Hebrew Insights into Parashat B'resheet (Genesis 1:1-6:8)

 Hebrew is characterized by remarkable conciseness, allowing information to be conveyed in succinct forms.  It is also a very picturesque language, so its content and form (especially in the Tanach) are often congruent. This first Parasha, as it is, a narrative of the origins, is replete with information, eternal patterns, and principles, yet it communicates them briefly, with matching terms that deserve specific attention.  Although we will not cover the full gamut of terms in Parashat (“Parasha of”) B’resheet this time, some will show up in other Parashot (Parasha in plural form), and then we will try to do them justice.  

God’s name appears here as the composite “Elohim,” from the root “el,” meaning “strong, mighty, powerful.” Elohim is plural, which gives the word much greater dimensions. In addition, Elohim includes not only “El” but also “Eloha”, another word of the same root for the Almighty, together forming the plural “Elohim”. 

B’resheet is both the name of the first Parasha and the name of the book of Genesis. “B’resheet bara Elohim…” At the first, beginning –b’resheet - created - bara – Elohim - God. The meaning of r’sheet is “first, beginning, start, and prominence,” and it stems from the root r.o.sh (resh, alef, shin) - “head”. (Notice the river in 2:10 that comes out of Eden and divides into four streams. The latter - i.e. the “streams” - are also called here “heads”). This phraseology therefore establishes that the prime and first cause is Elohim, who initiates everything.  Colossians 1:16, 18 says of Messiah Yeshua: “For by Him all things were created, in the heavens and on earth… He is also the head of the Body… and He is the beginning… so that He might come to have first place in everything” (italics added).  This passage indeed exhausts “r’sheet” to its fullest.  Interestingly, the first 3 letters that make up the Bible’s opening word, “b’re(sheet)”, are the same as the ones that make up the next word, “bara”, which means “created” (the letters being bet, resh, alef). Thus, “created” appears twice in a row at the very beginning of the Holy Writ, as if to add extra emphasis that Elohim is truly the Creator. Note that the verb “bara” - to “create” - refers exclusively to the Creator, and never to man. The adjective for “healthy” or “fat” – “bari” (such as in Gen. 41:2; Jud. 3:17) also stems from the same root, as do verbs such as, to “clear up” an area (e.g. Josh. 17:15, 18), and “eat” (2^nd Sam. 12:17); the latter two being almost contrary to each other. This, as well as other connected verbs, points to the act of creation as being multifaceted. In fact, the primary meaning of “bara” is to “release the varying elements or materials to enable them to exist, materialize, express themselves, or grow”.  But we cannot leave this opening word - be'resheet - yet...

Aside from its first three letters scoring "created", it 'happens' to contain words and ideas that form a chain of hints reflecting on several important topics that will be very significant in the scriptural narrative. The first two consonants, bet and resh, meaning "bar," make up the word "son" (which, although in Aramaic, has also made its way into Hebrew). The next four letters, alef, shin, yod, tav, form the verb "asheet" -  "I will establish". The second, third, and fourth letters (resh, alef, shin) form the noun "rosh" - "head" and thus, with the first letter being bet, which means "in", we may read the first four letters as "in the Head". As we read above, from Colossians 1:18, Yeshua is declared as "the head of the body, the assembly..."  with 16 that informed us that "in Him was created everything..." The two central letters, in this six-letter word, are alef and shin, making up the word "esh" - "fire". Finally, the first two letters (bet, resh) and the last two (yod, tav) form the word "brit," meaning "covenant."

The initial and foundational act of creation culminates with, “And Elohim called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening, and there was morning, one day” (v. 5).  This “one day”, rather than “first day”, is “yom echad,” unlike the rest of the days, which are termed, “second, third…” etc. Since “echad” -  unity of plurality – is such a significant term, and is attached to Elohim’s nature (“hear Oh Yisrael, YHVH our Elohim is ‘one’) its usage here underscores the Presence of Elohim in the creation process, emphasizing the fact that the “one day” will continue to accompany the creation of each of the subsequent days.  A “latter day” passage in Zechariah 14:6-9, which appears to take us full circle, states the following: “It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to YHVH—neither day nor night. But in the evening it shall happen that it will be light.  And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem… And YHVH shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be that YHVH will be one and His name one” (literal translation, italics added. Also notice the creation ‘elements’ of water and light).    

Creation involved processes of separation.  Elohim separated light from darkness (Gen. 1:4); water from water (vv. 6, 7).  He created the lights in the heaven to separate the night from the day (v. 14-16, 18), and the seasons one from the other.  He also distinguished between the different types of flora and fauna (vv. 11, 12), between man and woman, and finally between the weekdays and the Shabbat.  The verb used for separating is “havdel” (of the root b.d.l, bet, dalet, lamed), to “divide or separate”, but also to “distinguish”. One word about light and darkness: The word for darkness is choshech (ch.sh.ch - chet, shin, kaf). The verb for depriving or withholding (as it appears in Genesis 39:9, for example) shares a very similar root - ch.s.ch (chet, sin, kaf). Thus, the small vowel change from the letter "shin" to a "sin" reveals that "darkness" is simply a condition in which light is withheld and is therefore only a "default state". 

But when He separated the water from the land (or brought forth the land from the water), Elohim said: “Let the water under the heavens be gathered - yikavu - to one place” (1:9).  A “mikveh” is, therefore, a place of the gathering of water and stems from the root k.v.h.(kof, vav, hey), which is also the word for “hope". Each time the English Bible says “wait for YHVH,” the Hebrew verb is “kaveh.” Thus, our hope is found while we are being gathered to Him who is our Mikveh: “Oh YHVH, the hope ("mikveh" here, rather than the standard "tikva") of Israel…" is the cry of the prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) in 17:13.  According to Romans 6:3-5, we have been immersed into Him, which makes Him the mikveh (place of immersion), “for in hope we have been saved” (Rom. 8:24 italics added). Our hope, then, lies in the fact that we are in Him, and He is in us, and therefore we walk now in new life (see Rom. 6:4) as a new creation.  Thus, the "mikveh" stands for a place of being gathered to and for 'immersion in hope', seen both in the act of creation and in the act of spiritual rebirth. 

The progressive process of creation makes each day's accomplishment a preparation for the one that follows.  And whereas above we touched on the 'separation' aspect of creation, here we see its integrative aspect.  Separation and integration, though seemingly mutually exclusive, actually work hand in hand and are typical of the Hebraic mind and character, and nowhere is this better exemplified than in the first and second chapters of the Bible. 

Although each day's creative work differed from the next, the days were separated from one another in an identical manner: by an evening and a morning.  This ‘feature’ set the pattern for the days that were to come, which, unlike the days of creation, would be identical or similar to one another.  The day began in the evening - erev - and it is interesting to note that among its many meanings, “erev” also means a “pledge” or a “guarantee”.  Thus, the promise of the day to come is found in the twilight of its predecessor.  “Boker” - "morning" - is another word rich in diverse meanings, one of which is to “inquire, frequent or visit”, connoting concern and care (see Ezk. 34:11,12). Once again, there is an assurance for things hoped for from the One who is in charge of Time and who operates within it (e.g., Jer. 33:25, Lam. 3:22-23). One example of YHVH regarding time appears in 2:2, where He is seen “resting” (after having completed His work), while the Hebrew word is “sha’vat,” from the root sh.b/v.t* meaning to “cease”, and is similar to the root y.sh.v. - to "sit”. This root also forms the word “Shabbat”. 

As for the pinnacle of creation, man and woman, they were created "in the image and likeness" of their Creator (1:26).  “Image” is "tzelem" - from the root “tzel”, which is a “shadow”. At best, a human being may reflect the Almighty in the same way a two-dimensional shadow 'represents' (as a shadow) a three-dimensional object. “Likeness” is “d'moot”, which contains the word “dam”  – "blood" (from which are derived words such as “adama” for “earth”, “adom” for “red,” and “adam” - “man”).  Here we see a clear connection to the Messiah, who incarnated in a flesh-and-blood body as the “Last Adam”.  Man and woman were created differently and at different times, yet “in the image (tzelem) of Elohim created He him, male and female created He them” (v. 27). Once again, we see differentiation and oneness together.  He - man - was created both male and female, and likewise, the male and the female together reflect the "tzelem" of the one Elohim. In 2:24 we read that they were to become “one flesh”, and yet that could only take place after the woman was taken out (separated) from the man’s body (ref. 2:21). The woman’s formation was totally different from that of the man’s. Not only was she formed from the rib taken out of Adam’s side, but that act of formation is called “building” – va’yiven – literally, “and He [Elohim] built the rib which He took from the man, into a woman…” (2:22). 

One more point concerning this union: In 2:18, 20 the woman, the "help suitable" (as translated in most versions) for man, is described literally as a help “contrary or opposite” to him – “ezer ke’negdo” (“neged” being “in front of” or “opposite to”).  Originally, Chava* (Eve) was to be Adam’s counterpart, compatible with him. The two were to complement one another, like two opposite forces that attract and polarize at the same time.   

In the last verse of chapter 2 we read: ”And they were both naked ("aroomim"/plural), the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (v. 25).  In 3:7 a major change takes place: “And the eyes of the two of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed for themselves girdles of fig leaves”. The man and his wife made for themselves coverings from the leaves of a fig tree. The latter alludes to their attitude, as the word for “fig” - t'ena – is closely related to “to'ana”, which is a “pretext” or “looking for excuses”. In Shoftim (Judges) 14:4, Shimshon (Samson) is seen looking for such a pretext or “an occasion against the Philistines”. In 3:21 we are told that Elohim “clothed them - va’yalbishem,” the root being l.v.sh, which is the verb for “dress” and also forms the word for “clothes, garment ” – l’vush or malbush. We just noted that “the man and his wife were naked and not ashamed”, (plural) “lo yit’boshashu” of the root b.o.sh (bet, vav, shin). Thus, although of no etymological connection, because of the similarity of consonants, some rabbinical interpretations connect “l’vush” - garment - to “bosh” - “shame” (remember the b and v sounds are interchangeable), as indeed the garment’s purpose was to meet the need awakened by the shame of being naked. 

In the last episode depicting our protagonists, we see them being sent ("expelled" in Hebrew) out of the Garden of Eden (Gan, of g.n.n which means protection, and Eden, which is delight), but not without a hint of hope.  East of Eden, Elohim placed the Cherubim and the two-edged ("revolving") sword to guard the way to the Tree of Life (ref. 3:24).  This image conjures up another - one in which Cherubim were also placed above a "sword", that is, the sword of the Word (see Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12), in the form of the tablets written by Moshe. These tablets were placed in the ark, above which an image of two Cherubim was installed.  Is this a subtle picture, inserted into the somber scene of the expulsion, of a future Holy of Holies where atonement (covering) was to be made? Once the Holy of Holies (through the ultimate atonement) became accessible to all, so did the way to the Tree of Life, through Him who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. 

The post-Edenic life was very different from that which Adam and Chava had experienced before their act of disobedience – this is evidenced by the life of their progeny. The story of Kayin and Hevel demonstrates the immediate results that followed the great transformation that took place in man’s disposition. In fact, the description of the events in chapter 4 is replete with linguistic connections to the previous chapter, illustrating the direct link between the parents’ actions and attitudes and their posterity. Let us follow a little chart of such comparisons, in literal Hebrew translation. But before that, we will pause to ponder Chava’s reason for naming her firstborn as she did. “I have acquired a man from YHVH” (4:1) were her words. “Acquired” – “kaniti” (k.n.h – kof, noon, hey) – to buy or purchase. Was she under the impression that her suffering at childbirth was the price she was paying for having a son? Purchasing is also a function of a redeemer (who buys back his next of kin who has been taken captive, for example). Was Chava mistakenly seeing herself as a “redeemer” of her firstborn? If so, did the birth of the next son bring with it disillusion, and thus he was named “Hevel” – “futility” (literally the “mist that comes forth from one’s breath”)?

                                                  

 

Chapter 4   v. 2 Cain was a tiller of the ground       v. 7 If you do well you will be carried [accepted], but if you do not do well, sin crouches at the opening and to you is its desire, but you will rule it     v. 9 Am I my brother’s keeper?   v. 10 The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground v. 11 So now you are cursed from the ground v. 12 When you work [till] the ground it shall no longer yield its strength to you   v. 14 You have driven me out today from the face of the ground/earth, and I shall be hidden from Your face NOTE: “hidden” is “esa’ter”       v. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of YHVH and dwelt in the land of Nod east of Eden

Chapter 3   v. 19 By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground from which you were taken   v. 13 And the woman said, the serpent has caused me to be beguiled, and I ate v. 16 And to him [your husband] is your desire and he will rule you *   ch. 2:15 And YHVH Elohim took man and put him in the garden to till and keep it Back to chapter 3 v. 10 I heard your voice in the garden and was afraid v. 17 Cursed is the ground for your sake; in sorrow you shall eat of it v. 23-24: YHVH Elohim drove him out… of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken   v. 8 And the man and his wife hid from YHVH Elohim v. 10 And I was afraid, because I was naked and hid myself NOTE: “hid” is ‘et’chabeh’   v. 24 And He drove out the man, and He placed the cherubim east of the garden of Eden

Kayin's fate was to be a "wanderer and a fugitive on the earth" (4:12,14) – na va'nad. "Na" stems from the root n.o.a (nun, vav, ayin) meaning "movement", while "nad" is from the root n.d.d (nun, dalet, dalet) – "wander, be a fugitive". Thus, the information supplied by verse 16: "So Cain went out from the presence of YHVH and lived [settled] in the land of Nod, east of Eden", is somewhat of an oxymoron. Living in the land… tells us that Kayin seemingly found a permanent place of residence. Moreover, in the next verse, he is also said to have "built a city" (another contradiction to being a "wanderer and a fugitive"). But here again, the name of the land of his residency gives away the condition of his 'settling' – Nod is of the same root that we just examined, with its meaning of wandering or being a fugitive. Moreover, the name of his son – Chanoch – by which he named the city, clues us in as to the fact that he desired to pass on a legacy. The root ch.n.ch (chet, nun, chet) means "inaugurate, bring up, educate/teach". Thus, it appears that Kayin had in mind to pass to his son a certain heritage or message, although, as we learn further, whatever that may have been with its resultant prosperity and inventiveness (as evidenced by the posterity), it also led to further violence and to the ultimate disappearance of this line (4:17-24). 

Finally, let us follow the genealogy of the forefathers as listed in chapter 5, which sketches the outline of the redemptive program, aside from the glimpse into this plan that is extrapolated in 3:15, about the Seed of woman that was destined to crush the head of the serpent. The names are as follows: Man (Adam) is appointed (Shet), mortality (Enosh), and sorrow (Keinan).  One who praises EL (M’halal'el) will come down (Yared), teaching (Chanoch) that His death will send (Metushelach), the hidden king (Lemech, whose name contains the three letters for king, but not in the right order), and rest (No’ach). 

 

* B and V sounds are denoted by the same letter – bet

* The “ch” consonant sound is the same as the “ch” in the Scottish “Loch.”

 * 4:7 “… if you do not do well, sin crouches at the opening and to you is its desire, but you will rule it”. 3:13 “...and to him [your husband] is your desire and he will rule you”. The usage of the same terminology in these 2 verses seems to create a parallel between “sin” and “woman/wife”, on one hand, and “Cain” (had he resorted to the right action, which he refused to do) and “Adam/man”, on the other. Such a parallel has the potential to conjecture a very distorted idea about the man-woman (husband-wife) relationship, specifically projecting a negative image on women. Let us bear in mind that the consequences of sin in 3:16-19 constitute a sad description of what was about to transpire, and are (obviously) not injunctions on the part of YHVH – that is, they are not instructions. Beyond that, with the atonement YHVH has provided through His Son, Yeshua, these conditions no longer apply to those who have been redeemed (e.g. 2^nd Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20, 3:13; Eph. 1:3-8, 2:1-10, etc.). Thus, we read in the Song of Songs/Solomon 7:11: “I am my beloved’s and His desire is toward me” (emphasis added). In the restored state (tikkun), our Beloved bridegroom desires us! What solace, comfort, and hope…!

Wife and Concubine

 Chapter 17

Wife and Concubine

(Genesis Chapter 16)

Abram and Sarai’s situation was becoming increasingly paradoxical.  Some of YHVH’s promises were materializing very rapidly, while others, namely the obvious and most essential - that of posterity - seemed to be getting further and further away.  Sarai had not only been barren all their married years, but now, to make matters worse, she was way beyond childbearing age.  Thus, a very distraught spouse, following the custom of that day that allowed a wife to give her handmaid to her husband and have children vicariously through her, was about to do just that.  Abram, being a righteous man, did not consider this option until Sarai brought it up.  It is hard to know what he thought.  Did he truly believe this would be the child YHVH had promised him?  Apparently, he did.

So Hagar, Sarai’s Egyptian maid, bore Abram his first son.  As mentioned, firstborn have princely rights in the family, and hence the situation was potentially very volatile.  Indeed, troubles soon began to manifest.  After she conceived, Hagar became proud and despised her mistress.  Sarai blamed her husband for the situation, while he, without retorting, gave his wife the authority to deal with this state of affairs (ref. Genesis 16:5-6).  

Sarai’s solution was to treat Hagar so harshly that the latter ran away.  Although the child in Hagar’s womb was not the promised seed, YHVH still had a plan for him.  The Almighty sent an angel who found Hagar in the desert and conveyed a message: “Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand” (Genesis 16:9). YHVH commanded Hagar to promptly submit to Sarai’s authority.  Was this episode establishing divine order in the Abrahamic family?  If so, then any challenges that would arise in the future in the form of jealousy, envy, and contention would be met with the authority of YHVH’s sealed promise.

Hagar’s child received from the Creator a portion of his father’s blessings of multiplicity, and his seed was destined to also become part of that “dust of the earth.”  YHVH said of Hagar’s son Ishmael and his posterity:  “I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude...”  “He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation” (Genesis 16:10; 17:20).  This child was to have a unique disposition and nature (one that would be contrary to that of YHVH’s kinsman-redeemer):  “He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren” (Genesis 16:12). 

Typically, YHVH’s pronouncements to an individual have long-lasting effects that continue to be magnified as they play out in history.  This is certainly true of Ishmael and his progeny, including in our own days.  Thus, what YHVH established by His word here in Genesis entered the very life force of the seed, along with the particular nature that would manifest wherever this seed/progeny would be dispersed.

Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael.  Both mother and child lived in his tents, and for several years things seemed to settle down.  Then one day YHVH came to Abram again…

The Covenant

 (Genesis Chapter 15)

After Abram was blessed by the king-priest of the Most High, YHVH came to him in a vision saying:  “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, and your exceedingly great reward” (Genesis 15:1).  Elohim was now establishing for His firstborn a principal foundation stone: “Trust Me,” “Fear not!”  In other words, “Do not be governed by fear, but faith, for I am your protection and your provision, the fulfillment of everything that I have spoken to you.”  Because of His steadfastness, YHVH Elohim will watch over all of His words of promise and will be faithful to perform them.  It is not going to be about religion or politics, but about a relationship with the word of the great, “I AM that I AM.” (Exodus 3:14).

“But Abram said, ‘YHVH Elohim, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’” (Genesis 15:2).  After all the tests, trials, and now the blessing that was conferred upon him by Melchizedek, Abram, rather than being hopeful, was still concerned about not having an heir.  It seemed to him that the only option for a successor was Eliezer of Damascus, who must have been a faithful servant in his household.  YHVH, however, was very quick to respond to this proposal with the non-equivocal words:  “‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’  Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’ And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be’” (Genesis 15:4-5).

This seed would come out of Abram’s own loins.  But unlike the last time when YHVH described his descendants “as the dust of the earth,” now the imagery of stars is added.  Again, this was in order to point out not only numerousness, but also to establish the fact that the promised seed would be like the stars - for signs, seasons, and for light - and would play a governing role in the realm of spiritual darkness. 

However, Abram had come to the end of any hope that his wife Sarai would ever bear a child.  He now had only one recourse, and that was to believe that YHVH would be true to keep His word of promise.  Here was a demonstration of faith working in the life of a man whom YHVH had called from the womb as a firstborn, and now chose to use to father a new genus in humanity - a people who would be the carriers of the faith of their father Abraham.

Two millennia later, an apostle of the Messiah understood this covenant mystery, namely, that YHVH had multiplied and hidden the promised seed in many nations: “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the Law [Jews], but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Romans 4:16 emphases added).  Note that no mention is made here of a ‘spiritual father.’  It simply states that Abraham is the natural father of those who have “the faith” to be able to believe Elohim’s Gospel.  Thus, the “seed of Abraham” is a witness to the faithfulness of a covenant-keeping Elohim.   

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul repeats this idea:  “And if you are Messiah’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).  We are in Messiah and belong to Him because of the faith that we have received from our forefather, Abraham.  This faith is the birthmark that identifies us as inheritors of the promises that YHVH made to our forefather Abraham and his progeny (sperm/life/Isaac).  As was noted above, He responded to Abram’s question about his heir by taking him outside and having him count the stars.  At this point, Abram believed YHVH, and He acknowledged his faith and accounted it to him for righteousness. 

Let us take a closer look at what YHVH said to Abram about the land, while also reminding him who had brought him out of the land of Ur.  The record states that Abram’s father, Terah, took his family and left Ur to go to Canaan.  Nevertheless, the Sovereign One wanted Abram to realize that He was the One Who was directing his circumstances:  “Then He said to him, ‘I am YHVH, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.’  And he said, ‘YHVH Elohim, how shall I know that I will inherit it?’” (Genesis 15:7-8).  Abram’s question here, in response to YHVH’s words, elicits a very interesting counter-response from the Almighty.  Keep in mind that YHVH’s answer will be prophetic and will seal the promises:  “So He said to him, ‘Bring Me a three-year-old heifer, a three-year-old female goat, a three-year-old ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon’” (Genesis 15:9).

After a very tiring day of accomplishing what YHVH had asked of him and chasing the vultures off the sacrifices, evening descended upon this special firstborn and he fell into a deep sleep.  It was not a pleasant sleep, as this old prophet was going to experience the frightening revelation that his life, carried on within a multitude of posterity, would be in slavery and bondage to another nation.  “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, horror and great darkness fell upon him” (Genesis 15:12).  YHVH’s prophetic words were then imparted to him:  “Know certainly that your descendants/seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions” (Genesis 15:13-14).

Suddenly there appeared between the sacrifices a pillar of fire and a cloud.  It is not clear whether Abram was awake or asleep during this event, but the Mighty Redeemer and Covenant Maker Himself passed amid the cut-up pieces as a sign that He was ratifying the covenant.  At the same time, He also revealed to Abram the destiny of the promised seed’s deliverance from 400 years of bondage in Egypt.  “And it came to pass, when the sun went down and it was dark, that behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces” (Genesis 15:17).  Similarly, we read about the exodus out of Egypt, “And YHVH went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night” (Exodus 13:21).

 YHVH went on to reiterate the previous promise and gave Abram a detailed description of the land that was to come into his descendants’ possession:  “To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates -- the Kenites, the Kenezzites, the Kadmonites,  the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites”  (Genesis 15:18-21).  Notice that YHVH was saying that He has already given the land to Abram’s progeny.  How could He make such a statement?  Having given it to a father is as good as having given it to his descendants.

“Now as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age” (Genesis 15:15).  Even though Abram was quite old at this time, YHVH assured him that he would have more years ahead of him.  However, Abram still had a problem - he now had a land promised to his descendants, but did not yet have an offspring who could inherit it.

Chapter 16 "Firstborn Factor in the plan of Redemption (copyright 2011)

Hebrew Insights into Ve'zot Habracha, Deut 33:1 - 34:12

 The Torah’s last Parasha, with its prophetic blessings upon the People of Yisrael and the individual tribes, is also the last curtain for Moshe who takes his leave off the stage of history. We have seen the Patriarchs bless their sons before their departure, and now we view Moshe blessing the people whom he had carried in his bosom like a father (sometimes in spite of himself, ref. Num, 11:12) for over forty years.

 The opening statement, “ve’zot habracha” (“and this is the blessing”), indicates that the first and more general component of the blessing (33:2-5) is part and parcel of one singular blessing that Moshe delivers as YHVH’s spirit rests upon him. That is to say that each tribe’s blessing is not separate from the word bestowed upon the nation as a whole. The very usage of “b’racha”, singular, implies that YHVH is considering each individual tribe as part of a complete entity. Moreover, employing the (seemingly unnecessary) “and” implies that the blessing is a continuation of what preceded its pronouncement. Interestingly, that which precedes the blessing are the stern words that YHVH utters to Moshe, who is prevented from entering the land and can only view it from afar. Thus, the "and", of the next chapter and verse that follow, are in sharp contrast to the previous words and can therefore be understood as a "but", or "in spite of…"

 The glorious and majestic description of the giving of the Torah at Sinai is likened to an epiphany of YHVH Himself, denoted by His “coming”, “rising” and “shinning forth” over physical and geographical locations (ref 33:2). An equivalent description, although underscored by a more specific prophecy, is found in Chavakuk (Habakkuk) 3:3-4: “Elohim came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise.   His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden”. These two excerpts seem to be related, though the latter may be a prophecy yet to be fulfilled. Interestingly, in “He came with ten thousands of saints” (back to the Parasha, 33:2), it is not the usual “ba” (“came”), but rather the Aramaic “ata”, evoking the Aramaic “maranatha” – or “maran ata” (Revelation 22:20) - that is, “Master come” or “the Master has come” (cf. v. 21, “he came – va’yete - with the heads of the people”).  The enigmatic meaning of these verses (2 and 3) is matched by the very words and syntax used, all of which are complex and extraordinary, presenting a challenging task for the commentators. The literal rendering, for example, of “ten thousands of saints”, mentioned in verse 2, is literally “ten thousands of holiness”, the word used there being “kodesh”. Thus, if the text is referring to “ten thousands of saints” or “holy ones”, why are “His holy ones” in the next verse (v. 3) rendered as “k’doshav” (“kadosh” - “holy one”), plain and simple? If in both cases the meaning is “His holy ones”, why are the terms not identical? Or, is it possible that “ten thousands of holiness” is not a reference to “saints” (or “angels” according to rabbinic interpretation) at all, but is a description of His abode (from which He is said to be coming) being “abundant in holiness”?

 The next expression in the same verse (2) is no less problematic. That which is translated as either “firey law” or “flashing lightning” is “eshdat” in Hebrew, being a term that appears nowhere else. If broken in two it is: “e’sh” – fire – and “dat” – “law, edict” or “manner of things”. However, “dat” is found only in Esther, one time in Ezra, and in the Aramaic sections of Daniel, making its usage here, at such an early stage, totally doubtful. According to the B.D.B Lexicon “eshdat” was originally “esh yokeh-dat”, which is “burning fire” (with the first two syllables now missing). [1] According to this viewpoint, we should read, “On His right (that is by the right-hand side) is a burning fire”.

 Verse 3 reads: “Indeed, He loves the people; all your holy ones are in Your hand, and they followed in Your steps, carrying Your words”. This presents several problems. It changes mid-sentence from third to second person. “He who loves the nations” or “peoples” is described as “chovev amim”. The root ch.v.v. (chet, vet, vet) – love dutifully – also forms the name Chovav, which is one of the names of Moshe’s father-in-law (ref. Num. 10:29). According to Daat Mikra, “even when He expresses love toward all peoples, ‘all His Holy ones’ are Yisrael and they are ‘in Your hand’”. Therefore the change to the second person in the second part of the verse denotes YHVH’s closeness to His people. Daat Mikra adds that the rest of the verse should read: “And they will be smitten at Your feet, and receive Your Word”, [2] whereas according to BDB the verb “tuku”, (“smitten”) is of dubious meaning and should therefore be understood as: “will be assembled”, as it is more compatible with the context. [3]

 Yisrael’s present and future destiny is defined in the next two verses (33:4,5). Since Moshe is mentioned here in the third person, the question arises whether he is speaking of himself, or is the assembly intoning the following: “Moses charged us with Torah, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. And there was a king in Jeshurun” [remember last Parasha’s Yeshurun, “the one who has been straightened”, in contradistinction to Ya’acov who is “winding” or “crooked”?]; when the heads of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together” (vs. 4, 5). For the “assembly of Jacob” we have here the unusual form of “kehila” (of the root k.h.l), rather than the frequent “kahal” or “eda”. “Kehila” appears to refer to a more organized form of the congregation, or society, rather than to a random assembly of the multitudes. Thus, when the People of Yisrael is in unison they become the redeemed community ruled over by YHVH while inheriting the Torah, rendering them no longer a wayward Ya’acov, but Yeshurun, whose paths have been made straight. 

 At this point, Moshe confers on each tribe its respective prophetic blessing.

 The first three tribes to receive their blessings are the firstborn Reuven, who in spite of having lost the birthright (ref. 1^st Chronicles 5:1, 2), symbolizes here this significant position; Secondly, Yehuda (Judah), who was to receive the kingly position, while Levi is third to be given his blessing which is the office of the priesthood. There is no mistake - this is the order of YHVH’s Kingdom: the birthright comes first, ideally consisting of kingship and priesthood. However, in the un-regenerated state the birthright had to be divided up into its two offices (namely the ‘kingly’ and the ‘priestly’), which were only brought together in Yeshua (ref. Zech. 6:13). But when YHVH’s kingdom will fully manifest upon the earth, His people will form the long-awaited-for nation of priests (after the order of Malchitzedek) and kings (e.g. 1^st Peter 2:9).*

 Since Yehuda, according to the blessing (v. 7), was destined to be “brought to his people”, it is apparent that he will be separated from them at some point. This prediction became fact when the ten northern tribes seceded from the united kingdom ruled by Yehuda and were later exiled and dispersed, and until now have not been reunited with their estranged southern brethren, albeit the many prophecies predicting their eventual union. 

 Of Levi it says (in verse 9): “who said to his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; and he has not acknowledged his brothers, nor knew his own son, for they have observed Your word and kept Your covenant”. The word for “acknowledge” is “hekir”, also meaning to “recognize” and stems from the root n.ch.r (noon, kaf/chaf, resh) used in “nochri” - “stranger” - and in the verb “hitnaker” - to be “estranged”. This term describes Yoseph’s initial treatment of his brothers in B’resheet (Genesis) 42:7. The Levites, who were also to assume the position of judges, could not be “partial” to anyone, including their own family members, or as the Hebrew has it, they could not (in their official capacity) “recognize or acknowledge" their relatives, but rather, had to become “estranged” from them. “Estrangement” and “recognition”, although appearing to be contradictory, are in fact not that far apart; at times it takes the former in order to achieve the latter (as was the case with Yoseph and his brothers).

 The description enumerating Yoseph’s blessing (vs. 13 – 17) resembles a trail going up and down hills, descending into valleys and underground resources and climbing mountain tops; a journey, which while topographical and geographical, also crosses the boundaries of Time and is ‘intercepted’ by the human element as well as by heavenly bodies, such as the sun and the moon (recalling to mind Yoseph’s dreams). “Meged” - translated “precious - is the leitmotif of this passage, as it is repeated five times within few verses. Its expanded meaning is “excellence, glory, and gifts of choice” in reference to nature.[4]  In verse 15, Yoseph’s hills and mountains are termed “ancient” (“kedem” - “first, initial, primary” and also connected to that which is “ahead”), and “everlasting” (the word being “olam”, which also means “futurity”). Both the heavens and the abyss are destined to contribute toward Yoseph’s well being. That which the ground will produce for him on a monthly basis will grow so fast, that it will seem as though “expelled” (“the best yield” is “geresh,” g.r.sh, to “expel, force out”) by the earth (v. 14). On the one hand “he shall push out the peoples” (v. 17), but his leadership position is not likened to the prowess of a king or a military leader, nor even to that of a typical priest, but rather to that of the Nazarite (ref. end of v. 16 – “n’zir ehcav”, literally the “nazarite among his brothers” and translated as “the one who was separated from his brothers”, or “a prince among his brothers”). The title used here originates in “nezer”, a “crown or a miter”, which is made up of the nazarite’s uncut hair (as we saw in Parashat Nasso, in Num. 6). The “nazarite” - or “nazir”- is one who takes upon himself an oath to abstain from worldly pleasures.

 Z’vulun (Zebulun) is told to rejoice in his “going out” (v. 18). In Parashat Ki Tetze (in Deut. 21:10) we already noted that “going out” many a time connotes going out to war (ref. 1^st Ch. 12:33), and in Z’vulun’s case also going out to sea (ref. Ya’acov’s blessings to his sons, in Gen. 49:13). Yisas’char’s (Issachar) tent dwelling is an antidote to Z’vulun’s “going out”, and refers to homestead and attachment to the land (the tent-dwelling here does not seem to suggest a nomadic lifestyle; cf. Jacob’s blessings, Gen. 49:14), and perhaps also to the wisdom and discernment characteristic of this people (ref. 1^st Ch. 12:32). The mutual cooperation between these two neighboring tribes is captured by verse 19. Yisas’char “shall call the peoples to the mountain. There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness”, while Z’vulun will make provisions of “the bounty of the seas and treasures hidden in the sand”. The "mountain", in this case, is most likely the "Mountain of YHVH".

 Naphtali is “satisfied with favor”, which is “s’vah ratzon” (v. 23), while Asher, who is “favorable in the eyes of his brothers”, is “r’tzooy echav” (v. 24). Both these words emanate from the root r.tz.h. which is to “please, accept, favor”.

 In verse 15 we read about the “ancient – kedem – mountains”, while in verse 27 Elohim, who is described as a “dwelling place” (“me’ona”), is also called “Elohey kedem”, translated here as “eternal”, Thus, He who always was from the very beginning, is also the One who will ever be and it is He who will enable Yisrael to “dwell alone securely” (v. 28, literal translation; cf Bil’am’s blessing, Num. 23:9), as He Himself is her dwelling place while “underneath [her] are [His] everlasting arms” (v. 27).

 In coming to the end of the tribal blessings, it must be noted that Shim'on is conspicuously missing. Yehuda's blessing, however, opens up with "Hear, O YHVH, the voice of Yehuda…" Because Shim'on's name is rooted in the verb "to hear" (sh'ma), it is thought that the blessing of this tribe, which was destined to amalgamate into Yehuda, is hinted at here.

 Moshe’s last words constitute an exhilarating exclamation: “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, O people saved by YHVH, the shield of your help, and who is the sword of your excellence! And your enemies shall be found liars to you, and you shall tread on their high places” (33:29). It is most likely that Moshe himself did not compose the last eight verses of D’varim (chapter 34, or even the entire chapter, consisting of 12 verses). About his body, it is said, “He buried him…” (34:6), inferring the direct involvement of the Holy One of Yisrael in this task. And although in Sh’mot (Exodus) 33:20 YHVH said to Moshe: “You cannot see My face. For there no man can see Me and live”, here we read, in verse 10: “And never since has a prophet like Moses arisen in Israel, whom YHVH knew face to face”. These words do point to Moshe’s intimate knowledge of the Almighty, Who Himself is said to have “known” Moshe (cf. 1st Cor. 13:12). “Panim el panim” (“face to face”) implies exposure before someone, as in Hebrew “face” is not only an external image, with the root p.n.h (which we have noted several times in the past) meaning “to turn”.  Thus “face” is that which “turns” to look at and respond to another. And while “panim” is the “exterior” or the “surface”, “p’nim” means “inner” (ref. Ezekiel 40:19,23 etc.). Thus “panim” - face – also reflects that which is on the inside. In 2nd Corinthians 3:18 this principle is applied in a powerful way to each individual believer: “We all, with our face having been unveiled, having beheld [‘turned toward’] the glory of YHVH as in a mirror, are being changed [on the inside] into the same image from glory to glory, even as by YHVH, the Spirit” (italics added).

 [1] The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, Francis Brown Hendrickson. Publishers, Peabody, Mass. 1979

[2] Da’at Mikra, A’ahron Mirski, Rav Cook Inst., Jerusalem, 2001

[3] The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon

[4] Ibid. 

* More information on the “firstborn factor” may be obtained from our book, Firstborn Factor in the Plan of Redemption,

 

 

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Ha'azinu Deut. 32:1-52

 Parashat Ha’azinu, which consists almost entirely of the ”Song of Moses” - Shirat Ha’azinu in Hebrew - is the crescendo that has been building up in the Dvarim (Deuteronomy) account. It is a recitation that summarizes the Israelites’ history, projecting future situations, while at the same time continually revolving around a central pivot - YHVH as the Almighty and as the loving Father of His people. Shirat Ha’azinu (the Ha’azinu song or poem) was to bear testimony for future generations. Last week, heaven and earth were also summoned as “witnesses”, as they are, indeed, here too: “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth” (32:1, italics added). The imperative “ha’azinu” (“listen”) is a derivative of “ozen” – “ear”, and would therefore be best translated “give ear”.  Psalm 80 also opens up with: “Give ear- ha’azina - O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead Joseph like a flock; You who dwell between the cherubim, shine forth!” Perhaps if we “give ear” to the Shepherd of Yisrael, He will also give ear to our cry.

The common Hebrew word for “scales” is “moz’na’yim” (e.g. Lev. 19:36). The ancients must have known that the ear is responsible for balance, thus connecting the two words which stem from the root a.z.n (alef, zayin, noon). With that said, the picture depicted before us is of heaven and earth acting as scales that are to weigh Israel in the balance. You will notice that many of the verses are made up of couplets, where the same point is stated once and then repeated with a slight variation. Perhaps this device highlights all the more the ‘weighing scales', as well as being a double witness. The first two verses of the poem serve as a good example of this poetic device, which is so typical of biblical poetry:

 Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak;

And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

 My doctrine shall drop as the rain;

My speech shall drop down as the dew,

 As the small rain on the tender plant,

And the showers on the grass (vs.1-2).          

These words find their confirmation in the following: "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10-11). 

YHVH’s love and care for Yisrael form the backdrop against which Yisrael’s past and future are respectively described and cast. According to the poem, the people’s relationship with and toward YHVH appears to be a primary cause of the events (past, present, and future) which befall them. 

Verse 4 exclaims that YHVH is “the Rock whose work is perfect”. The word used here for rock is “tzur”. This word is repeated a number of times in the poem, and thus we read in verse 13, in reference to YHVH’s benevolence toward Yisrael, “He made him suck honey from the rock and oil out of the flinty rock” (italics added). In response, Yeshurun (Jeshurun) – rooted in “straight”, acts more like Ya’acov (root of "crookedness”), and “scorned the Rock of their Salvation” (v. 15).  Verse 18 reads thus: “You forgot the Rock who birthed you”. The verb used here for “forgot” is “teshi” of the root n.sh.h (noon, shin, hey), which is also the root for the name Menashe (Manasseh). The imagery of the “rock”, a substance that is definitely not associated with tenderness, much less with motherhood, is juxtaposed with metaphors related to birthing and suckling. This type of unusual imagery is echoed somewhat in 1^st Corinthians 10:1 and 4, where we read: “Our fathers…. all drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Messiah”.

In verses 30 and 31 there are several more references to “tzur” ("How could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and YHVH had surrendered them?  For their rock is not like our Rock.."), while in verse 37 the “rock” is the one in whom “refuge is taken” ("He will say: 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?") “chasayu”, ch.s.h., chet, samech, hey – is to “take refuge”, being a more conventional usage in relationship to the rock metaphor. Because the idols of the peoples were often made of stone or carved into a rock, “tzur” is also used here regarding the gods of the pagans (e.g., verse 31), contrasting the term with Yisrael’s Elohim, who is totally detached from the literal substance of the rock.

Other parts of our text appear to highlight different attributes of Elohim; one, in particular, is found in verse 27, but let us also include verse 26. YHVH says about His treacherous people: “I will make an end of them, I will make their memory cease from among men. Were it not that I dreaded the enemy’s provocation, lest their adversaries should misconstrue, lest they should say, ‘our hand is exalted and not YHVH has performed all this’” (italics added). This last verse (27) contains a very daring anthropomorphism [personification-humanization of YHVH], “indeed attributing to Him the sentiment of fear, as it were… has no parallel in the Torah”. In this commentary Nechama Leibowitz includes other instances where Moshe expresses concern over the desecration of YHVH’s name among the nations and concludes: “This concern over desecrating the Divine name… assumes a much more intense and extreme form in our sidra [Parasha]. Here it is the Almighty Himself who is, as it were, “concerned” over the world being misled and diverted from the path leading mankind spiritually forward. He is filled with apprehension lest His name be brought into disrepute instead of sanctified and His sovereignty universally recognized and acknowledged, which is the ultimate goal of all creation.”[1]  

“I will make an end of them…” (back to verse 26) is couched here in a very unique term, which appears nowhere else in the Tanach (O.T.) - “af’ey’em”. Several possible interpretations of this term have been extrapolated. Most "have traced its meaning to the word pe’ah – “corner”, while others connect it with af (anger)”. Rashi breaks up the word into its three syllables and comes up with: “af ey hem”, which is a question that reads as follows: “In anger (“af” meaning YHVH’s anger), where are they?” Thus implying that YHVH’s anger has reduced them to non-existence.[2] Da’at Mikra offers another interpretation, with the same “pe’ah” – “corner, edge” in mind: “I will not leave of them as much as an edge”,[3] or being picked up in the shemitta year by anyone who so wishes, and/or being scattered to the utmost ends (symbolized by the edges of the fields).

Another verse that requires some attention is verse 5, which says: “They have corrupted themselves: they are not His sons; it is their blemish; they are a crooked and perverse generation”. And although the Hebrew is somewhat obscure, according to Da’at Mikra it should read, “His sons’ blemish is theirs” (literal translation), that is to say: “their perversion is of their own making. Hence it may then be said that they are “lo-banav”- “not-His-sons” (although there is yet another, alternate, though a similar, reading of this). This is also reminiscent of the name that will be given at a much later date to Ephraim - “not-My-people” (“Lo-Ami”.oHos.1:9). In contradiction, verse 6 names YHVH as “your father, the One who purchases you” – “kone’cha”. Quite often the term “koneh” (k.n.h, kof, noon, hey) – to “buy, or purchase” – is synonymous with redeeming, and lends the latter act its graphic meaning, as the role of the redeemer is primarily to pay for and buy that which is lost (such as freedom or property). In 1^st Corinthians 6:20 and 7:23, Shaul (Paul) reminds the redeemed community: “You are bought with a price”. “Kone’cha”, with its similarity to “ken” (a “bird’s nest”), inspired Rashi to suggest that this is a reference to the nest that YHVH is making for Yisrael (see also verse 11). [4]

At this point, starting with verse 6 and through 14, the poem expounds very tenderly on the establishment of the Israelite nation, and on the care and love bestowed on it by its Maker. That Yisrael, even in its nascent state, had a major role in global affairs is made apparent from verse 8: “When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance; when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the sons of Israel” (italics added). When one takes into consideration the fact that the above separation took place after the Flood, and more particularly that YHVH scattered the people during the Tower of Ba’vel (Babel) era (see Gen. 10:25, 11:8), this statement becomes all the more significant and points to an even greater future for Yisrael.

A string of verbs, which follow one another in progressive intensity and describe YHVH’s involvement with Yisrael, is introduced in verses 10 & 11. “He found him…He compassed him about … He cared for him…. Like an eagle that stirs up its nest… He hovers… He spreads his wings… He takes him… lifts him….”  The “desert land”, the “waste”, and the “howling wilderness” mentioned here (v. 10) bring to mind a lost entity wandering around, and thus these verbs appear as the solution and response to the people’s dire condition. These verbs are fraught with activity: “vay’vone’nehu” (root b.n.h, bet/vet, noon, hey), translated “cared”, in fact could relate to “bina” – “wisdom” and thus may read: “endowed him with wisdom”. Another possibility is that the above verb stems from “hitbonen”, which is to “look closely, watch”, or to “boneh”, “build, build up, or edify”. “Guarded him” is a translation of “yitz’renhu” and continues, “as the apple of His eye”. The latter is the pupil, “eeshon”, which literally is a “little man”. When one looks into someone else’s eye, one sees a miniature reflection of oneself.  “Hovers” is particularly interesting, as it is “ye’ra’chef”, of the root r.ch.f (resh, chet, pey/fey), which is found in B’resheet (Genesis) 1:2 in reference to the Spirit of Elohim. We recall the idea of being protected from above as well as being airborne in Parashat Va’era, in Shmot (Exodus) 6:7, 8, where we read YHVH’s promise: “And I will take you…. to the land concerning which I lifted up My hand…” (italics added). In Sh’mot (Exodus) 19:4, YHVH addressed Yisrael: “I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself”. Parashat Ha’azinu, therefore, echoes and captures promises of the past, transferring them to the Israelites’ present reality on the threshold of the Promised Land.

Next is the enumeration of the goodness and plenty that was conferred upon Yisrael, and with which she shall be blessed in the future ("He made him ride in the heights of the earth, that he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock;  curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs; and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the choicest wheat; and you drank wine, the blood of the grapes" vs. 13-14). Verse 15 witnesses a transition, and once again, there is an inventory, if you will, of densely listed verbs. Unfortunately, not all of them can be translated into verb form in English: “Yeshurun grew fat… kicked… became fat… became thick… covered in layers… forsook Elohim his maker….” In Hebrew, all these are in verb form and follow one another thusly: “va’yishman… va’yiv’at… shamanta, avita, kasita, va’yitosh… vay’na’bel”, almost in stampede fashion. Just as before, where YHVH’s intense activities around His people were depicted in verb form, action-laden, so too here, the Israelites’ intent on turning away from their Creator is described in a chain reaction of fast moves.

The excerpt of verses 28-35 presents a controversy, which has been engaging the commentators for generations. Who is the subject of verses 28-29 ("For they are a nation void of counsel, nor is there any understanding in them.  Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!")? Is it Yisrael, or is it the enemies? In verse 30 ("how could one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight…"), again, who is being chased: is it Yisrael, or the enemies? Verse 36: “For YHVH will bring His people justice; and He shall have compassion on His servants…” seems to indicate that the former section would have referred to the enemy. However, according to verses 30 and 31 again, it would appear that Yisrael is the subject of the section: “How shall one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight unless their Rock had sold them and YHVH had shut them up?  For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges”. Who is it that YHVH is “selling”? (Remember verse 6, where He was depicted as the Father and the “buyer”?) Does He not sell that which belongs to Him? And in verse 31, in the references to “their rock” and to “our rock”, is there not a distinction made between Yisrael and the other nations?  Verses 37 and 38 ("He will say: 'Where are their gods, the rock in which they sought refuge?  Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, and be your refuge") present a similar dilemma. Again, is it Yisrael or is it the nations that are the subject of this brief portion? Having just read that YHVH will have compassion on His people, this could possibly refer to the enemies, whose rock and god (the rock being the "god" and not a mere metaphor for strength, unlike the Elohim of Yisrael, who is symbolized by the rock but is not the rock itself) is unable to help them. Conversely, this could also be talking to Yisrael, who had been leaning on false gods whom they trusted to no avail. What do you think?

“And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel. And he said to them, ‘Set your hearts to all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your sons to observe and to do, all the words of this law; For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life. And by this word you shall prolong your days in the land where you go over Jordan, there to possess it’” (vs. 45-47 italics added). Thus, Moshe seals these most solemn words of the testimonial poem. The words, “for it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life” are rendered in Hebrew, “for it is not an empty word for you, because…” and here it is possible to read, “He is your life…"  “I am the way, the truth, and the Life”, were Yeshua’s words in John 14:6. And just as Shirat Ha’azinu was to bear a testimony, so did the Word-made-flesh (John 1:14) who bore testimony in His very being, “so that all may believe…” (John 1:7).

Once the recitation of the poem is over, Moshe is told by Elohim: "Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession" (Deuteronomy 32:49). "Abarim" – avarim in Hebrew pronunciation - is rooted in our familiar "over", to cross or pass over. Thus, although Moshe was not to cross over to the land of C'na'an, there is another crossing that awaits him… from this present world to the next…

 

[1] New Studies in Devarim, Nechama Leibowitz, trans. Aryeh Newman. Eliner Library, Department for Torah Education and Culture in the Diaspora. Hemed Books Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.

[2] Ibid

[3] Da’at Mikra, A’ahron Mirski, Rav Kook Inst., Jerusalem, 2001

[4] Ibid.

Head and Heart

 

As believers in the Gospel of the Kingdom and in Yeshua's Resurrection from the dead, we are qualified to receive the Holy Spirit into our hearts. As a result, we are constituted living tabernacles or dwellings of Elohim in the Spirit. However, at times our behavior doesn’t line up with this holy presence.  It seems that we are also subject to another influencer - the 'mind' or 'head'.  Thus, we subsist in two worlds: one is made up of the flesh/lust and pride, and the other is Yeshua’s Spirit of lowliness/humility and the fruit of this Spirit (see Galatians 5:22).  

With this as a premise, I would like to compare the “head” to the tree of knowledge of good and evil and the “heart” to the tree of life. How can we tell the difference?  The answer seems simple: by the fruit.  But what if the "good" of the tree of knowledge looks very much like the fruit of the Spirit? How are we to distinguish between them?

Our ancestors, Adam and Eve, are a case in point, as they set up a precedent. They were created in the image and likeness of Elohim; they had the Father’s nature in them, being one with the Creator in whom they were "living and moving, and having their being" (see Acts 17:28).  But because YHVH gave them physical, earth-made bodies, their mind/head connected them to the five senses and the physical world.  In chapter 8 of Romans, Paul points out this dichotomy in several statements: “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh... "The mind set on the flesh is death... “The mind set on the flesh is hostile toward Elohim… "The flesh cannot please Elohim“ (Romans 8:5-8).  Yeshua, likewise, warned His disciples: "Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26:4).

The “good” of the forbidden tree was Adam and Eve’s demise. They looked, and when they saw that the fruit on the forbidden tree was “good,” they swallowed Satan’s bait and reasoned in their minds, “What can be wrong with that which is 'good, ' especially if it will make me wise and I will be like Elohim?"  This very thinking demonstrates the inherent deception.

How could they become something that they already were, that is, being in the image and likeness of Elohim? In that state, they lacked nothing. It was totally superfluous, not to mention harmful, to try to become like Elohim by gaining knowledge of "good and evil".

We were born into this world as sons and daughters of Adam. Human beings live from the “head” and creaturely instincts.  We analyze our thoughts and experiences by what is ‘good for me’ and what is ‘not good’ for me (and for everybody else). The spiritual deception originates from ignoring the fact that Satan is masquerading as an angel of light/good.  He thus, influences our minds and uses the “flesh” to manifest his kingdom nature, and as a result, we end up being governed by the law of sin and its consequences.  Paul is very clear about this judicial matter:  ^“For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.  For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit of Life is peace” (Romans 8:5-6 emphasis added).  

As mentioned above, we have received the rule of YHVH’s Kingdom when the Holy Spirit entered our hearts. His peace comes from the Tree of Life along with all the other fruit of the Spirit.  We now have free access to the Tree of Life and as expressed by Isaiah the prophet: "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. "Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance” (Isaiah 55:1-2).

Normally, when the holidays come around, the level of stress, worry, fear, and anxiety can express itself in all forms of unloving behavior and show up in our ‘basket of fruit’.  May we, in this season of YHVH’s feast days, offer up our hearts and minds to Him, who is full of loving kindness, mercy, goodness, faithfulness and compassion, so that our hearts will also be full of the same.