David Koberstein

IN THE BIBLE, THE STRANGER, THE ORPHAN, AND THE WIDOW ARE frequently offered as examples of the weakest, most unprotected people in society. Because of their vulnerability, the Torah repeatedly delineates the protection and help that must be afforded to them. It regulates that there must be one standard of justice for both the strangers (non-Jews) and Jews (Numbers 15:15) see also Leviticus 19:34). "The stranger, the orphan and the widow" are linked together as naturally in the Torah as our the "Atcheson, Topeka and Santa Fe" in the famous American song. The moral measure of a society, the Torah constantly implies, can be gauged by how it treats its weakest members. In the case of widows and orphans, later Jewish law stipulates that financial support is not enough; they must be given emotional support as well. In an uncharacteristic wordy ruling *Maimonides writes: "A man ought to be especially heedful of his behavior towards widows and orphans, for their souls are exceedingly depressed and their spirits low. 'You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan' (Exodus 22:21). How are we to conduct ourselves toward them? One must not speak to them other than tenderly. One must take greater care of their property than ones own. He who created the world by His word made a covenant that when they cry out because of violence, they will be answered, as it is said 'If you do mistreat them, I will heed their cry as soon as they cry out to Me' (Exodus 22:22) Shalom

Shatnez, the biblical law that forbids wearing a garment containing a mixture of linen and wool, is generally regarded as the quintessential example of a law for which there is no rational explanation The Bible offers no reason for this ordinance. It speaks of Shatnez first in Leviticus 19:19, in the verse following "Love your neighbor as yourself," where the prohibition is stated vaguely: "You shall not put on cloth from a mixture of two kinds of material." Deuteronomy 22:11 which specifies "You shall not wear cloth combining wool and linen," is understood to be an elaboration of the earlier verse. Few non-Orthodox Jews are aware how punctilious their coreligionists are in observing this biblical law. A company called Shatnez Laboratories, located in Brooklyn, New York, checks woolen garments to make sure that no linen has been mixed in. Large department stores that have an observant Jewish clientele are well aware of this regulation. Shalom

THE MOST FAMOUS PRAYER IN JUDAISM IS THE SH'MA, whose opening paragraph reads: "And you shall speak of them [the Torah's laws] when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up...And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates" (Deuteronomy 6:7,9). The Hebrew word for doorpost is mezuzah, and for thousands of years Jews have posted small boxes, also known as mezuzot, on their doorposts. Inside each box is a small scroll, which must be written by a scribe. It contains the first and second paragraphs of the Sh'ma, including the commandment concerning mezuzah. When a Jew enters his house, he sees the mezuzah and is thereby reminded how he should act in his home. Likewise, when a Jew leaves the house, the mezuzah reminds him of the high level of behavior he is expected to maintain wherever he goes. To ensure that the mezuzah is always visible, it is attached to the upper third of the doorpost, at a slant. Every room in the house, except for the bathroom, should have a mezuzah on its doorpost. When a Jew moves into a new home, he or she is expected to put up a mezuzah immediately, or at least within the first thirty days. A special blessing is recited when the mezuzah is installed: "Blessed are you, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His Commandments, and who has instructed us to put up a mezuzah." Many Jews kiss the mezuzah when they pass it, generally by touching it with a finger and then kissing the finger. An unkosher mezuzah is one that was not written properly by a scribe, or one in which a word or letter has become erased. To avoid having unkosher mezuzot, many Jews have their scrolls periodically checked by a scribe. Shalom

Amen to that!

WHY DID BONDSLAVES HAVE THEIR EAR PIERCED? There was a song we used to sing about God piercing our ears as a mark of willingly becoming a bondslave, according to the process laid out in Deuteronomy 15. At the time, I was going through a protracted debate with my parents, who felt I was not old enough for pierced ears, so I really liked that song, and sang it defiantly. I did not understand it then, but that particular part of the Torah was not about jewellry. The meaning of this ear-piercing ritual that God outlines in the law is much more profound than I could possibly have imagined. The instructions for making a regular slave into a bondslave are laid out twice in the Torah: Exodus 21, and Deuteronomy 15. As a rabbi once pointed out to me, it is highly interesting that right after the Ten Commandments, when God launches into his law, this the very first thing he says: Exodus 21:1-6 “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing… But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever.” Right after the dramatic Exodus from slavery in Egypt, God tells them that the first thing you should know about slaves is that they should go free. For nothing. That the Hebrew people should not be indefinitely enslaved, but offered the chance to go free after a limited time of service. After that, the slave might choose to stay – out of love for the master – but that should be a matter of free choice. Deuteronomy 15 reiterates the principle: “If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, is sold to you, he shall serve you six years, and in the seventh year you shall let him go free from you. And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed. You shall furnish him liberally out of your flock, out of your threshing floor, and out of your winepress. As the Lord your God has blessed you, you shall give to him. You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this today. But if he says to you, ‘I will not go out from you,’ because he loves you and your household, since he is well-off with you, then you shall take an awl, and put it through his ear into the door, and he shall be your slave forever.” (Deut 15:12-17) Why piercing? Why a door? Why an ear? It does seem a slightly strange ceremony, doesn’t it? But as is so often the case with the Bible, if you scratch a little beneath the surface, there are all manner of truth treasures to be found. It’s a matter of asking the right questions and steady observation. WHY PIERCING? The process was this: The slave, who for the reason of love wished to serve his master voluntarily, would be taken to a doorframe. Then a martzayah – something that is used to bore a hole (the word is only used in these two descriptions in the Bible) would pierce or bore a hole through the skin of the earlobe, marking the flesh permanently. Paul says in Galatians, “I carry the scars of Jesus on my own body.” (Gal 6:17 ISV) The word for scar here is στίγμα – stígma. Here is the Strong’s Definition: from a primary στίζω stízō (to “stick”, i.e. prick); a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership), i.e. (figuratively) scar of service:—mark. The description continues; Paul is talking about scars, marks, stigmas in his own body that mark him out as a bondslave to Yeshua. But Yeshua also has permanent scars. His scars also came about from having his fleshed pierced on wood, as a result of love, and willing submission to serve. “Not my will, but yours”, he said. “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve”. Yeshua is the ultimate servant, whose glorious scars all other scars can only be a shadow of. “On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.” (John 20:19-20) He still has scars on his hands to this day, and forever – a permanent mark of his great love and willing servanthood, far beyond any conceivable call of duty. WHY A DOOR? The concept of bringing your servant to a door in order to carry out the whole operation is also quite interesting. The New Testament word for door appears 39 times, and is a fascinating study in itself. Yeshua says twice, “I am the door” in John 10: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep”, and again, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture”. When we think of doorframes in the Bible, our mind is whisked back to the Exodus story itself – a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. The moment when the Israelites were liberated from forced slavery, and were delivered into freedom, where they willingly entered into a covenant with their God – to follow his commandments. Blood on the doorframe is one of the most iconic images of this transfer from slavery into following a new Master in freedom. The blood of the Messiah from his pierced flesh on the cross, the blood of the Passover lamb on the lintels, and the blood of the slave who for love agrees to serve his master willingly. Crossing over the threshold, through the door, must be voluntary. And Yeshua presents us with that opportunity. He IS that portal – he IS the door to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is no accident or mere matter of convenience that the servant is brought to a door for this ritual. WHY EARS? We find that earlobes also feature in two other significant places in the Torah – in the consecration of priests, and the cleansing of lepers: Leviticusi 8:1 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests… you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar.” Levticus 14:1-4 “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing… the priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two live clean birds and cedarwood and scarlet yarn and hyssop…” Scarlet yarn? Like the colour of blood? And hyssop, you say? Like they used to paint the blood on the doorframes on Passover night? Interesting… It continues, v14-20: “The priest shall take some of the blood of the guilt offering, and the priest shall put it on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. Then the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand and dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and sprinkle some oil with his finger seven times before the Lord. And some of the oil that remains in his hand the priest shall put on the lobe of the right ear of him who is to be cleansed and on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. And the rest of the oil that is in the priest’s hand he shall put on the head of him who is to be cleansed… Thus the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be clean.” So we have priests made holy to the Lord by their ears, thumbs and big toes being made holy with blood from the sacrifice, and then leprosy, a picture of sin in the Bible, cleansed and atoned for by blood applied to the same places, followed by anointing oil applied on top. Our hands signify our deeds, our feet represent our walk, and our ears signify obediently hearing and obeying our Lord. It is a double picture of a life thoroughly cleansed and consecrated to God. Sin is atoned for, and the body is ready for service. Ear to the throne, ever ready to hear God’s bidding and carry it out. The Apostle Paul regularly himself a bondservant of Yeshua, using the Greek word doulos (δοῦλος) which means a slave, bondservant, one of servile condition, and we would do well as those redeemed from sin and consecrated as priests to see ourselves in the same way. We are free – we are completely free to choose, but do you love the Lord so much that you will go to the doorway of decision and opportunity, Yeshua himself, and bear his stigma scars in your own body, surrendering the rest of your life to be God’s willing slave forever? We give up the right to call the shots – instead, we obey His instructions. Our lives are not our own, but then again, we do not have to worry about what we will eat, drink and wear, but our Lord takes care of us, giving us everything we need to carry out his will. If you would like to, why not read again God’s words in Deuteronomy, considering and applying each concept, and offering your life afresh in willing service to your Lord and Master. “If the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master… I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to God, and he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall be his slave forever”. Shalom Based on ideas shared in a Bible study with Orit Kramer

Since English translations can dilute or lose some of the intended message, it's essential that we study the Bible based on its original languages of Hebrew and Greek. These two primary languages are genuinely beautiful and unique. Most of the world's languages separate numbers from letters, but not Hebrew and Greek. Both languages use letters----their respective alphabets----for numbers. Each letter in the Hebrew and Greek alphabets has a numeric value. Because of this, numbers can spell words, and words add up to numeric values. The Bible often uses numbers in patterns, and there is significance to many of these patterns. For example, the first word of Genesis 1:1 is Bereisheet or B'reisheet, "in the beginning." The first Hebrew letter of bereisheet is bet, which has a numerical value of 2. Why is this significant that the first letter in the Bible has a numeric value of 2? Because God created the world in twos. He created heaven and earth. He created light and dark. He created the sun and the moon. He created the sea and dry ground. He created man and woman. The letter bet also represents blessing. Only when these two opposites come together is God's blessing fully released. Shalom

Divrei-Hayamim Bet (2 Chronicles 7:14) then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land. Messianic Jewish Version

A whole world is hidden from the naked eye under the water, under the seas. Fish represents the hidden identity of Yeshua and the concealed messianic aspects of His teaching. Many religious leaders and others didn't understand His message and therefore didn't believe He was the Messiah. Shortly after performing this miracle of the multiplication, Yeshua was in the synagogue, probably on Shabbat, the seventh day, and He said to them, "I am the bread of life, Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in Me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35) Let's look at the numerical puzzle pieces in this passage and in the miracle of the multiplication and discover a deeper meaning. The phrase Halechem hachai means "bread of life." The numeric value of the word for Halechem (bread) is 83, and hachai equals 23. These words total 106. The Aramaic word for fish, nun, also equals 106. Of the same value is one of the names of the Messiah from the Psalms---Yinnon. In multiplying the bread and the fish, Yeshua showed He is the messianic King. The number 106 is also the numerical value of the following Hebrew phrases: heemin, "one who believes"; halechem hachai, "bread of life"; and davak, "to cleave" or "to hold tight." Deuteronomy 4:4 says, "But you who held tight to Adonai your God are alive today---all of you." In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, "Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and 'you will find rest for your souls.' For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Jesus' "yoke" (ulo) in these verses is His teaching. And the numerical value of ulo is 106. The number 106 is also the numerical value of layod, "to serve"; bekhol-levavkha, "with all your heart"; beyad melekh, "into the hand of the king"; hamelukha, "the Kingdom"; habigdei levan, "white garment"; and nun, "fish." Let's put this all together: Those who believe (106) that Yeshua is the bread of life (106) cleave (106) to Him and take His yoke (106). Those who follow His teachings serve (106) the Lord with all their hearts (106) and commit themselves to the hand of the King (106). These people will inherit the Kingdom (106), be dressed in white garments (106), and eat fish (106) at the wedding banquet of the Lamb! So, fish (106) connects not only connects to the bread of life but also to the Kingdom. They point to the abundance that we're going to experience when we cleave to Yeshua and love Him with all of our hearts. When we place our two fish (106) into the hand of the King (106), God transforms them and multiplies them. He becomes the bread of life for us. Shalom

A Dimension of the momentous shift of our times is the communications revolution. Our current digital revolution is certainly a cultural mega-shift. Communications theorists tell us the world has experienced only three major communications eras. There have been only three inventions that have served as hinges of history: (1) Writing and Reading, (2) Printing, (3) electronic media. The printing press changed the world and marked the end of the Middle Ages and opened a portal to the "Gutenberg Galaxy." The personal computer, made accessible to the masses, opened the portal to the "Digitoral Galaxy." Note also that the "Digitorality Era" has more similarities with the Orality Era than it does with the Textuality Era. This led Thomas Pettit to describe the Textuality Era as more of a "Gutenberg Parenthesis" a mere interruption in the broader ard of human communication. Our digital media culture has brought us back again to a more original orality. The new kinds of literacy needed for the digitorality era afre in some ways closer to the orality era. The three communication eras are compared in the following Table (see attachment). When media changes, people are changed by those media. A question many observers are asking is, will our dependence on this new media rewire our brains? Younger generations today, though literate, have been conditioned by the digital revolution to prefer to get their information not from reading print, but from other electronic media. This mentality is termed "secondary orality" and literacy theorist Walter Ong, a term he coined for the new electronically mediated culture of spoken, as contrasted with written, language. The new media advances secondary orality, and secondary orality in turn is decreasing print literacy. This is not an entirely happy development. One thing seems clear and constant however. Humans are homo narrans. All humans are hardwired for story, as part of the Imago Dei within us. Story and storytelling will always matter. And it matters more in the "Digitoral Galaxy" than it did in the "Gutenberg Galaxy." Late modern people do not, will not read their printed Bibles as much as they read their smartphones. But they will engage with oral, face-to-face Bible storytelling, and through Facebook, YouTube and Ning. Mark Zuckerberg invented Facebook, so Samuel Chiang of the "International Orality Network" deftly termed the transition we are experiencing as "From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg" (Chiang 2104:4). It is of interest that Zuckerberg is Jewish. Jews, especially gifted in communication, have always been at the vortex of history-making movements and part of the intellectual and culture-change movements. From Hebrew prophets and apostles, to journalists Theodore Herzl's envisioning and writing the Jewish State, to the modern building of the movie industry, Jewish people have been in the communications business and in the storytelling business. May the contemporary Messianic Jewish movement be at the vanguard, at the vortex, leading the way in creatively retelling God's master story to the masses! The "People of the Book" are the "People of the Story." Messianic Jewish Orthodoxy "The essence of Our Faith, History and Best Practices" Dr. Jeffrey Seifhttps://berean-apologetics.community.forum/data/attachments/0/645-9bf9533cf2ba871f3afe7511331d6e54.jpg

The alphabet in Hebrew is called Aleph-Bet. It derives its name from the first two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. When put together, the first letter aleph, and the second letter, bet, spell the Hebrew word for father (Ab, as in Abba, "God the Father"). This communicates that the Hebrew alphabet derives from God the Father. If added together, the letters in the name Aleph-Bet have the same value as "aleph and tav" the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Both phrases have a numeric value of 523, which underscores the intentional alphanumeric structure of Hebrew. But that's not all! Aleph and tav are the Hebrew equivalent of "the Alpha and Omega" (the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet), an expression Jesus used to describe Himself in Revelation 22:13 "I am the Alpha [Aleph in Hebrew] and the Omega [Tav in Hebrew], the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. What's more, since each letter in the Hebrew (or Greek) alphabet corresponds to a number, it is easy to determine the given value of any word from the Bible and use it to better understand the Scriptures. For example, The Hebrew word for "leper" (metzora) has a numerical value of 400 when the individual letters are added together. The number 400 is assigned to the Hebrew letter (tav). This connection is significant because the ancient version of the letter tav was the shape of a cross. The cross (400) is the reason they scorned Messiah and treated Him like a leper (metzora) In Greek, the word for "grain" (kokkos) has a numeric value of 400. Jesus said, "Amen, amen I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much fruit" (John 12:24). Katzir, the Hebrew word for "harvest" also adds up to 400. Jesus died like a "grain" (kokkos, 400) on the "cross" (tav, 400), ultimately fulfilling His role as the "messianic leper" (metzora, 400) and bringing about a great spiritual "harvest" (katzir, 400)! The number 400 is also associated with God's pouring out of judgement (Ps. 69:25). Jesus became a "leper" (metzora, 400) and died like a piece of "grain" (kokkos, 400) on a "cross" (tav, 400) so that God would not "pour out" (shofek, 400) His judgement on us. Instead, we can personally experience that "the Lord is gracious and full of compassion" (Ps. 145:8), which also equals 400 in Hebrew. What greater demonstration of grace, compassion, and love could there be? Shalom

THE MEANING BEHIND THE MENORAH If you look at the ancient buildings and archaeological findings in Israel, you will notice that the symbol of the menorah appears time and time again. For millennia, it was the symbol of the people of Israel, long before the Star of David. But historians don't really know why this symbol rather than any other. Perhaps the New Covenant has some answers? What is the meaning of the menorah? The menorah has always been God’s idea. It first appears in Exodus chapter 25, as God instructs them how to make it: “You are to make a menorah of pure gold. It is to be made of hammered work; its base, shaft, cups, ring of outer leaves and petals are to be of one piece with it. It is to have six branches extending from its sides, three branches of the menorah on one side of it and three on the other. On one branch are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a ring of outer leaves and petals; likewise on the opposite branch three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a ring of outer leaves and petals; and similarly for all six branches extending from the menorah… Make seven lamps for the menorah, and mount them so as to give light to the space in front of it.” (verses 31-37, Complete Jewish Bible) When we see the instructions that God gives to Moses on how precisely to build the tabernacle, we are struck by the incredible amount of detail involved. Every tiny detail has been considered to perfection. It might seem strange to our ears sometimes, but if we are willing to “seek diligently” as the two central words of the Torah say, then we can find some wonderful truths hidden in God’s law. The book of Hebrews gives us some help on our quest, reminding us in chapter 8 that all the items God told Moses to make “serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things.” “…For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.” But as it is, the Messiah has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.” Hebrews 8:5-6 By studying the tabernacle with all its details, we can learn about heavenly things. They are a shadow, a pattern of what was to come in the Messiah. But let’s look at the original lampstand commissioned by God. Solid gold, with seven stands but made of one piece, and adorned with almond blossoms… THE MENORAH SPREADS LIGHT First of all, the light given by the massive menorah in the dark tent would have been a powerful symbol of God’s light and holiness in our dark and sinful world. Jewish tradition holds that it reminds the people of Israel that they are also called to be his “Light to the nations” as God prescribed in Isaiah 42:6. Gently spreading light without force – “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD”, in Zechariah 4:6, when the prophet asks about the menorah. It’s a symbol of bringing God’s glory, truth, and light into the world. And his people are called to be his representatives in bringing that light too. Yeshua teaches in Matthew 5 that we too are called to be that light to the world: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” The light is a witness to and of God. In John 8, we see Yeshua speaking in the temple, declaring, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.” Verse 20 tells us that: “He spoke these words while teaching in the temple courts near the place where the offerings were put.” He was standing close to the huge temple menorah, declaring himself to be that ultimate light and witness, as indeed he is. The menorah was a shadow of the coming Messiah, and his chosen witnesses to the world: the body of believers. THE SEVEN BRANCHES MENORAH As we know, seven is God’s number of completion, but despite the plurality of lamps, it is made of one ‘piece’. Seven in one, like a rainbow, or a week. We know that it is to represent the presence of God among in the midst of them, and in Revelation we also see the lampstands representing the Spirit’s presence in the churches to whom John writes the messages from Yeshua. There are seven churches listed, but one bride of Yeshua. The other aspect of the seven branches design is that it resembles a tree. In Jewish tradition, the menorah is reminiscent of the Tree of Life from the creation story. We can see from the New Testament in the book of Revelation that the tree is equated with eternal life. Adam and Eve were banished from it, and Revelation 22 tells us that those with clean robes have the right to eat from it. Thus, the menorah speaks of eternal life with God for his bride, made available to us all, only through the blood of the Messiah. Yeshua said “I am the true vine, you are the branches” in John 15. He is the tree, and only in him can we live spiritually and produce fruit. ALMOND BLOSSOM And why almond blossoms on the menorah? Every detail is significant with God, and no word is wasted. Almond trees are mentioned elsewhere in the Bible in significant ways – the first time was when Aaron’s priestly authority was questioned, and his staff budded, bloomed and produced fruit overnight as validation from God. The second is when God shows Jeremiah an almond branch in a vision. God uses a Hebrew word-play, as the word for ‘almond’ is also root of the word to be ‘diligent and hard-working’, because the tree blooms and produces fruit before any other tree – in the middle of winter. It is a metaphor for haste and determined work. God assures Jeremiah that he is diligently watching over his word to fulfill it, in Jeremiah 1:12, and so almond blossoms are a symbol of God’s determination to carry out his plans. In Zechariah 4, we see the prophet bewildered by a vision of a menorah with two olive trees either side, providing oil for the lamps. Again, if we turn to the New Testament to look for two olive trees, we hear Paul describing Jews and Gentiles in Romans 11 as two olive trees; the wild Gentile tree being grafted into the cultivated Jewish tree, through Yeshua. The two become one in him: “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:13-22) The items in the desert tabernacle spoke of what was to come in the New Covenant – one bride of Messiah: Jew and Gentile called together, brought purified and clean before God to dwell with him. What a powerful symbol, and what riches are spoken by the God-designed menorah. How wonderful it is to have been brought into the New Covenant, and that we can see the fulfillment in Yeshua, the One to whom the menorah points. SHALOM

WHY WAS YESHUA A CARPENTER? It is interesting that Yeshua was a carpenter (according to Mark 6:3)1 rather than, say, a fisherman. The Bible tells us that He began His ministry at the age of thirty, and it is especially interesting when you look at the previous professions of many of our biblical heroes, before their ministries began in earnest. CONSIDER WHAT THESE BIBLICAL CHARACTERS WERE DOING WHEN THEY WERE CALLED BY GOD: David was a shepherd, looking after sheep. He was killing beasts, protecting the flock, providing for them, caring for them, fighting for them, and most of all, leading them. It was a perfect metaphor for his calling. The disciples were found fishing, (a number of them anyway) and Yeshua called them to a lifetime of being “fishers of men”. The stories of miraculous catches of fish are a great picture of the thousands that would come to faith as they preached the gospel. Gideon was hewing wheat, separating the wheat from the chaff. Isn't that remarkable, when we think of what he went on to do with God? How God had him weed out the “wheat” from the “chaff” in his army through different tests in Judges chapter eight? Through Gideon, God also sifted Israel's enemies. Elisha was busy plowing a field when Elijah came to call him into ministry. Yeshua himself uses a plowman as a metaphor for someone who has given up their life to serve him, warning us not to turn back. The theme of plowing, removing rocks, planting seeds, watering and nurturing growth are a picture of ministry. You can see the pattern. So how about Yeshua, as a carpenter? YESHUA WORKED WITH WOOD In the Bible, trees tend to represent people – human beings. We can see this in Psalm 1, 92, Isaiah 61, and many, many other places. We also see wood representing our humanity, as the Bible describes sinful man as being like a wooden stick, snatched from the flames by a merciful God. “Is not this man a brand plucked out of the fire?’ Now Joshua was wearing filthy garments and standing before the angel who answered and spoke to those standing before him saying, ‘Remove the filthy garments from him.’ Then to Joshua he said, ‘See, I have removed your iniquity from you and will dress you with fine clothing.’” (Zechariah 3:2-4) “You became like a firebrand snatched from a blaze—yet you have not returned to Me,” declares Adonai.” (Amos 4:11) We are mortal, temporal, frail, and corruptible. We do not last like stone, but we rot away, or burn. It is interesting then that Yeshua was working with wood, making rough planks into useful tools, items, and vessels. He constructed pieces together, smoothed them down, chopped off unnecessary pieces… But it gets even more interesting than that. BORN IN A MANGER At Christmas time, we reflect on what it meant that the Almighty God visited His people. He was clothed in flesh, and as a baby he was placed inside a wooden receptacle. A receptacle normally associated with feeding. The Bread of Life was born, and put into a wooden feeding trough, the wood symbolizing his humanity, in a town called Bethlehem, which means “house of bread”. Don't tell me that God didn't think this through! It's amazing. HUNG ON A TREE He was crucified on a cross of wood. Nailed there, to die. The wood is a symbol of our finite, mortal humanity, destined for destruction and death. Here, on these beams of wood, Yeshua is putting mortality itself to death. When He died on the cross and rose again the power of death itself was defeated. And then He rolled away the stone. Yeshua himself is likened to stone in several places, for example in Daniel 2:31-45 and 1 Peter 2:4-6. The tablets of stone fixed in place God's commandments and expectations – laying out God's standard: “Be holy as I am holy”. Standing before a holy God when we have not met His righteous standards leads to inevitable judgement. Stone represents an Almighty, unchangeable, and invincible God. Our rock. But Yeshua, God incarnate, puts death to death on a wooden cross and moves the stone of God's righteous judgment away. The way back to the Father is now open. FORESHADOWED IN THE TABERNACLE This is all foreshadowed in the Tabernacle, back in Exodus. The Ark of the Covenant in which God chose to dwell was also made of wood, but covered in gold. What kind of wood? Acacia. Acacia trees are thorny, spiky trees that live out in the desert, and are not so good for making things out of. Thorns and briers represent sinful people in the Bible, yet that is what God prescribed. He has chosen to live in us, thorny, spiky, sinful people, made of corruptible, chopped down trees, chopped off from the source of life. The ark was covered in gold, representing God's holiness and righteousness that covers us, atoned by the blood on the mercy seat. And that is where He has chosen to make His home. “If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss—he himself will be saved, but as through fire. Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that the Spirit of God dwells among you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.” (1 Corinthians 3:15-17) So as you think of Yeshua as a helpless baby, placed in that wooden manger, or as our beautiful Savior, hanging on that tree for our sins, understand that it was all planned. It was all counted, reckoned and agreed upon, because he wanted to live in fellowship with us, his frail friends. And in gratitude, let Yeshua the carpenter fashion you into a tool, a vessel, that can be put to good use according to His perfect wisdom. He has chosen to come to your house, and to live inside you. The mighty power that was in that manger, the Spirit of Yeshua, lives in you. And who knows what you will be called to do?! 1. In Mark 6:3 where it says Yeshua was a carpenter, and in Matthew 16:55 where we are told that He was the son of a carpenter, the Greek word used is “tekton”. This word is broader than one that works with wood, but means “artisan” or “craftsman”. The reason it is translated specifically as carpenter is because very early texts show that Yeshua was known to work with wood: Justin Martyr (AD 100-165) write in Dialogue with Trypho, chapter 88, “And when Jesus came to the Jordan, He was considered to be the son of Joseph the carpenter; and He appeared without comeliness, as the Scriptures declared; and He was deemed a carpenter (for He was in the habit of working as a carpenter when among men, making ploughs and yokes; by which He taught the symbols of righteousness and an active life)”. This was written only about a 100 years after Jesus had died. Similarly, second century Pseudepigraphal work of the 2nd century in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, describes Yeshua as making ploughs and yokes from wood. (Greek Text A, chapter VIII). Though this second text is not one that can be generally relied upon, it helps to show that very early on, the stories of Yeshua from more than one source spoke of him as an artisan who worked with wood. SHALOM

It's important to note that these were no ordinary pots. Large stone pots (qalal in Hebrew meaning a large stone jar for ritual washing) were not subject to the impurity laws (Leviticus 11:32-35). Clay pots, on the other hand, became unclean and needed to be smashed. Stone pots would not become impure and were often used for storing clean water that would later be used for purification. The Mishnah tells us that during the Roman period (the first centuries BC and AD), purification rituals and stone vessels associated with this practice were extremely common in Judea and Galilee, since purification washing was a frequent Jewish religious rite. (John 2:6; 3:25; Mark 7:3-4) Stone pots were much more expensive to make, but they were more economical because unlike clay pots, they could be reused. Since these are stone pots, we can deduce that this household was either priestly or a family concerned with purity. Stone pots were also challenging to make. They were carved from a single piece of stone (typically soft limestone found in the regions of Judea and Galilee). They also required special lathes used by the Romans to manufacture stone columns. Most stone pots were from twenty-five to thirty inches high and held approximately eight to ten gallons. When reading John's Gospel we need to be alert to its symbolism, which provides deeper meanings we need to explore. These meanings give us a fuller understanding of what God wants us to know, directly impacting our faith and life as believers in Messiah. The stone pots at the wedding at Cana are a profound example of this. How many pots were there (John 2:6)? Why were there six and not seven (the number of completion)? Why not eight (the number of new beginnings)? Here's why six is an integral part of this miracle of Cana. Six is the number of creation. God worked for six days, then rested on the seventh. Six is also the number of man. God created the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, on the six day of creation. In Jewish thought, man fell on the sixth day; he ate from the tree on the sixth day. According to the rabbis, man lost six things as a result of the Fall. 1. Their radiance (glorified bodies) 2. Their life 3, Their height 4. The produce of the earth (before the Fall, produce would ripen and mature quickly) 5. The fruit of the tree (there were no barren trees in the garden) 6. The Luminaries (the divine light) Yeshua-Jesus' first miracle involved six stone pots because He came as both the Second Adam and Savior to begin to restore what was lost in Eden. Since the fall happened on the sixth day, the Messiah died on the sixth day, which on the Hebrew calendar is Friday. What makes Good Friday so good is that the Messiah came to restore what we lost in Eden. Not only did the Messiah die on the sixth day, but He was also on the cross for six hours and was pierced in six places. Yeshua-Jesus' died on a cross, symbolizing a tree. Sin came through a tree from which Adam and Eve stole. On Calvary's cross, God put back on the tree what the first man and woman could not. While on the tree, Yeshua-Jesus was pierced six times*. * His head was pierced with a crown of thorns. Why a crown of thorns? What was the curse of creation? It was that the ground would produce thorns and thistles. He was taking the cure on Himself to restore the blessing. His two hands was pierced because it was our hands that stole from that tree. His side was pierced because the one taken from Adam's side (Eve) led him into temptation. His two feet were pierced because Genesis 3:15 says the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, that "he will crush your head, and you will crush his heel." As His feet was nailed to the tree, Satan said, "What are you going to do now"? Satan was mocking the promises of God, but God was actually using him to fulfill His promise of redemption. In Hebrew, Genesis 1:1 contains seven words that correspond to the seven days of creation. The sixth word of Genesis 1:1 begins with the sixth letter, the letter vav. Why is this important? Because in vav is the conjunction and the letter that connects "heaven and earth" in Genesis 1:1. When Adam and Eve sinned they broke the vav, the connection between heaven and earth. When we sin, we break our connection to God Himself. God sent Yeshua-Jesus to restore what was lost---to bridge the gap and restore this connection between God and us (2 Corinthians 5:18); Colossians 1:19-20). God wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to reconnect so we can know Him, His promises, and His will for us so we can discover our breakthrough and live out of the overflow. By Rabbi Jason Sobel. "Breakthrough Living a Life That Overflows"

Tithing went away after the 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70AD. Tithing was used to support the Levitical Priesthood and the Temple. Animal sacrifice also went away at this time. Shalom

Who is the Messiah? • What is a Messiah? • Is Jesus the Messiah? • When will the Messiah come? The answers to these questions are some of the more exciting developments in biblical literature. What many people don’t know is that the idea of what a Messiah was, is, or will be, evolved. As early as the first Book of the Bible, (Genesis) we see prophetic allusions to a coming figure whose role and purpose are distinct. Many biblical interpreters have understood Jacob’s blessing of his son Judah to include a “Messianic prophecy.” Judah, so you are— your brothers will praise you: Your hand will be on your enemies’ neck. Your father’s sons will bow down to you. A lion’s cub is Judah— from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He crouches, lies down like a lion, or like a lioness— who would rouse him? The scepter will not pass from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs will come. To him will be the obedience of the peoples. Binding his foal to the vine, his donkey’s colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine, and in the blood of grapes his robe. His eyes are darker than wine, and teeth that are whiter than milk. (Genesis 49:8-12) Now, let’s take a deeper dive… The concept of a Messiah and its supporting biblical texts had a meaningful relationship with political leadership in Israel’s history. For instance, despite “clear” biblical prophecies about a Judahite king, the prophet Samuel anointed a Benjamite named Saul as Israel’s first king. The fact is, there have been ample debates throughout Israelite history as to what constituted a Messianic prophecy. Centuries later, the Tzadokites—a post-Exilic priestly group known in the New Testament as the Sadducees (the Hellenized version of their name)—interpreted Ezekiel 44 as a Messianic prophecy to justify the renunciation of a Davidic dynasty for the Hasmonean dynasty they established. One of the fundamental challenges of discussing this topic of “Messiah” has been the lack of a clear, precise definition of the term and how to understand the various prophecies related to it. Hence, even today, there are no less than three individuals in Israel claiming to be Messiahs and a long laundry list of deceased individuals who also claimed to be Messiahs (some still revered as such!). Let us examine what a Messiah is for a moment. The word “Messiah” is the anglicized form of the Hebrew word Mashiach (משיח), meaning “anointed.” Initially, the term referred to individuals anointed with the oil mentioned in the Book of Exodus. “You are to make holy anointing oil from it, a fragrant mixture, blended as the work of a perfumer. It will be holy anointing oil…You are to anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, so that they may minister to Me as kohanim. Speak to Bnei-Yisrael saying, ‘This is to be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. It must not be poured on human flesh, nor are you to make any like it, with its formula. It is holy and it must be holy to you. Whoever mixes any like it, or whoever puts any of it on anyone unauthorized, will be cut off from his people.'” (Exodus 30:25, 30-33) Initially, the anointing experience was reserved for those priests appointed for service. The first time the word Mashiach appears is in Leviticus 4:3, “or if the anointed kohen sins to bring guilt on the people—then let him offer for his sin which he has committed, a young bull without blemish to Adonai for a sin offering.” This priestly context was the understanding of “Mashiach” until Samuel anointed Saul (see 1 Samuel 10). This phenomenon later reoccurred with David, “So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. From that day on Ruach Adonai came mightily upon David. Then Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:13) According to Rabbinic tradition, the same oil Moses made was used to anoint every king and priest in Israel’s history, and it will be used in the future to anoint the Messiah and the articles of the Third Temple. This meaning of Mashiach as being anointed with oil would slowly shift to mean something more metaphorical and spiritual. We see this development in Isaiah’s writings: “Thus says Adonai to His anointed, Cyrus, whose right hand I have grasped, to subdue nations before him, to lose the belts of kings, to open doors before him so that gates may not be shut” (Isaiah 45:1). Isaiah also recorded one of the generally accepted Messianic prophecies, “The Ruach of Adonai Elohim is on me because Adonai has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor” (Isaiah 61:1). The concept of “anointed” has thus evolved from the experience of smearing a specifically formulated oil on a particular individual to having some sort of authority or spiritual purpose imparted. Consequently, the development and expansion of the Messiah’s role had the unintended consequence of the title’s meaning becoming increasingly muddled. As for the numerous false Messiahs that have arisen within Judaism, the New Testament itself mentions four, and Jesus warns of others (see Matthew 24), demonstrating Messianic prophecy—much like the broader category of biblical prophecy—is easier to superimpose onto current events than it is to use predictively and accurately. At last count, according to biblical prophecy “experts,” we’ve lived through eight “End of Days” and an entire Dark Age. To date, the work of said experts has been disappointing. Yet despite that, I am confident that one day, the true Messiah will return to judge the living and the dead, and of His kingdom, there shall be no end! That said, until Yeshua’s nail-pierced feet touch down on the Mt of Olives, it is wise to resist any temptations to get overly excited when anyone claims to have definitively and comprehensively sorted out the details of His return. Which brings us to the question of Yeshua as the actual Messiah… At first glance, He appears like every other Jewish claimant to the title: a man who made bold assertions attracted a large following, drew the wrong kind of attention, and then met a bad end. Let’s consider the claims of Paul, the first-century Apostle (and Rabbi), “Concerning His Son, He came into being from the seed of David according to the flesh. He was appointed Ben-Elohim in power according to the Ruach of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. He is Messiah Yeshua our Lord” (Romans 1:3-4). Christian New Testament scholar N.T. Wright (in his book, The Resurrection of the Son of God) and Rabbi Pinchas Lapide (in his book, The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective) agree: what sets Yeshua apart from every other Messianic aspirant is God’s vindication of Him through the resurrection. As noted, interpreters can “superimpose” early Messianic prophecies over several individuals. There have even been odd rhetorical maneuvers to apply these passages to people like the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the most recent claimant to messiahship to pass away. His followers sang and danced in the streets for three days, expecting his resurrection. Some more devoted followers held out hope for a full seven days. They were sadly disappointed. However, Yeshua’s followers launched a movement that turned the world upside down and continues to thrive today because they witnessed His resurrection as a historical fact (see Acts 2:31-33). Unlike the other Messianic prophecies that various sects have manipulated and misinterpreted due to their obscurity, a claim of resurrection is intensely binary—either it happened or it didn’t. For more than two thousand years, men have laid claim to the title of Mashiach, but only one, namely Yeshua—Jesus of Nazareth—can “check the box” in the resurrection category. Shalom By Rabbi Jason Sobel