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Parashah: “Re’eh” (see) DEUT: 11:26-16:17 With this Parasha, we start the month of Elul, which is the month of soul searching and meditation on our relationship with Adonai. It starts the 40 days of Awe which culminate with Yom Kippur. We should ask these questions to ourselves; “where am I in my relationship with G-d?” where have I fallen short? And how do I make things right again? Re’eh means “see” yet it is not so much “physical sight” but “insight” To be aware of following HaShem, his commandments, our faith walk. It is also about “understanding” (Binah). So, this month of Elul is about “understanding” Adonai’s will for us, understanding more Torah, more of Yeshua. There is a relationship between the two words; “Elul” and “Binah” they both total “67” in Hebrew gematria. “6” is the number of man and “7” is God’s perfect number. Through Yeshua, Adonai looks upon us as “7”s, even though we are “6”s. Also, if we look at the ancient Hebrew symbolism, “Elul” could mean; “God instructs us about the nail” who is the “nail?” Yeshua received the nails for our sins. The Torah points to HIM, and all about our reconciliation to God.. Also, “Elul” (Alef, Lamed, Vav, Lamed) are the acronyms for the verse “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” in the Song of Solomon 6:3 “Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li . Our heavenly Father loves us because we belong to Him.” See” (Re’eh) this day I set before you a blessing and a curse” we wonder why YHVH did not say in the plural, “blessings and curses?” one could say perhaps “blessing” goes with “obedience” and “curse” with “disobedience” both words are also singular. One could also say that “all blessings” fall under “ONE BLESSING” (B’rakhah echad) and all curses fall under ONE CURSE, “K’lalah Echad” the word “echad” is ONE in UNITY, Elohim (who is unity) blesses all humanity (also echad) that is in obedience to the WORD, and to the LIVING WORD. and also, the curse is also upon “All humanity” that does not obey and that walks in rebellion against Adonai. Well, that’s one way to look at it. This is a repetition of last week’s parashah, Moshe mentions these many times, and cannot stress it enough to his people. Even the pronoun “I” in “I set before you. is stressed in Hebrew “Anochi!” meaning “I MYSELF!!!!” (People, I am really serious!) Moshe states to his people; “you have not yet come into your rest” (12:9) Once they get into the promised land, and IF they obey the commands of Adonai, follow HIS precepts, and drive out all the pagan peoples, THEN, they will have their rest. Yet Israel did not obey all the commandments since they were still fighting against enemies, did not drive them all out. They never really came unto their “perfect rest” (Menuchah Tamim) The L-RD wanted a permanent rest for His people, yet because of disobedience, that was never accomplished. Adonai wants a “rest” for us all. The Hebrew word “Menuchah” if looked at from an ancient Hebraic point of view, could symbolize (by the paleo-Hebrew letters) “behold the living water who gives life through the nail) the letter “Chet” symbolizes a fence, a fence serves as an area of protection. We are protected and surrounded by HIS love, through the sacrifice of blood by our Messiah, who is the Living Water, who gives us life, through the nails that he received in his wrists. This gives us spiritual peace and rest, from a lifestyle of sin. It is interesting to also note that one of the towns where Yeshua ministered was “Capernaum” which, in Hebrew, is “Kaphar-Nachum” (Village of rest) 12:2 “you must destroy all the sites….” The pagan nations gathered together at different places to erect false gods and worship them, these must be destroyed! Today, we must walk away from false gods, put them behind us, even, destroy them if necessary. If a TV has become a god to you, and you find yourself addicted to it, sell it, give it away, or destroy it. If money has become like a “god” to you, give some of it away to the poor and needy. Anything that comes before your love and worship of Adonai is considered a “false god” get rid of it! 12:13 speaks of burnt offerings, it is good to dedicate our meals to Adonai, we are blessed to be able to go to a store and buy chicken and beef already prepared. We must remember to thank YHVH for this food, ALL FOOD which means ALL that is mentioned in Leviticus 11, is for us to enjoy, now, verse 15 says, “The unclean and the clean alike may partake of it, as of the gazelle and the deer…” this is NOT talking about unclean and clean FOODS, it is talking about PEOPLE who are clean and unclean. Anyway, gazelles and deer are both clean animals, but I have never seen gazelle steaks in the supermarket, maybe in Africa they have them. It is saying that people who have diseases that render them “unclean” like lepers, may partake of this food, just like people who are disease-free may, verse 22 mentions this again, “the unclean may it to together with the clean” (people). Another point to mention is that even though the gazelle and deer are clean animals to eat, they were not permitted as sacrificial animals. As we know, the animals permitted for sacrifices were bulls, sheep, goats, rams, and certain birds. Chap 13 deals with false prophets. These deceivers were NOT TOLERATED back then! Turning people away from true worship of Adonai warranted a death sentence. Back then, God was dead serious about true worship and teaching the truth, and…HE STILL IS! We must all worship him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, when studying the scriptures (Truth) we must do so in the ‘spirit” of joy and ask for wisdom. Chap 14 deals with the chosen kosher foods which YHVH has selected for all humanity, it is a repetition of Leviticus 11. However, man thinks he is smarter than God and has added stuff to His perfect menu, and the result is obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease. We all know what foods have been added to the menu, I won’t go over them as that will produce a bunch of negative comments from readers. When people’s “food comfort zone” is threatened, it is very uncomfortable to “give up” those unclean meats, no matter how tasty they may be. Well, we all can either obey or disobey, the choice is ours. ” You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” This verse has caused questions, and traditions, even unto separating meat and milk items, getting separate refrigerators, etc. All it is saying is this; (literally) if you have a female goat, and the mother goat is raising its kid, do not kill the kid, then milk the mother goat, and boil the kid in its mother’s milk. I mean, who would go out of the way to do that anyway? However, this might also have a deeper spiritual meaning. So, there is more than meets the eye and the basic understanding, if we take this derashically, we can look at it this way; ” meat” can symbolize the “flesh” and “milk” symbolize “life” it is the mother’s milk that maintains life to her young, yet “meat” once off the bone is dead! dead flesh! So, the connection is “our carnal flesh is sinful” yet the “milk of the WORD” (as said by Rav Shaul/Paul the Apostle) is what gives us LIFE. The Hebrew word for meat is “Basar” yet milk, in Hebrew is “Chalav”. written with the same Hebrew letters, but with different vowels is “Chelev” which means “pleasure” the three Hebrew letters “Chet, Lamed, and Beit, (CH L V) “LeiV” is also the word for “heart” so “milk” can be connected to “pleasure for the heart” and indeed, the sincere “MILK of the WORD of God is true, pleasure for the heart, while the things of the “flesh” (meat) are of the world. So, there is a separation of “meat and milk” symbolizing “things that give life, from things that produce death” This, of course, is not a literal separation, but spiritual and moral. (if literal, we shouldn’t eat Lasagna! Or cheeseburgers) Chapter 16 deals with “Yamim Kadoshim” the HOLY DAYS, the days that YHVH has separated for our observance and worship; PASSOVER, we remember the “Passover Lamb” who was Yeshua HaMashiach who gave his life for us all. The week of UNLEAVENED BREAD, when we put leavened bread away since leaven reminds us of SIN in our lives. SHAVUOT (Pentecost) when the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) came to earth to stay, and when the Torah was given to Israel on Har Sinai. SUKKOT the feast of booths, which is a time of Thanksgiving, similar to the Thanksgiving of the pilgrims of Plymouth. When we thank God for an abundant harvest, and for the coming of God to earth (as Yeshua) to walk among humankind, to teach Torah, heal, raise the dead, and die for our sins. Have you accepted HIM as your LORD and Savior?

Parasha: “Re’eh” (see) DEUT: 11:26-16:17………………ISAIAH 54:11-55:5……………….JOHN 9:1-10:42 . ..This Parasha study has various themes, and we can take a look at a few of them and discover what the Torah has to teach from YHVH through his servant Moshe. …..”See” (Re’eh) this day I set before you a blessing and a curse” we wonder why YHVH did not say in plural, “blessings and curses?” one could say perhaps “blessing” goes with “obedience” and “curse” with “disobedience” both words are also singular. One could also say that “all blessings” fall under “ONE BLESSING” (b’rachah echad) and all curses fall under ONE CURSE, “K’lalah Echad” the word “echad” is ONE in UNITY, Elohim (who is unity) blesses all humanity (also echad) that is in obedience to the WORD, and to the LIVING WORD. and also, the curse is also upon “All humanity” that does not obey and that walks in rebellion against Adonai. Well, that’s one way to look at it. …..This is a repetition of last week’s parasha, Moshe mentions this many times, and cannot stress it enough to his people. Even the pronoun “I” in “I set before you.. is stressed in Hebrew “Anochi!” meaning “I MYSELF!!!!” (I am really serious dudes!) …..12:2 “you must destroy all the sites….” The pagan nations gathered together at different places to erect false gods and worship them, these must be destroyed! Today, we must walk away from false gods, put them behind us, even, destroy them if necessary. If a TV has become a god to you, and you find yourself addicted to it, sell it, give it away, or destroy it. If money has become like a “god” to you, give some of it away to the poor and needy. Anything that comes before your love and worship of Adonai is considered a “false god” get rid of it! …..12:13 on burnt offerings, it is good to dedicate our meals to Adonai, we are blessed to be able to go to a store and buy chicken and beef already prepared. We must remember to thank YHVH for this food, ALL FOODwhich means ALL that is mentioned in Leviticus 11, is for us to enjoy, now, verse 15 says, “The unclean and the clean alike may partake of it, as of the gazelle and the deer…” this is NOT talking about unclean and clean FOODS, it is talking about PEOPLE who are clean and unclean. Anyway, gazelles and deer are both clean animals, but I have never seen gazelle steaks in the supermarket, maybe in Africa they have them. It is saying that people who have diseases that render them “unclean” like lepers, may partake of this food, just like people who are disease free may, verse 22 mentions this again, “the unclean may it to together with the clean” (people) …..Chap 13 deals with false prophets. These deceivers were NOT TOLERATED back then! Turning people away from true worship of Adonai warranted a death sentence. Back then, God was dead serious about true worship and teaching the truth, and…HE STILL IS! We must all worship him in SPIRIT and in TRUTH, when study the scriptures (Truth) we must do so in the ‘spirit” of joy and ask for wisdom. …..Chap 14 deals with the chosen kosher foods which YHVH has selected for all humanity, it is a repetition of Leviticus 11. However, man thinks he is smarter than God and has added stuff to His perfect menu, and the result is obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. We all know what foods have been added to the menu, I won’t go over them as that will produce a bunch of negative comments from readers. When people’s “food comfort zone” is threatened, it is very uncomfortable to “give up” those unclean meats, no matter how tasty they may be. Well, we all can either obey or disobey, the choice is ours. …..”You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” This verse has caused questions, and traditions, even unto separating meat and milk items, getting separate refrigerators, etc.. All it is saying is this; (literally) if you have a female goat, and the mother goat is raising its kid, do not kill the kid, then milk the mother goat, and boil the kid in its mother’s milk. I mean, who would go out of the way to do that anyway? However, this might also have a deeper spiritual meaning. So, there is more than meets the eye and the basic understanding, if we take this derashically, we can look at it this way; …..”meat” can symbolize the “flesh” and “milk” symbolize “life” it is the mother’s milk which maintains life to her young, yet “meat” once off the bone is dead! dead flesh! So the connection is “our carnal flesh is sinful” yet the “milk of the WORD” (as said by Rav Shaul/Paul the Apostle) is what gives us LIFE. The Hebrew word for meat is “basar” yet milk, in hebrew is “Chalav”. written with the same Hebrew letters, but with different vowels is “Chelev” which means “pleasure” the three Hebrew letters “Chet, Lamed, and Beit, (CH L V) “LeiV” is also the word for “heart” so “milk” can be connected to “pleasure for the heart” and indeed, the sincere “MILK of the WORD of God is indeed, pleasure for the heart, while the things of the “flesh” (meat) are of the world. So, there is a separation of “meat and milk” symbolizing “things that give life, from things that produce death” This of course, is not a literal separation, but spiritual and moral. (if literal, we shouldn’t eat Lasagna! Or cheese burgers) …..Chapter 16 deals with “Yamim K’doshim” the HOLY DAYS, the days that YHVH has separated for our observance and worship; PASSOVER , we remember the “Passover Lamb” who was Yeshua HaMashiach who gave his life for us all. The week of UNLEAVENED BREAD, when we put leavened bread away, since leaven reminds us of SIN in our lives. SHAVUOT (Pentecost) when the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) came to earth to stay, and when the Torah was given to Israel on Har Sinai. SUKKOT the feast of booths, which is a time of Thanksgiving, similar to the Thanksgiving of the pilgrims of Plymouth. When we thank God for abundant harvest, and for the coming of God to earth (as Yeshua) to walk among humankind, to teach Torah, heal, raise the dead, and die for our sins. Have you accepted HIM as your LORD and Savior? ISAIAH 54:11-55:5 “Navi Yeshayahu” (Prophet Isaiah) speaks as directed by the Holy Spirit, as a father who comforts his children, promising them blessings, but begins with “Unhappy, storm-tossed one”, meaning that Israel has been through a lot, deportation to Babylon, destruction of the temple, scattered throughout the nations of the world…YET…blessings, protection, etc. will follow for THE SERVANTS OF THE LORD. Yes, for THOSE who SERVE the LORD. Yes, we have to be on HIS side, part of HIS FAMILY, and walk in OBEDIENCE. …..”Come, all who are thirsty, come for water….” (Chap 55) Yeshua mentions LIVING WATER (himself) on HoShannah Raba (the eighth day of Sukkot) and also, to the woman of Samaria, this water is available to US ALL, if we just choose to drink of his WORD. JOHN 9:1-10:42 …. This is the story of the healing of the blind man. Yeshua spat in the dust and make him “new eyes!” What a miracle, and why not? Are we not made from the dust of the earth (Adamah)? So Yeshua takes of the same dust, adds his own spittle (a form of water) and now, the blind man washes in the “Pool of Siloach” (which means “sent”) So, we see this; a man who has a defect (blindness) meets Yeshua (The Living God) who made man from the dust of the earth, puts dust on the blind man’s eyes, add a bit of water, then “sends” the man to wash in the pool that means “Sent” and then, he sees! …. There are many who are blind spiritually, they cannot or don’t want, or will not “see” the truth. They see it, yet they don’t. The Bible is TRUTH yet many just see a book with stories in it, yet when the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of the spiritually blind, then, they can now SEE! The difference between the “clean” and the “unclean” the “worldly” and “Holy”, “obedience” and “disobedience” before they were blind and now they can see. We were all blind, yet now, we can see! Baruch HaShem! Shabbat Shalom….Rabbi Ben Avraham pic: A lonely bench, by a peaceful lake (Kendall, FLA)