heart.

     “Thou teacheth well Holy Writ Reverend Walcott” began Richard, “and twas the desire of a great ancestor of mine, John Benjamyn, that from his seed might come forth one who would teach Holy Writ, just as thou doeth.”

     “Tis a goodly wish Goodman Richard, and tis an honor and great responsibility to teach from God's Word.” replied the minister.  “Believest thou that the LORD has thus called thee for such a task? To learn and teach His Holy Scriptures?” questioned the good Reverend Walcott, somewhat surprised.

     “Nay” replied Richard sadly, slowly shaking his head, “I am a militiaman and a surveyor of these good lands.  I have not the head for such holy matters, but perhaps, after me, such a descendant will be born from my seed, one who will indeed learn and teach the LORD's Holy Word.”

     “Yes” replied the Rev. Walcott as he placed his arm around Richard's shoulder,

“Tis a noble task indeed to teach from Holy Writ, but many do not take heed to the truth of scripture, adhering instead to superstition.” 

     “Ay” replied Richard sadly, “some here do indeed think upon things of devilry, and of seeing specters of such types.  May Providence guide one who would come after me to take up the noble task such as yours, to teach from the LORD's Word.”

    “Yes” said Reverend Walcott, “The LORD will indeed honor your ancestor's wish, someone will indeed come from your seed and will learn and teach the Words of God to all who would have ears to hear.”

     And the years passed, and in 1692, when Richard Ellis was in his 73^rd year of life, he happened to pass by the town of Salem and indeed, he witnessed the sad result of those who would follow superstition.  There were those who cried out “witch” and others who fell victim to those cries of fear, and ended up on the hangman's noose.

     80 years went by and the descendants of the Ellis-Benjamyn family grew in number.  It was the 18^th day of April in the year 1775, when Abijah Fisher, descendant of the Ellis and Benjamyn family, invited his good friend, the most reverend minister of Mystic Village Church, to his house to share conversation.  It was late into the night and the two were still deep in words;

     “Did I tell you, dear Reverend, the wish and prayer of my great ancestor John Benjamyn?”

     “No, dear friend, you didn't, but say on and I will listen to your tale” replied the good parson of Mystic Village church.

     So Abijah Fisher told the story of Benjamyn's wish,  to have one who would come forth from his seed who would teach the Holy Scriptures, to all who would have ears to hear and heart to receive. 

      “It is indeed a serious matter to teach God's Word” said the parson.  “One must study hard and understand scripture, and thus convey God's message to the people.

It is indeed a calling of great value.  What say you dear Abijah, do you feel you have this calling?”

     Abijah Fisher thought about what the parson had just said.  He sat down on the porch of his humble house, and the parson sat down next to him.  They both sat there for a few minutes without speaking.  Finally, Abijah lifted up his voice and spoke his honest reply.

     “I enjoy hearing you expound the word of God” began Abijah, “I have learned much from your messages, but for me, to teach God's word, that is another matter.

I think not that my mind could fathom such a matter.  Perhaps one who will come after me will have that special calling dear reverend.”

     “Yes” replied the minister nodding his head, “there will come a descendent from your seed, which began with your ancestor John Benjamyn, who will be called by God to teach and expound His word.  Such a prayer never goes unanswered, for the LORD hears from heaven and in His perfect timing, will raise up such a person.”

     The two men nodded in agreement.  In time, the wish, the prayer of John Benjamyn would come to pass.  The two continued to talk, other issues came to mind; the state of affairs in the colonies, the unfair taxation, the housing of British soldiers and other things. 

     It was near midnight when the two men heard a noise coming from up the road, a noise of a galloping horse and its rider shouting something. As the horse and rider passed by the house, the two men stood up to get a better view of the fellow on his fast galloping steed.  They heard the rider announce his warning; 

                        “The British are coming!”    “The British are coming!”

     So the years passed, and the generations of John Benjamyn came and went, and the family tree grew larger and larger.  Now it came to pass that in the year 1895 a daughter was born to Thomas and Sarah Hughes.  Their daughter's name was Willeta.

     In time, Willeta came to marry Leonard Groh, whose ancestors came from Germany, and East Europe, many of who were Ashkenazi Jews.  Leonard and Willeta also had a son who they named Leonard.  Leonard Jr. married a lady named Mary Balabain, whose family came from Turkey.  Leonard and Mary had three children; Christine, Bruce, and in 1954, their third child, James, was born.

     James grew up and became known by his Hebrew name; Jacob, Jacob Ben Avraham, which means “one who follows the faith of Abraham” Jacob went to Bible College and then to a Messianic Yeshiva School.  In 2005 he was ordained as Messianic rabbi and now teaches Holy Writ to all who would have ears to hear and an understanding mind, and also to write short stories and poems. 

     Yes, dear great, great, many times great, grandfather Benjamyn.  Your wish, your prayer came true, for from your seed came one who would teach Holy Writ.

 

                                           

 PIC:  sitting by the ruins of the synagogue at Magdala, the town of Mary Magdalene. Yeshua visited this synagogue during the time he ministered on earth.

                                                          SQUEEDUNK (memories from the past)

 

   What in the world is a “squeedunk” one might ask? Is it some kind of animal? Some thing to eat? Or a place tucked away in some remote corner of the world?

    Well, I can sincerely say that it is a “place” perhaps not mentioned on a map, but definitely a “place”.  It is a place that I often visited when I was young, a place where my aunt Solveig lived, lovingly known as “Tante Mackie”.  A place in the city of Hacketstown, New Jersey,  a rustic little area which also carried the name “Rustic Knolls.” 

     It was a place that still exists in my mind's eye, with about 10 metal mailboxes at the entrance of a long, dirt and gravel road.  Mailboxes with the names, “McDonald”, “Petrecelli and Rullo”, “Montavo and Lugo” “S. Petersen” “Catcher” and other names which now elude my memory.

     My mother and father would often visit Mackie (my father's sister) during the summer months, or during a Thanksgiving vacation.  We would drive down from New York in our 1960 red Studebaker, and past the supermarket on the main road, past old Joe Padock's place, where the residents of Rustic Knolls would visit to fill their water jugs with fresh well water, as Joe was the only one with a well in those days.

     We would make a right turn on that rustic, dirt road and head down hill.  We would pass a nice looking house with spacious property on the left.  It was owned by a lady who had a lamb.  Sometimes the lamb would be tied up outside when the weather was nice. 

     Once past the “Lamb lady's” house, the forest took over.  There was wooded area on both sides of the road.  The road would bend and curve this way and that.  Half way to Mackie's place, my father would honk the horn to warn any cars coming in the other direction that we were coming, as there was little room to pass on either side. 

     Once we got to the bottom of the road, the road would fork into two directions.  The road to the left would go up river, to the right would end at the swimming hole.

The river that ran near my aunt's house was (and still is) the Musconetcong River, meaning “rapid stream” in Native American language.  It is a river with a rocky bottom that would attract fishermen during the Spring, as the Hacketstown Fish Hatchery would stock the river with trout.

     I remember fishing in front of my aunts place. I never caught any trout though, only sunfish.  A few times I would venture across the river, either wadding across or by the rock dam that residents built, to separate their properties from their neighbors'.

    Across the river was all wooded area, going uphill of what I remember being a small mountain.  I never reached the top though, I just explored the land to the right of my aunt's property dam.  I remember an old rusted car with a lot of bullet holes in the middle of a small clearing, a memory of the Bonnie and Clyde days.

     Around the edge of our neighbor's part of the river was a huge boulder where a Korean boy named Lee, a friend of the MacDonald family once caught a very big large mouth bass.  My aunt showed me the newspaper clipping of that event. 

     My aunt's house was built with foundation stones which she and old Joe Padock got from the river.  The two of them built it with these stones and fashioned wooden planks for the walls.  It was a cozy little house, with two bedrooms and a sleeper-sofa which in front of the dining room table.  I can close my eyes and still see it. 

     There was a stone fire place with a driftwood mantel, shelves on which were stored many volumes of National Geographic magazines, whatnot s, a few pictures of grandfather, one with him holding “Ousi” his pet cat, and a painting of a fly fisherman in a river.

     A porch was constructed outside, with a far sighted view of the river.  There was a little “frog pond” where a few spotted leopard frogs found their way to, a sign above the pond with the word “Timberdoodle” which my father had made.  My aunt had also a tool shed which was close to a large white hammock, tied between two large trees.

    The property, instead of green grass had white gravel, which made a crunching sound beneath my feet when I ran outside.  Out there in the fresh, country air, I would play with “Ingaborg” my aunt's little black Dachshund, whom she lovingly called “Inky”.

     My aunt would sometimes tell us of local happenings, of different people in the area.  She told us of the “Tyner boys” whom she called “no good lazy louses”.  One of them returned from Vietnam with a snake in his rucksack she claimed.  She always spoke good of old Joe Padock, who helped her build her house, and of “Sophie” her best friend, who a lovingly called “aunt Sophie” who lived down the road near the swimming hole. 

     Sophie was a stout sort of woman who I always saw wearing farmer's overalls.  Sophie's house was similar to my aunt's.  Her house also overlooked the river, and she also had a hammock strung between two trees.  Inside her house there was a stuffed moose head on the wall mixed in with a lot of ornaments of nature.

     And so it was in that small section of the world called “Squeedunk”, that little place tucked away next to a quiet rocky river, surrounded by woods and nature's wild things.

     I remember it was one summer morning when mom, dad, and me where there visiting that my dad woke me up so early in the morning.  It was still dark outside, and my dad and my aunt got together some fishing gear and a heavy box-like lantern.  It was one of those 60s lanterns that you could open and put in one of those big, heavy batteries.  It had a handle with which to carry it and swing it here and there. 

     We started walking down the dirt road that lead to the swimming hole, and that' where the road ended.  Yes, it was  kind of scary dark, at least it was for young teen like me.  I had on a T-shirt with the words “Sock-it-to-me” which was one of the sayings on the then popular TV program; “Rowan and Martin's laugh-in”.  My dad reminded me, “keep your eyes on the light, walk in the light of the lantern, and you'll be safe, you won't trip and fall.

     So we walked down the road to Sophie's place first to do a little early morning fishing, and after that, tried our luck by the swimming hole.  There we were, the three of us, three pairs of shoes, walking in the beam of light that came from Mackie's lantern. 

     I was reminded of scripture, which speaks of light, of walking in the light, the light being God's Holy writ, the presence of the Almighty God among us, that substance which chases away the darkness. 

      That early morning fishing walk reminded me of 1 John 1:7;

     “BUT IF WE WALK IN THE LIGHT AS HE IS IN THE LIGHT, WE HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER, AND THE BLOOD OF JESUS HIS SON CLEANSES US FROM UNRIGHTEOUSNESS”

     Yes, indeed we did have a nice fellowship one with the other that early summer morning in the very early 60s.  My father, my aunt, and me, walking down the dirt road, fishing gear in one hand, lantern in the other, talking about...well...can't really remember now, but I do remember that we caught a sucker.  We threw it back in on account of it was a “garbage” fish.  My aunt put some pieces of bacon fat on the hook as bait.  Well, what can you expect? Not so kosher bait brings in not so kosher fish. 

     So many years have past, yet this memory is as clear as glass.  Mom, dad, and Mackie are all buried, but their memories are still alive, their teachings still alive, and the love and respect I had for them still remains in my soul.

 

By rabbi Jacob Ben Avraham

 

 

 

PARASHA:  VaYakhel (and he assembled)  and P’Kudei (Accountings of) 

 

EX 35:1-38:20 and EX 38:21-40:38……………..1 KINGS 7:13-8:21………….MARK 9:1-50

 

…..These are the final chapters of Exodus (Shemot) and Moshe talks about honoring the Sabbath day, the prohibition of lighting a fire on the Sabbath, gathering an offering to build the tabernacle and it’s furnishings, the appointment of persons to make certain items, and finally, the building project in detail and the outcome.  All these are worth talking about.

….”Work shall be done for six days, but the seventh day shall be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to YHVH”

…..”You shall kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath day.”

…..These are very important statements, commandments repeated from before.  Even before the building project begins, YHVH wants his people to know the work days, rules, and regulations.  It this “work-a-holic” world in which we live, the believer should know when to stop and rest. YHVH commands it, for our own good and mental soundness.  Too many people work all seven days a week, perhaps 10 or more hours each day to make a “lot-of-money” only to spend the extra money at the hospital when they have a nervous breakdown because of all the extra work hours. 

…..The Sabbath is a day to spend with the family, at the family’s place of worship., be it at a synagogue or at a church.  It is a time to spend with the LORD, to worship, learn from HIS WORD, and fellowship with other believers.  It is a time to leave the things of the house alone, perhaps eat out, and return home at the end of Sabbath.  It is intended as a “day of rest” so, “rest” means exactly that, “rest”.

…..When we look at the commandment; “Thou shalt kindle no fire throughout your dwellings on the Sabbath” we need to ask ourselves, what was fire used mainly for? Probably for cooking! To boil water, prepare food in different ways.  Manna fell from the sky and the Israelites perhaps ate it as is, or boiled it, made it into bread, they probably roasted goats or lambs from the flocks, heated ovens for “Manna flat bread” It was a task and a half to start and maintain a fire, cooking, preparing and all that.  So, YHVH is saying STOP!, just for the Sabbath, and take a break from it all.  Stop slaving over the hot stove and rest, prepare something on Friday, that is why HE gave a “double-portion” of Manna on Friday. 

…..Today, how can we put that “mitzvah” into good use without “overdoing it” as some Jewish sects do, not , turning on a light switch, not driving a car, etc.  Well, to start, we can prepare meals for Saturday on Friday, and on the Sabbath, just heat them up. Another idea, eat something light like salad and sandwiches.  Many churches and synagogues have the custom of eating out, or eating “in”.  Some Jewish synagogues have “oneg” a lunch prepared for the members and guests after service. Some church Sunday school classes go out to eat as families after services on Sundays.  Why not? Give the house-wife or house-husband a break from kitchen duty! Don’t they deserve it? Anyway, the Sabbath was made for man and woman, to “rest” and take it easy, and mediate on YHVH.

…..The rest of these two Parashot have to do with the Tabernacle.  The order to build it, to take up an offering of materials, to assign workers, to “build it” to “put it all together” and finally, to invite YHVH to come down and dwell in it, which he DID, at the close of the book of Exodus.  So, go ahead and read the chapters.  How can we look at this in light of our lives as born-again believers in Messiah Yeshua?

…..The “tabernacle” today is YHVH’s dwelling place which is each and every “Kehilah” (congregation) where born-again believers meet to worship the LORD, singing praises and teaching his WORD.  The tabernacle is also the bodies of all believers, with the Ruach HaKodesh dwelling inside of us! YHVH has given each and every believer some gift and talent to “maintain” the “Mishkan of Believers” as YHVH chose different individuals to build the furniture of the Mishkan, so HE has selected different believers with different talents to maintain the Kehilah.

…..So, what does every article of tabernacle furniture symbolize in relationship with Yeshua and believers?

…..1.  The Mishkan itself with the curtains, poles, staves, etc = A “fence” to keep holiness in and ungodliness out!

Once inside, you are in the holy place, where YHVH dwells, and where the priests minister.  Our Kehilot are “holy places” where the LORD dwells and where we join for fellowship with other believers. 

…..2.  “Aron HaKodesh” (The Ark of the Covenant) the “heart” of the Mishkan, where the tablets of the commandments are kept, together with a pot of Manna, and Aron’s rod.  It symbolizes the believer who “should” shine like “gold” both inwardly as well as outwardly.  We should be mindful of the commandments to put them into action as “unto good works” Yeshua is our “Manna” the “Bread of Life” and the Rod of Aron as our “Rod of authority, our high priesthood of believers” The “Shekinah glory” which rested above the mercy seat is the everlasting presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

…..3.  “The Table of Incense” it symbolizes our prayers as they go up “like smoke” unto the heavenlies, even to the Throne of Grace. One thing to point out, all the furniture with the exception of the Menorah, was made of Acacia wood overlaid with gold, the wood symbolizes the humanity of Yeshua, and the gold “purity”.  The incense was made of various ingredients, but making an exact replica of the original substance is forbidden, most worshippers today that use incense use a mixture of Frankincense and Myrrh, which is readily available.  It is a relaxing aroma that helps one to go to sleep at night. 

…..4.  “The Golden Menorah” was made of one solid piece of gold, hammered and formed into a seven-branch candlestick.  It had seven lamps which were filled with olive oil and burned all night.  In the morning, the priest would come into the Holy Place and trim the wicks and re-fill the lamps with olive oil.  We look at the Menorah as “Yeshua Ha Or Olam” (Yeshua who is the light of the world, the Eternal Light) we are the 6 branches that are on either side of the “Shamash” the helper lamp which is in the middle, Yeshua said, “Ye are the light of the world” that means “every believer is a light in dark places” but our light comes from Yeshua” we have no light of our own, like the moon, moon light is sun light reflected off the lunar surface.  The oil symbolizes the Ruach Ha Kodesh, (The Holy Spirit) and the wicks are “us” we need to be in contact with the “oil” in order to have brightness. 

…..5.  “The Table of Shewbread” made of hard wood overlaid with gold. Had 12 loaves of bread, symbolizing the 12 tribes of Israel.  The table and bread symbolize “Yeshua HaLechem Chayim” (Yeshua the Bread of Life)

Even the “unleavened bread” of Passover which symbolizes “Yeshua” who is the unleavened bread”

…..6.  Outside the holy place are two items, the bronze laver and the Brazen Altar.  The bronze laver was a huge bronze bowl filled with water.  The priests would wash their hands and feet after offering blood sacrifices.  It was made of bronze which symbolizes “judgment” when the water was still, the priest would see his reflection in the water.  When we look in still water, or in a mirror, we see our reflection, we see who we are, sinners saved by grace, yet we still have the sin nature, and Yeshua went through “judgment” in our place, we have been “washed” in his blood and made clean.  Remember that Yeshua washed the feet of his talmidim.

…..7.  “the Bronze Altar” (Mizbeach) (pronunciation = “ach” like Yohann Sebastian Bach) not “beach” which is by the ocean, NO! was made of hard wood overlaid with bronze, symbolizing the humanity of Yeshua who was judged in the “fires of our sin”.  The animal sacrifices were performed on this altar, the blood was poured out at the base of the altar and the animals roasted on a grill.  Think of the Mizbeach as a big BBQ pit.  The brazen altar symbolizes the cross of Messiah Yeshua, the animals symbolizing Yeshua himself who poured out his blood for us sinners, who incurred “our judgment” in his own body.

…..We see the materials that went into building the tabernacle; gold, silver, bronze, fine linen, wood, blue, purple, scarlet, and animal skins, They all have symbolic meanings; Gold=purity (of Messiah) and the goal of every follower of Mashiach, Silver=redemption (Yeshua redeemed us from the curse of sin) bronze=Judgment (Yeshua was judged for our sins, Fine linen= our new nature and our walk with the LORD, wood=Humanity of Messiah

Blue=Heaven, Purple=Royalty, (we are royalty in Messiah Yeshua, part of his royal family) Scarlet=blood.  Animal skins=the covering of our sins before, but now, our sins have been erased, not just covered. 

…..At the end of Exodus, in 40:38 it says that YHVH settled upon the Mishkan in a cloud.  Now his presence is visible.  Messiah is still with us in the form of the Holy Spirit, WE are the living Tabernacles and the Spirit of God lives in our heart, as well as within the “Kehilot” of believers who come together for worship.  There is much more to say, but I better end here, or I’ll be here all night and it is already past midnight.

 

1 KINGS 7:51-8:21 

 

…..We see here a repetition of the same building project, but on a larger scale.  Solomon builds the first “Temple” for the presence of YHVH.  Wherein the tabernacle was a mobile structure (kinda like a mobile home) the Temple was a fixed place.  He employed thousands of workers, so there wasn’t much unemployment in Israel during that time.  It took many years to build whereas the tabernacle was finished in a matter of months.

…..It takes time to build a ministry, many years sometimes.  But if the goal is to share/teach the Word of God to others, to minister HIS word, then the LORD will bless that work, no matter how small or how big, whether a “mobile” ministry or a “fixed-in-one-place ministry, Adonai will bless and it will last.

 

MARK 10:1-52

 

…..Here, Yeshua teaches on divorce. This is a big subject, and a sad subject because many couples do not take marriage seriously any more.  “Love” is a “commitment” it is a “conscious choice” to care for a person, it has nothing to do with “feelings”, yet “feelings” can lead two people together in order to “make a “love” commitment”

Divorce was allowed out of the “hardness of man’s heart” in biblical times, it was instituted by the man, never the woman, all is different now, get tired of your mate? Bored? Run to the lawyer and get a divorce, look for a new mate, someone more exciting and full of life.  This is the mentality of the world, but not the mentality of God.  The only biblical reason for allowing divorce is adultery, and for unbelief, if there is a mixed marriage and the unbeliever refuses to live with the believer, “let him (or her) depart” for we are not called to strife.  All the more reason to be “equally yoked together, believers with other believers” Personally, divorce should be a last choice if one is living in a “hell hole” and the mate is a “unholy terror” but let’s not even go there now, we need to lift up our mates in prayer and pray for understanding one with the other.  We are all different, and our mates complement our weaknesses, and through our mates, our weaknesses become “strong”

…..It is almost 1 AM, I am definitely going to bed now…………Shabbat Shalom

 

Rabbi Petersen