TORAH AND TEMPLE INVESTIGATIONS

SUCCOT AND WAVING THE LULAV

“Give thanks to HaShem, for He is good; His lovingkindness endures forever!” Psalms 118:1

Shalom All! It has been far too long since my last post….still having to contend with the three deaths in my family and the subsequent fallout with legal, financial and homeowner leftovers.

Well, tonight, 20 Sep 2026, begins Yom Kippur…the Day of Atonement…the most solemn day on the calendar. May HaShem seal us all in His Book of Life for another year!!

After Yom Kippur, next Friday evening, 25 Sep 2026, we begin the seven days of Succot…Feast of Booths! Have you ever wondered why we are commanded to wave the Four Species before HaShem from inside our Succah? There is much to learn and it will blow your mind as to why and what it symbolizes!

Consider the following: We wave the ‘Four Species’ in a specific order and in six directions! Per Leviticus 23:40 says “You shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a citron tree, the branches of date palms, the twigs of a plaited tree and brook willows; and you shall rejoice before HaShem, your Elohim, for a seven-day period.”

This is very important to understand as the ‘Four Species’ are identified as followed:

Lulav (Palm Branch): A single mature, unopened frond of a date palm tree, representing the spine.

Etrog (Citron): A fragrant citrus fruit resembling a lemon with a textured peel, representing the heart.

Hadassim (Myrtle Branches): At least three leafy branches from a myrtle tree, representing the eyes.

Aravot (Willow Branches): Two slender branches with smooth leaves from a brook willow, representing the lips

The significance of waving the four species is as Rabbi Weinrib says “Each time one brings the lulav towards himself, his thoughts should be to take the wisdom, bequeathed from HaShem and bring it into his heart, to internalize that concept, and infuse himself with love and fear. It should be done slowly, and this combination of thought and action elevates this barely understood activity into a sublime expression of connection to HaShem.”

The ’Four Species’ teach us they each allude to a specific type of a Jewish person. For example, Rabbi Weinrib quotes the Mirash Rabbah Vayikra which explains:

“The beautiful fruit of a tree, this is an allusion to the Great Sanhedrin of Israel, which the Holy One, blessed is He, honored with good old age. The Great Sanhedrin (High Court) consisted of 71 judges who met in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, a large room built into the northern corner of the Temple Courtyard as described in Tractate Middos 5.4 and Yoma 25a.”

“The branches of date palms, these are an allusion to the Torah scholars, who compel themselves to learn Torah from one another. They are not ashamed to seek the opinion of their counterparts. Alternatively, they make great sacrifices, traveling from place to place in order to study Torah from one another.”

“The branch of a plaited tree, these are an allusion to the three rows of scholars who sit before the members of the Sanhedrin. When the court needed to ordain another judge such as when one of its members died, they would select from these disciples.”

“The brook willows are an allusion to the two court scribes who would stand before the members of the Sanhedrin and write down the words of those who acquit and the words of those who convict.”

Further, the Midrash explains the Four Species are alluding to people of a different level of righteousness and scholarship among the people of Israel:

“The beautiful fruit of a tree, these are an allusion to the people of Israel, for just as the esrog has a taste as well as a fragrance, so among Israel there are people who possess Torah learning as well as good deeds. Torah learning is compared to the most notable quality of fruit, namely, its taste, while good deeds which are second in importance to Torah, are compared to fragrance, a less prominent feature of the fruit.”

“The branches of date palms, these are an allusion to the people of Israel, for just as the date palm produces dates that have a taste but no fragrance, so among Israel there are those who possess Torah learning but do not possess good deeds.”

“The branch of a plaited tree, these are an allusion to the people of Israel, for just as the myrtle has a fragrance but no taste, so among Israel are those who possess good deeds but do not possess Torah learning.”

“The brook willows, these are an allusion to the people of Israel, for just as the willow has no taste and no fragrance, so among Israel there are people who possess neither Torah learning nor good deeds.”

So, what is the picture HaShem is giving us through these four species on Succot? Per the Midrash Rabbah Vayikra, it explains “The Holy One, blessed is He says ‘Let the aforementioned groups all be tied together as one bundle, just as the Four Species are bundled together and thus, they will atone for one another. And if you have done so, at that time I will become exalted through you.’ Thus, it is written, ‘Who builds His strata in the heavens’ per Amos 9:6, and when He is exalted? When the people of Israel are made into one group, as it is stated subsequently, and founded His group upon the earth. These people can perform their function only when HaShem’s group on the earth is unified. Therefore, Moses exhorts the people of Israel, and says to them, ‘You shall take for yourselves on the first day the beautiful fruit of a tree, the branches of date palms, the branch of a plaited tree, and brook willows.”

“The mitzvah (Four Species) reminds us that no one Jew can accomplish his purpose alone. Bringing HaShem’s plan to fruition is a national endeavor, and in order to contribute in a meaningful way, one must see himself as a part of a larger whole, one limb in the great body of Israel. His aim should be to give his Creator reason to be pleased not only with his service, his accomplishments, but with those of Israel as a whole.”

“From this rule we learn that an individual cannot attain true joy of life if he lives only for himself, no matter how brilliantly or splendidly he does so. True joy can be found only when the nation is assembled before HaShem in the Sanctuary of His Torah, when the individual can merge his whole being and all his aspirations with those of the community.”

This all said, consider what is recorded in Nehemiah 8:15-18 which says “They commanded that they should announce it and make a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Go out to the mountain and get branches with olive leaves, pine needles, myrtle leaves, palm leaves and leaves of the braided tree, to make succos, as written in the Torah. So, the people went out and brought these items and made themselves succos, each man on his roof, and in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the Temple of HaShem, in the plaza of the Water Gate, and in the plaza of the Gate of Ephraim. The entire congregation that had returned from the captivity made succos and dwelt in succos. The Children of Israel had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, and there was very great joy.’ Ezra read the scroll of HaShem’s Torah day by day, from the first day until the last day. They observed the Festival for seven days, and the assembly on the eighth day, according to the Torah.”

Tractate Hilchot Lulav chapter seven from the Mishneh Torah explains further and says:

“The term ‘Frond of the date palm’ employed by the Torah refers to the branches of a date palm as they sprout, before their leaves separate and spread out in various directions. Rather, they should appear as a scepter. This is called a lulav.”

“The ‘Fruit of the beautiful tree’ mentioned in the Torah is the etrog. The boughs of covered trees mentioned in the Torah refer to the species of myrtle whose leaves surround its branches; there will be three or more leaves in each ring. However, if there are two leaves on the one level, with a third leaf slightly higher than them, that is not considered as covered. Rather, it is called a wild myrtle.”

“The term ‘Willow of the brook’ mentioned in the Torah does not include just any plant that grows by a brook, but rather a particular species, which is called the ‘Willows of the brook’. Its leaf is extended as a brook, its edge is smooth, and its stem is red. It is called a willow. The majority of this species grow near brooks. Therefore, it is called the ‘Willows of the brook’. Even if this species grew in the desert or on a mountain it would be kosher.”

“These four species are considered to be one mitzvah, and each one is required for its performance. All of them together are called the mitzvah of lulav. One may not diminish them or add to them. If one of the species cannot be found, a similar species may not be substituted for it.”

So, how are the four species to be waved? The Mishneh Torah explains:

“The desired manner of the fulfillment of the mitzvah is as follows: One should lift up the three species as they are bound together in one’s right hand and the etrog in one’s left hand. Then, one should pass them forward and back in ALL directions (Six in total) and up and down, shaking the lulav THREE times in each direction.”

“One passes the lulav forward and shakes the top of the lulav THREE times, brings it back to his chest, and shakes the top of the lulav THREE times. One follows this pattern when lifting it up and down.”

“At what point in prayer does one pass the lulav back and forth? During the reading of the Hallel (Psalms 113-118), at the first and final recitation of the verse per Psalms 118:1 and Psalms 118:29 and at the verse Psalms 118:25.”

Just a quick post about this subject. May you all have a blessed and easy Fast for Yom Kippur and a joyful Succot next week!! May the Final Redemption be so very soon in our days!!!

Shalom!

IT’S A TIME OF TROUBLE – A SHORT POST

As I post this short Op, it is early morning, 16 Feb 2026. People all around, who are striving to walk with HaShem, are being crushed and beaten down in scenarios and situations we never thought we would have to face. Further, these scenarios and situations are striking fast, intense and with devastating affects. We are truly at a cross road in our lives. Do we break under the pressure and surrender or do we look towards HaShem and say “Master HaShem, the Elohim of all Creation, I choose You this day to Whom I will serve!”

It’s very frightening what is happening to our friends and families right now. But, I wanted to post this short Op, just as an encouragement and strengthening for each of us, to include myself, not to surrender but to rest and rely on HaShem, for He is with us and He hears our cries and most importantly, He weeps with us when death is knocking at the door.

Consider this excerpt from Isaiah 45:15-25 which says “It is true that You are the Almighty, Who hides Himself; the Elohim of Yisrael is the One Who saves. They are all ashamed and humiliated (Those who embrace idolatry), together they walk in shame, craftsmen of all forms. Yisrael is saved by HaShem with an everlasting salvation. You will not be put to shame, and you will not be humiliated, forever and ever.”

“For this said HaShem Who created the heavens; He is the Elohim Who formed the earth and made it. He firmly established it, He did not create it for emptiness. Rather, He formed it to be lived in. I am HaShem, and there is none other. I did not speak in hiding, in a place where the earth was dark; I did not say to the seed of Yaakov, ‘Seek Me in emptiness.’ I HaShem speak righteousness, talk straightness. Assemble and come, come close together, you who have escaped from the nations who do not know, who carry the wood of their graven images, and who pray to a god that cannot save.”

“Tell, and draw near; and let them take counsel together; Who has made this known previously, told it from then? Was it not I, HaShem? And there is no other god besides Me. A righteous Elohim and a savior; there is no one besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all ends of the earth, for I am the Almighty and none other. I have sworn by Myself, righteousness has come forth from My mouth, a word which shall not return; that every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear. Only by HaShem. He said to me, ‘Justice and strength.’ Towards Him will come and be ashamed all those who were angrily opposed to Him. In HaShem will all the seed of Yisrael be justified and pride themselves.”

HaShem IS the One and Only Elohim in the universe and it is He we MUST choose to serve each and every day, even in the midst of hardship, death and destruction! He IS our eternal salvation and our eternal hope!

Psalms 34:18-23 sums it up best “They cried out and HaShem hears and from all their troubles He rescues them. HaShem IS close to the brokenhearted; and those crushed in spirit, He saves! Many are the mishaps of the righteous man, but from them ALL HaShem rescues him. He guards all his bones, even one of them was not broken. The death blow of the wicked is evil, and the haters of the righteous will be condemned. HaShem redeems the soul of His servants, and all who take refuge in Him will not be condemned!”

The sun sets in the evening, but because of HaShem it WILL rise again!

There IS hope even in the midst of death and destruction! “The Voice of my Beloved! Behold it came suddenly to redeem me, as if leaping over mountains, skipping over hills. In His swiftness to redeem me, my Beloved is like a gazelle or a young hart. I thought I would be forever alone, but behold! He was standing behind our wall, observing through the windows, peering through the lattices. My Beloved called out and said to me, ‘Arise My love, My fair one, and go forth!’ For the winter of bondage has passed, the deluge of suffering is over and gone. The righteous blossoms are seen in the land, the time of your song has arrived, and the Voice of your guide is heard in the land. The fig tree has formed its first small figs, ready for ascent to the Temple. The vines are in blossom, their fragrance declaring they are ready for libation. Arise My love, My fair one and go forth!” An excerpt from Shir HaShirim (Song of Solomon) chapter two!

May our Final Redemption come suddenly from the Voice of our Beloved, HaShem, Master of Legions!

Shalom!

THE OBLIGATION TO SANCTIFY SHABBAT

“The end of a matter is better than the beginning!” Ecclesiastes 7:8

Shabbat Shalom All! It has been a long while since my last post. A ton going on and sadly it is only getting more and more intense! It seems if you are a person who is striving and earnestly seeking to walk in the Torah of HaShem, then the adversary is moving very strongly against all of us in ways we couldn’t imagine! What is his goal? To pile the pressure so intensely on our lives we find we have let go of our studying and walking in HaShem’s Torah; not intentionally, but we wake up one day and suddenly realize we have found ourselves having let go. We are getting tired, physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally!

We see the world around us is only getting more and more dark and insane with confusion and debauchery running amok and our health issues only intensifying in reaction to the stress and pressure! Some of us are literally unable to articulate what we are witnessing in the world around us and how dark and hopeless it appears. I know I have found myself struggling in trying to stay connected to HaShem and the friends and family He has mercifully and graciously put into my life. We all are having major issues we are having to contend with. But with all this said, it is not my intent to post a depressing post, but to show, none of us are alone! We all are in the same boat per se and rowing hard against the huge, raging storm waves of the ocean.

This brings me to the topic of this post! This week’s Torah portion is ‘Yitro/Yisro’ and is found in Shemot (Exodus) 18:1-20:23. This is the Torah portion where HaShem brings Israel to His Mountain and gives His Torah to His people, whom He just redeemed and delivered from the enslavement of Egypt! One of the commandments He gives is found in Shemot 20:8 “Remember the Shabbat day, to sanctify it.” What does it mean to ‘Sanctify’ His Shabbat? Why are we commanded to do so and how are we to do this? I hope to be able to successfully present the answers to this question and hopefully will help you see by our doing so, especially in the midst of this current insane, dark world we live in, it is even more necessary for each of us today! But before we jump into this, always remember the unchanging characteristics of HaShem and His Word!

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

What is Shabbat? In its most simple explanation it is the Seventh day of the week, but it is SO much more than this. It is the day when we approach HaShem and acknowledge Him and all He has done. But further, the six day work week and the Shabbat on the seventh day is a prophetic picture of the time frame HaShem designated for humanity on earth. Six days we work i.e. six thousand years of time, followed by the Shabbat i.e. the one thousand year Messianic Era after the seven year Birth Pains, the time we, in my opinion, are so very rapidly approaching. Keep this in mind as we proceed.

In order to begin to answer the questions I cited above, one of the amazing resources to help answer these questions is ‘The Book of the Mitzvos’ published by Artscroll. This series of books explains in detail the biblical reasons for each of the 613 Commandments which comprise the Torah of HaShem. Mitzvah #31 discusses ‘The obligation to sanctify the Shabbat…’.

What is interesting is to sanctify something to HaShem, requires a verbal acknowledgement, not just mental or casual acknowledgements. This is the reason for the Siddur, i.e. the Prayer Book which contains all the recorded prayers we recite each day as commanded by HaShem in His Torah. It also reinforces why everything done in the Temple Services is verbalized and then action is taken! Such as when a person brings a Korbonot, they first must verbally declare what type of Korbon it is intended to be, they just cannot bring it out of rote.

The explanation of Mitzvah #31 is as follows: “We are commanded to make VERBAL recitations on the Shabbat day, as it enters, and likewise as it departs, that contain a mention of the day’s grandeur and exalted status, and its favorable distinction from the other days that precede it and follow it; as it is stated per Exodus 20:8 ‘Remember the Shabbat day, to sanctify it.’ This is to say, distinguish it with a mention of its sanctity and grandeur.”

The term ‘Remember’ in Hebrew is not just defined as ‘Remembering or recalling something’ but more importantly it means to ‘Mention’. Devarim (Deuteronomy) 5:12 commands us to ‘Safeguard the Shabbat day’ and this would include remembering it during our week of labor, but would be better understood for us to ‘Mention/speak/declare/verbally acknowledge’ Shabbat!

How do we ‘Remember’ Shabbat and sanctify it verbally? Per the Tractate Pesachim 106a from the Talmud Bavli, which says “The verse states ‘Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it. This commands us to mention the Shabbat day over a cup of wine i.e. to RECITE KIDDUSH UPON THE ARRIVAL OF SHABBAT.” Additionally, per Pesachim 103b-105a, at the end of Shabbat, we are commanded to recite a blessing over the wine i.e. recite Havdalah in order to honor the departing of Shabbat and entering back again into the six day work week.

Per Hilchot Shabbat 29.1 from the Mishneh Torah it states “It is a positive commandment of Scriptural origin to sanctify the Shabbat day with a VERBAL statement, as implied by Exodus 20:8: ‘Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it’ i.e. remember it with words of praise that reflect its holiness. This remembrance must be made at the Shabbat’s entrance and at its departure. At the day’s entrance with the Kiddush that sanctifies the day, and at its departure with Havdalah.”

What is at the heart of both the Kiddush and Havdalah prayers? They both thank HaShem for the promises of His redemption both from Egypt and from the exile we are currently living in! We will see shortly as I will post these prayers in this Op.

It is important to note, the command to recite both Kiddush and Havdalah applies in both the Land of Israel and in the Diaspora (The exile we are currently living in) and during the times when the Beit HaMikdash (Temple of HaShem) is standing in Israel or not! In other words, it applies everywhere and at all times throughout human history!

You may be asking ‘What is the purpose of the Kiddush and Havdalah prayers?’ Per Mitzvah #31, “Among the underlying purposes of this mitzvah is so that through performing this activity we should BECOME INSPIRED to recall the grandeur of the Shabbat day, and we should thus establish in our hearts a belief in HaShem’s Creation of the world, as expressed in the verse from Exodus 20:11 ‘For in six days HaShem made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and He rested on the seventh day.'”

There are two cross references connecting to Shemot (Exodus) 20:8 which I want to quickly discuss before examining the Kiddush and Havdalah prayers. The first is from Hosea 14:8 which is a prophecy of the End of Days and what keeping His Shabbat means to His people. It says “Those who dwell in His shade (A definition of Shabbat!) WILL RETURN; they WILL REVIVE like grain and BLOSSOM like a vine; their repute will be like the wine of Lebanon (Lebanon is a reference to the Temple of HaShem).” The commentary on this verse sums it up best and says “They will gather from their exile and dwell in the shade of their Messiah; their dead will be revivified and they will enjoy an abundance of good!”

The second verse to cross reference with Shemot 20:8 is Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs/Solomon) 1:4 which says “Draw me, we will run after You, the King has brought me to His Chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in You; we will recall Your love more than wine; sincerely they love You.” The commentary from Me’am Lo’ez Shir HaShirim states “Impelled by her great love, the young bride, Israel, followed her Beloved into the desert. Poorly prepared and lacking provisions, she did not hesitate. She did not ask how this could be demanded of her, but ventured into the land of desolation and the shadow of death. Because she had done this great thing, her Elohim and Master enveloped her in Clouds of Glory i.e. Chambers.” This is a great picture of what Shabbat is to be for us!! He initially draws us via blessings and judgments, and then we, without hesitation, run to Him because in those times of blessings and judgments we see how precious HaShem and His Torah truly are and Shabbat is the key! Shabbat encapsulates the Temple of HaShem which in turn encapsulates the entire Torah of HaShem! It all goes hand in hand, cannot have one without the other! On a side note when I talk about the Torah, I am referring to both the Written and Oral Torah!

Additionally, remember Psalm 92 is THE specific Psalm recited for Shabbat! I will let you explore this Psalm on your own!

Below is the posted Kiddush prayer from the website ‘My Jewish Learning’ article discussing the Kiddush which says:

The sixth day: And the Heavens and the Earth and all they contained were completed, and on the seventh day God desisted from all the work that he had done. And God rested on the seventh day from all the work that he had done. And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, for on that day he rested from all the work which he had done in creating the world.

[Leader:] By your leave, rabbis, masters, teachers!

[Diners:] To Life!

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, how has sanctified us with his commandments and favored us, and given us in love and favor his holy Shabbat as an inheritance, as a remembrance of the act of creation. For this day is the beginning of all holy days, a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For you have chosen us and you have blessed us from among all the nations. And you have bequeathed us your holy Shabbat in love and favor. Blessed are you, Lord, who sanctifies Shabbat.

Can you see the remembrance of the Exodus of Egypt quoted? A picture of the promised Final Redemption from Egypt i.e. the World in the End of Days, may it be so very soon in our days.

Now let’s see the Havdalah:

Behold, God is my unfailing help; I will trust in God and will not be afraid. God is strength and song, my Deliverer. With joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation. God alone is our help; may God bless His people. God of the universe is with us; the God of Jacob is our protection. There was light and joy; gladness and honor for the Jewish people. So may we be blessed. I will lift the cup of salvation and call upon God’s Name.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fire’s light.

Blessed are You, Eternal our God, Ruler of the universe, Who distinguishes between the sacred and the profane, between light and darkness, between Israel and other people of the world, between the seventh day and the six days of the week. Blessed are You, Who distinguishes between the sacred and the profane.

Amazing references to HaShem being our protection, our salvation, our strength and song, our Deliverer and Who distinguishes between the sacred and the profane, between light and darkness and between Israel and the nations of the world!

We so desperately need this in our lives today in the world we are currently living in!!

I hope and pray this was a good reminder and a blessing and may everyone thank HaShem for it is only He Who can get us successfully through this storms of this life! May our Final Redemption be so very soon in our days!

Shabbat Shalom!

SOURCE MATERIALS:

The Book of the Mitzvot by Artscroll
Sefer Zemanim Halachot Shabbat, Mishneh Torah by Rambam
Me’Am Lo’Ez Shir HaShirim
Me’Am Lo’Ez The Book of Tehillim (Psalms)
The Midrash of Psalms
The Chumash book of Shemot with the Teachings of the Talmud by Artscroll

ISRAEL’S ENEMIES – AMALEK

“Make me understand, so that I may cherish Your Torah, and I will keep it with all my heart. Lead me on the trail of Your commandments, for that is my desire.” Psalms 119:34-35

Shabbat Shalom All! As I put this short Op together, it is Shabbat, 8 November 2025. The war in Gaza continues its very unstable ceasefire, while the tensions in the north with Hezbollah rapidly escalates. Point is, the war is continuing even if the bullets and missiles have subsided for the moment.

All over the world, HaShem’s people who are striving to walk with and stay close to Him are continuing to be crushed. The enemies of Israel are like snakes, coming out of their dens seeking whom to devour! I won’t lie, it does appear to be a very disturbing time as the darkness encroaches the entire world!

Life is extremely tough right now! War, economics, health, etc, are all being shaken! Each of us is being challenged in ways we never thought we would have to face! We are being challenged in ways which is literally wearing us all out physically and spiritually! The number of our enemies is countless, not only do they want to extinguish our physical presence in this world, but more than this, they seek to destroy our spiritual walk with HaShem!

This is what I want to quickly discuss in this Op is how do we counter our enemies and how do we prevail? But first, always remember the following scriptures assuring us HaShem and His Word is unchanging and is set forever:

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

The one book of the Tanakh which is my absolute favorite is Shir HaShirim (Song of Solomon) simply because it is about HaShem, Who even though is separated from His bride (Israel), still watches over her and protects her with the promise He WILL redeem her at the Final Redemption! May it be so very soon in our days!

The commentary from the Artscroll Shir HaShirim book discusses an aspect of warfare which is very interesting as it is discussing the true struggle and what it actually is. It says “The Sages say that the Temple was called the House of David because he dedicated his life for it. David’s physical wars and tribulations were the worldly guise of a spiritual struggle. When a human enemy sets itself up as an enemy of the Jewish nation, or of so supreme figure as David who is the embodiment of the people, force of arms is the superficial aspect of the struggle. THE TRUE STRUGGLE IS SPIRITUAL. That is why our Sages speak constantly of the Angel of Esau, the Angel of Egypt, the Angle of the Sea, these spiritual forces of evil were attacking Israel’s spiritual will for good. If Israel’s spirit were defeated, its armies would collapse. If its spirit remained strong, its mortal enemies would be vanquished.”

Point is, when we are being attacked today, not only is the goal of our enemies to literally obliterate us off the face of the earth, but more importantly, to destroy our spiritual walk with HaShem and cut us off from Him! Keep this in mind as we proceed.

The commentary continues. “When Amalek attacked Israel soon after the Exodus, Joshua led Israel on the battlefield while Moses went up to the hilltop to pray. This is recorded in Exodus 17:11 which says ‘And it came to pass that when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.’ It was not Moses’ hands which prevailed or lost the battle. He raised his hands in prayer to inspire Israel’s eyes to rise to heaven and its hearts to be dedicated to its Father in Heaven. When he lowered his hands, Israel turned its attention from HaShem back to the human enemy. During those moments when they fought Amalek instead of fighting their own baseness, they were beaten back.”

“Jacob, too, was a great warrior on the battlefield with his sword and his bow. But there are other battlefields and other kinds of swords and bows than material ones. Shortly before his death, Jacob awarded Joseph the city of Shechem, quoting Genesis 48:22 ‘Which I took from the Emorites with my sword and my bow.’ After Simeon and Levi killed the male inhabitants of Shechem, the neighboring Emorites assembled to avenge the decimated city. Jacob donned his sword and bow to fight them off.”

“Targum (Writings in the Oral Torah) renders the words ‘Sword and bow’ as ‘With my prayers and supplications’. Some might see Jacob as the powerful warrior, the mighty man who could single handedly remove large stones that a group of shepherds could not budge per Genesis 29:7-10. Eye witnesses could report on his defense of Shechem with a flailing sword and powerful bow. But Jacob knew that his sword was lethal because BEHIND IT WAS A PRAYER; that his bow was invincible because behind it was a supplication. And he knew that just as a bow shoots more powerfully the tighter it is drawn, the greater the intensity of its devotion and concentration, the more a prayer can accomplish.”

So, consider the picture, we Israel is engaged in warfare against Amalek and Moses is praying. When his hands are lifted up in prayer towards HaShem, it inspires all of Israel to repent and draw closer to HaShem, thus Israel prevails. But, when Moses gets tired, worn out and his hands begin to lower, Israel begins to let go of HaShem and Amalek subsequently begins to prevail. Can you see the concept here? When we stay devoted and connected to HaShem in our prayers, Torah study, observances of His Shabbat and His Feasts, striving to stay close to Him according to His way, not our own, we will prevail over Amalek! Not because of who we are, no not a chance, but solely because of Who He is as our Great King!

Now on a side note, let me quickly interject what is so important to know about our enemy Amalek! Per Tractate Rosh HaShanah 29a from the Talmud Bavli it describes Amalek as the following: “The battle with Amalek was no ordinary war, and thus could not be waged by the usual miraculous means. In any other war, even if Israel had not been worthy, HaShem Himself would have fought for them in the merit of Moshe, the great sage of the generation. But the battle against Amalek is one that Israel must fight for itself!”

So, right off the bat we can see there is much more to Amalek than just some physical enemy which we have to contend with. The commentary continues and says “Amalek’s purpose and unique ability is to try by any means to turn Israel away from HaShem, to undermine their emunah (Faith) in HaShem, and to thereby achieve dominance over Israel. Since this is the nature of the war with Amalek, the only way Israel can triumph is to do the exact opposite, to double and redouble their emunah, and to return to HaShem with all their hearts and souls. This directly negates the power of Amalek, which dissipates like smoke in the wind.”

How many right now are tired, worn out and discouraged after the constant spiritual and even physical beatings which people are having to endure right now? It is Amalek once again attempting to get us to lower our arms and let go of HaShem, even when we are committed to Him, but we still find ourselves, unintentionally, due to circumstances having lowered our arms and let go and Amalek begins to prevail. So, how do we counter Amalek and keep our arms raised up? We pray like David did!!!

Remember from a previous Op I cited II Samuel 22? Read what David said in this chapter:

“David spoke to HaShem the words of this song on the day that HaShem delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Shaul. He said, ‘HaShem is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Rescuer, for me. The Elohim of my Rock in Whom I take shelter, my Shield, and the Horn of my Salvation, my Stronghold and my Refuge. My Savior, You save me from violence (The Hebrew word here for violence is Hamas! Consider what is currently going on in Israel today especially regarding Hamas/Gaza!!!!). With praises I call unto HaShem, and I am saved from my enemies. When the pains of death surrounded me and torrents of godless men would frighten me, the pains of the grave surrounded me, the snares of death confronted me, in my distress I would call upon HaShem, and to my Elohim I would call; and from His abode He heard my voice, and my cry was in His ears. Then the earth quaked and roared, the foundations of the heavens shook; they quaked when His wrath flared. Smoke rose up in His nostrils, a devouring fire from His mouth, flaming coals blazed forth from Him. He bent down the heavens and descended, with thick darkness beneath His feet.”

“He mounted a Keruv (Cherub) and flew, He appeared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness into shelters around Him, a sieve of water are the clouds of the heavens. From out of the brilliance that is before Him burned fiery coals. HaShem thundered from the heavens, the Most High gave forth His voice. He sent forth arrows and scattered them; lightning, and He terrified them. The depths of the sea became visible, the foundations of the earth were laid bare by the rebuke of HaShem, from the blowing of the breath of His nostrils. He sent from on high and took me, He drew me out of deep waters. He saved me from my mighty foe, and from my enemies, when they overpowered me. They confronted me on the day of my misfortune, but HaShem was support to me. He brought me out into a broad space; He released me, for He desired me. HaShem rewarded me according to my righteousness; He repaid me befitting the cleanliness of my hands. For I have kept the ways of HaShem, and I have not departed wickedly from my Elohim. For all His judgments are before me; and I shall not remove His decrees from myself. I have been perfectly innocent with Him, and I was vigilant against my sin. HaShem repaid me in accordance with my righteousness, according to my purity before His eyes.”

“With the devout You deal devoutly, with the one who is strong in his wholeheartedness You act wholeheartedly. With the pure You act purely, and with the corrupt You act perversely. You save the humble people, while Your eyes are upon the haughty to lower them. For You are my lamp, HaShem; HaShem illuminates my darkness. For with You I smash a troop, with my Elohim I leap over a wall. The Elohim! His way is perfect; the promise of HaShem is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him. For who is Elohim besides HaShem, and who is a Rock besides our Elohim? The Elohim! My Fortress of strength; He cleared my way, with perfection. Who straightened my feet like the hinds, and stood me upon my heights. Who trained my hands for battle, so that a copper bow could be bent by my arms. You have given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your humility made me great.”

“You have widened my stride beneath me; and my ankles have not faltered. I pursued my foes and eradicated them, and returned not until they were destroyed. I destroyed them and struck them down so that they did not rise, and they fell beneath my feet. You girded me with strength for battle; You brought my adversaries to their knees beneath me. And my enemies you gave me in retreat; my antagonists, and I cut them down. They cried out, but there was no savior; they turned to HaShem, but He answered them not. I pulverized them like dust of the earth; like the mud in the streets I crushed them and trampled them. You rescued me from the strife of my people; You preserved me to be the head of nations; a people I did not know serves me. Foreigners lie to me; as soon as they hear, they will obey me. Foreigners become terrified from within their fortified enclosure.”

“HaShem lives! Blessed is my Rock! Exalted is Elohim Who grants me vengeance and subdues nations beneath me, and You extricate me from my enemies! You raised me above my adversaries; from the man of violence (Hamas) You rescue me. Therefore, I shall give thanks to You, HaShem, among the nations, and to Your Name I will sing. He is a tower of His king’s salvations, and does kindness to His anointed one, to David and his offspring, forever!”

David prays in Psalms 119, the longest chapter in the Tanakh comprised of 176 verses, in the first three verses: “Praiseworthy are those whose way is wholesome, who walk with the Torah of HaShem. Praiseworthy are those who cherish His testimonies, whole heartedly they seek Him. Indeed, they do no wrong, they walk in His ways!”

David says in Psalms 119:28 “My soul melts from sorrow, sustain me in accordance with Your word.” The Artscroll commentary on this verse says “David laments, ‘No year has passed without a calamity, no month has elapsed without news of fresh sorrow, no day has gone by without tragedy. While it is true, as noted above, that affliction can be beneficial, that is the case only if one utilizes his affliction to purify his baser instincts. Unrelieved and uncomprehended sorrow, however can sap a man’s resolve. Therefore, my soul melts away from sorrow. I am lost and bewildered, blinded by incessant tears. My entire world threatens to disintegrate around me; only Your encouraging word of reassurance can sustain me and strengthen my resolve to carry on.”

David is being crushed from not only the physical wars but also the spiritual wars which are having an effect in bringing him discouragement and figuratively his hands are lowering. But he reaffirms his faith in HaShem and he states in verses 30-32 “I have chosen the way of faith, I have submitted to Your judgments. I clung to Your testimonies, HaShem, put me not to shame. I will run on the way of Your commandments when You will broaden my understanding.”

David is about to end Psalms 119 and he sums it all up in verse 165 which says “There is abundant peace for the lovers of Your Torah, and there is no stumbling block for them.”

Consider the Psalm for today’s Torah portion ‘Vayera’ (Genesis 18:1-22:24) which is Psalms 11. It says “For the Conductor; of David. In HaShem I took refuge. How dare you say to me, ‘Flee, bird, to your mountain!’ For behold the wicked bend the bow, ready their arrow on the bowstring, to shoot under darkness at the upright of heart. You have torn down the foundations, what has the righteous man done? HaShem is in His Holy Temple, HaShem’s throne is in heaven, His eyes scrutinize, His pupils examine mankind. HaShem examines the righteous one, but the wicked and the lover of violence He despises. He will rain down upon the wicked fiery coals and brimstone, a burning blast is their allotted portion. For HaShem is righteous, and He loves the righteous man. The upright will behold His face.”

My point for this short Op is now more than ever, we all have to be mindful of getting worn out and tired and as such letting our hands, figuratively lower and Amalek gains the upper hand. We have to, myself included, proclaim our devoted faith, trust and commitment to HaShem, our Great King, Whose Word is forever, unchanging and the only truth there is! Amalek is crafty and uses our own words and emotions against us to get us to lower our hands. We have to stay ever vigilant especially now in these days as the world collapses around us more and more. HaShem is faithful, good, kind, compassionate and ever watching over each of us and when we submit to Him and His Torah, it is us who prevails and His enemies who are scattered into oblivion!! May the Final Redemption be so very, very soon in our days!

Something to consider!

Shabbat Shalom!

SOURCE MATERIALS:

Artscroll Shemos (Exodus) with the teachings of the Talmud
Artscroll Tractate Rosh HaShannah from the Talmud Bavli
Artscroll Tehillim (Psalms)
Artscroll Shir HaShirim

THE TEN SONGS OF THE TANAKH

“I am I Who is your comforter. Who are you that would fear mortal men, the son of man who is as grass?” Isaiah 51:12

So, here we are. Today as I attempt to put this Op together it is 25 Oct 2025, the world is celebrating as Israel has signed off on and agreed to a President Trump inspired cease fire plan with Hamas and bring an end the two year long war in Gaza.

Is it a good thing for the war to end and to bring about the release of the remaining Israeli hostages who are still alive? Of course it is a good thing, however, there is also a great amount of caution as Hamas in no way, shape or form can be trusted. The entire reason for their existence is the complete and total annihilation of every Jew in the world and the absolute destruction of Israel, as stated by their own words. In my opinion, the only reason for Hamas to agree to the terms of this ceasefire is not to end the war, but because they are close to being completely destroyed by Israel and as such they need time to regroup, resupply, refill their arms stores and develop new terror tactics to use against Israel.

On a side note, what is so amazing to hear from the reports in Israel of the live hostages who were returned to Israel, they are all stating they were captured while being very secular in their personal walks, not giving the time of day to HaShem. Then during their captivity for the last two years they are saying while being held underground, undergoing extreme physical and psychological torture by their Hamas captors, they could suddenly feel HaShem’s Presence and they knew He hadn’t abandoned them and was with them during the entire nightmare. Now, when these hostages are returning home, they have an extremely passionate desire to keep their relationship they developed with HaShem going. This is having a miraculous affect across all of Israel and as a response people are making Teshuvah (Repentance) and returning to HaShem upon hearing their stories….just as He prophesied would happen in the End of Days!

This being said, no doubt now, we are one step closer to the Final Redemption as the world declares peace and safety!! One step closer to all of Israel singing THE SONG after the Final Redemption has been accomplished by HaShem!! May it be so very soon in our days!!!

I thought it would be interesting to quickly explore what the ten songs referenced in the Tanakh are and why they were sung to HaShem! It is important we know these songs because they each teach us and reveal more about HaShem to us! As with every Op, never forget the following eternal verses:

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

Before we delve into the ten songs of the Tanakh, I thought it would be prudent to understand the significance of the number ten in His Word and why He uses it so often!

Per the Artscroll published book ‘Jewish Wisdom in the Numbers’ it explains the number ten represents the complete set. It says “Ten is synonymous with wealth, as all the physical needs of a wealthy man are provided for. In this respect, such a person can be considered to have reached a state of completion in the physical realm. The innate quality of ten as a complete set finds ample expression through the Divine act of Creation, the unfolding of Jewish history from Adam to Avraham, and the miraculous wonders of the Exodus leading to the giving of the Torah at Sinai.”

In other words, ‘ten’ represents something or someone which is complete, whole and fulfills what it was created to function in HaShem’s universe!

For example, consider there are Ten Utterances recorded for us in HaShem’s Torah corresponding to Creation as we see in Bereshit (Genesis):

“In the beginning HaShem created the heaven and the earth”
“Let there be light”
“Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters”
“Let the waters be gathered into one area”
“Let the earth sprout vegetation”
“Let there be luminaries in the firmament of heaven”
“Let the waters swarm with living creatures”
“Let the earth bring forth living creatures”
“Let Us make man”
“Behold, I have given to you all the herbage yielding seed”

Psalms 33:6 reiterates “By the word of HaShem the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host.”

Additionally, there are ten generations from Adam to Noah and another ten generations from Noah to Abraham! “None of them began to fulfill the purpose of Creation. Indeed, they left no lasting impression upon Creation. Only in the merit of Abraham was the whole of Creation established.”

There were the Ten Tests of Abraham which tested every aspect of his character and his devotion to HaShem. “He faced every test humanly possible, from hiding from Nimrod who threw him into the fiery furnace, to being ready to sacrifice his beloved son to attest to the degree of his love of HaShem.”

There were the Ten Plagues which HaShem used against Egypt to free His enslaved people:

Blood
Frogs
Lice
Wild animals
Pestilence
Boils
Hailstones
Locusts
Darkness
Death of the Firstborn

Then after the redemption of Israel from Egypt, HaShem makes His eternal covenant with Israel and gives us the Ten Commandments which encapsulates the “Ideological basis for all the Commandments (Torah), or as the categories under which all the other precepts are included.”

On the TENTH day of the biblical month of Tishrei is Yom Kippur, which is the holiest day of the year. In the Temple during the Temple Service, the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) would utter the ineffable four letter Name of HaShem TEN times and then he would enter the Kodesh HaKodashim (Most Holy Place).

There are TEN levels of Kedusha (Holiness) recorded in Tractate Kelim 1.6-9 in the Mishnah beginning with:

The Land of Israel is more sanctified than any of the other lands
Cities in Israel surrounded by a wall are more sanctified than this
Within the walls of Jerusalem is more sanctified
Har Habayit (The Temple Mount) is more sanctified
The Cheil is more sanctified than this, for Gentiles, and one rendered impure by a corpse, may not enter
Ezrat Nashim (Court of the Women) is more sanctified than this
Ezrat Yisrael (Court of Yisrael) is more sanctified
Ezrat Kohanim (Court of the Priests) is more sanctified
The Hekhal (The Sanctuary Building of the Temple) is more sanctified
The Holy of Holies (The Throne of HaShem on earth) is more sanctified as the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) is only allowed to enter once a year on Yom Kippur

The TENTH letter of the Hebrew Alphabet is the letter ‘Yud’ which is the smallest letter in the entire 22 letter alphabet! It has a unique shape in it looks like a person bent over, bowing in prayer! It is the only letter in the Hebrew alphabet when it is combined or joined with a Hebrew verb, it turns this verb into a FUTURE TENSE! This letter is connected to the prophecies of the World to Come, “The time will be an everlasting state where the universal picture of all existence is revealed. Just as the number ten represents the complete set, so too, in the World to Come all aspects of Creation successfully integrate into one grand tapestry that, in harmony, proclaims the eternal Glory of HaShem!”

Finally, consider there are 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) in the Torah of HaShem! Take the number 6 + 1 + 3 = TEN! The entirety of His Torah is the complete set! Another reason why Replacement Theology of Christendom will NEVER be valid or accurate! I digress.

So, I hope you can see just how important the number ten is to HaShem and how we each need to pay close attention to whenever it comes up in our studies because HaShem is saying something very important and we need to pay close attention!

Now, since we have quickly explored the importance of the number ten, we can now quickly address the ten songs of the Tanakh!

Just to clarify, there are literally thousands of songs recorded in the entire Tanakh, but these ten are the primary ones which tell a story which I hope you will see shortly.

THE TEN SONGS

Psalm 92 – Adam sung when his sin was forgiven and the Shabbat came! This is the Psalm we recite each Shabbat! We will cover it further coming up shortly.
Exodus 15:1 – Sung by Moshe and Israel when HaShem split the sea during the exodus from Egypt.
Numbers 21:17 – Sung by the Children of Israel when a well of fresh water was provided to them by HaShem.
Deuteronomy 32:1-43 – Sung by Moshe just before he died.
Joshua 10:12 – Sung by Joshua while in battle and he called for the sun and the moon to stand still to give him the time needed to destroy Israel’s enemy!
Judges 5:1 – Sung by Barak and Deborah when HaShem delivered Sisera into their hands!
I Samuel 2:1 – Sung by Hannah when HaShem granted her a son!
II Samuel 22:1 – Sung by David for all the miracles HaShem performed to save and redeem Israel!
Song of Solomon in its entirety – Sung by Solomon the day the Temple construction was completed!
Isaiah 30:29 – Prophetic song to be sung by all of Israel when HaShem redeems ALL of Israel at the Final Redemption!

Let’s look a little deeper into Psalm 92 the Shabbat Psalm! It says “A song with musical accompaniment for the Shabbat day – It is good to thank HaShem, and to sing praise to Your Name, O Exalted One. To relate Your kindness at dawn, and Your faith in the nights! Upon the assor (Ten stringed instrument which produced ten different tones – This in itself is a prophecy referring to the World to Come as the harp in the Temple had seven strings. During the Messianic times the harp in the rebuilt Temple will have eight strings – Another example we have to pay very close attention to the details!) and upon the neivel, with singing accompanied by a harp. For You have gladdened me, HaShem, with Your deeds, at the works of Your hands I will sing glad song. How great are Your deeds, HaShem; exceedingly profound are Your thoughts. A boor cannot know, nor can a fool understand this. When the wicked bloom like grass and all the iniquitous blossom, it is to destroy them till eternity. But You remain exalted forever, HaShem. For behold! Your enemies, HaShem, for behold! Your enemies shall perish, dispersed shall be all doers of iniquity. As exalted as a re-eim ( A horned animal) shall be my pride, I will be saturated with ever fresh oil.”

“My eyes have seen my vigilant foes; when those who would harm me rise up against me my ears have heard. A righteous man will flourish like a date palm, like a cedar in the Lebanon he will grow tall. Planted in the House of HaShem (His Temple in Jerusalem), in the courtyards of our Elohim they will flourish. They will still be fruitful in old age, full of sap and freshness they will be. To declare that HaShem is just, My Rock in Whom there is no wrong.” This Psalm is about Israel in the past but it is also very much applicable to you and I today and is a promise from HaShem for the future after the Final Redemption! May it be so very soon in our days!!

Now consider the song sung by Moshe when HaShem split the sea as recorded in Exodus 15! “I shall sing to HaShem for He is exalted above the arrogant, having hurled horse with its rider into the sea. The might and vengeance of HaShem was salvation for me. This is my Elohim and I will build Him a Sanctuary; the Elohim of my father and I will exalt Him. HaShem is Master of war, His Name is HaShem. Pharaoh’s chariots and army He threw in the sea, and the pick of his officers were mired in the Sea of Reeds. Deep waters covered them; they descended in the depths like stone. Your right hand, HaShem, is glorified with strength; Your right hand, HaShem, smashes the enemy. In Your abundant grandeur You shatter Your opponents; You send forth Your wrath, it consumes them like straw. At a blast from Your nostrils the waters were heaped up; straight as a wall stood the running water; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy declared, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide plunder; I will satisfy my lust with them. I will unsheathe my sword, my hand will impoverish them.’ You blew with Your wind, the sea enshrouded them; the mighty sank like lead in the water. Who is like You among the heavenly powers, HaShem! Who is like You, mighty in holiness, too awesome for praise. Doer of wonders!”

“You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them. With Your kindness You guided this people that You redeemed; You led with Your might to Your holy abode. Peoples heard, they were agitated; terror gripped the dwellers of Philistia. Then the chieftains of Edom were confounded, trembling gripped the powers of Moav, all the dwellers of Canaan dissolved. May fear and terror befall them, at the greatness of Your arm may they be still as stone; until Your people passes through, HaShem until this people You have acquired passes through. You will bring them and implant them on the mount of Your heritage, the foundation of Your dwelling place that You, HaShem, have made, the Sanctuary, my Master, that Your hands established. HaShem shall reign for all eternity! When Pharaoh’s cavalry came with his chariots and horsemen into the sea and HaShem turned back the waters of the sea upon them, the Children of Israel walked on the dry land amid the sea.”

Can you see the emerging theme among these songs thus far? HaShem is truly Master of Legions and the Master of war Who will save His people from His enemies!

Let’s continue and jump down to eighth song David sang in II Samuel! When you read this consider the events going on today not only in our own lives but to Israel as a whole from the rapidly growing hostility against Israel from the nations of the world to include America!

Can you see how important II Samuel 22 is especially with regards to today? And the use of the word ‘Hamas’ throughout this song is astounding! The sunrise is coming if we are paying close attention, figuratively speaking!

Now let’s sum up this Op quickly discussing the future Tenth Song to be song upon the Final Redemption as it says so in Isaiah 30:29 “The song will be to you as on the night when the festival has been sanctified, and the heartfelt joy as the one who walks with the flute to come to the mountain of HaShem, to the Rock of Israel.”

What festival is being referenced here? It is Pesach (Passover) and the Hallel Psalms (113-118) which is sung during the Pesach seder! Proves Pesach will still be observed in the time of the Final Redemption!! Further, what is being referenced when this verse speaks of the heartfelt joy as the one who walks with the flute to come to the Mountain of HaShem? This is speaking of the Bikkurim (The Seven Species of ground or tree produce) when all of Israel will bring their First Fruits of the land to the Temple in Jerusalem!

Tractate Bikkurim from the Mishnah explains further and points out when the person comes to the Temple to give their Bikkurim they recite the following in gratitude to HaShem “A wandering Aramean was my father until and now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which You, O Master, have given me.” It is a prayer of thanksgiving “For graciously delivering us from Egypt and bringing us into the a Land flowing with milk and honey!” Again, further proves our destiny is to go the Land of Israel at the Final Redemption and there to serve HaShem, keep His Torah and go up to His Temple! May it be so very soon in our days!

As horrible as things are happening in each of our lives right now, believe me, no one is having it easy right now, everyone I know is getting throttled in some fashion or another and it is a time we all are to be crying out to HaShem! May we draw closer to Him each day and realize His Torah, His Temple, His Feasts and His Shabbat are for us as well and without Him and His Ways, we will not survive!

Hope this short Op was beneficial to someone…

Shalom!!

SOURCE MATERIALS:

Artscroll The Chumash with the Teachings of the Talmud
Kehati Mishnah Bikkurim
Artscroll Tehillim (Psalms)
Artscroll The Prophets Joshua with the Teachings of the Talmud
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WHY SHOULD WE PRAY? PART 2

As I put this Op together, it is 4 October 2025, we have just come through Yom Kippur and are preparing for Succos. It is safe to say, this year i.e. 2025 on the Gregorian calendar, has been one for the record books. The turmoil, death, chaos, war, health problems and calamities across the world are literally affecting every single person. Not one person alive today is not being affected in some way or another. Suffice to say there is MUCH to be concerned about.

Is there still hope? Is there still something to look towards and hold onto in the midst of all the chaos? Or is it all over with and life has pretty much stopped and we are just waiting to die? I will admit in the last few months, my hold on HaShem has waivered in some areas as my family and I are pounded and crushed. On every natural level it appears life is pretty much over and we are just living what few days we have left anticipating when it will all end. I know its pretty depressing. But, HaShem has shown me recently, there is still hope, there is still faith and as we prepare for Succos there is still the anticipation of joy and redemption. It is NOT over yet!!

This being said, I thought it would be a good time to put together Part 2 of why should we pray series. In order to examine and research the topic of this Op, we will need to delve deep into the Service of the Temple and the Korbonos (Offerings). There is a Tavnit (Blueprint) for how and when we can approach HaShem and bring our petitions before our King. Does this by default mean He isn’t available at all times? Not in the least, but it does mean He is especially available to hear our petitions when we approach Him at the appointed times! Keep this in mind as we proceed.

If you recall from Part 1, our prayers will substitute for the daily Tamid offerings in the Temple: Hosea 14:3 says “Take words with you and return to HaShem; say to Him, ‘May You forgive all iniquity and accept good intentions, and LET OUR LIPS SUBSTITUTE FOR BULLS.’” The commentary on this verse from the Artscroll Twelve Prophets book Hosea, page 109 says “Those offerings that we should be bringing (In the Temple) to You we will replace with the appeasing words of our lips. Indeed, our words of repentance are preferred by You to our offerings, since offerings are of no value if not accompanied by words of confession.” Keep this in mind!!

As always, never forget how HaShem, His Word and His Torah are eternal, never changing and will never pass away despite all the rhetoric which permeates from Replacement Theology! Here is a list of just a few scriptural references stating this fact:

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

There is a profound excerpt from the Perkei Avos commentary (Ethics of our Fathers) book which discusses in great detail how we are to walk with HaShem, apply and study His Torah to our lives and what the effects will be. The excerpt says “Every letter of Torah brings life. In interpreting this phrase, every letter of the Torah is a source of life for those who exposit and study its profound teachings. It is well known that the 613 mitzvot (Commandments in the Torah) correspond to the 613 components of the human body. By delving into the teachings of every one of these mitzvot, we infuse each of these organs with life. As the Torah itself says, ‘Rather by everything that emanates from the mouth of Elohim, the Torah, does man live’ quoting Devarim (Deuteronomy) 8:3.” The Torah is a tree of life to those who take hold of it per Proverbs 3!

This said, it is in the Torah, specifically Bamidbar (Numbers) 28:1-8 where we are commanded to bring an Olah (Burnt) korbonot (Offering) of a lamb to HaShem: “HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying ‘Command the Children of Israel and say to them, My offering, My food for My fires, My satisfying aroma, shall you be scrupulous to offer to Me IN ITS APPOINTED TIME. And you shall say to them, ‘This is the fire offering that you are to offer to HaShem, male lambs in their first year, unblemished, TWO A DAY, as a continual Olah offering. The one lamb shall you make IN THE MORNING and the second lamb shall you make IN THE AFTERNOON, with a tenth ephah of fine flour as a minchah (Bread/meal offering), mixed with a quarter hin of crushed oil. It is the continual (Tamid) Olah (Burnt) offering that was done at Mount Sinai, FOR A SATISFYING AROMA, a fire offering to HaShem. And its (Wine) libation is a quarter hin for the one lamb, to be poured on the holy Mizbe’ach (Altar), an intoxicating libation for HaShem. The second lamb you shall make in the afternoon; like the minchah offering of the morning and like its libation shall you make, a fire offering for a satisfying aroma.'” Notice the Olah korbonot is NOT for atonement!! It is simply to be a satisfying aroma to HaShem!! I will address the purpose of the Tamid further in this Op.

It is interesting to note how important it was/is for the morning Tamid!! A Kohen (Priest) who was selected via lots, would go up to a high place on the Temple, and would look towards the east, waiting to see signs of the sun rising (Gee, sound like a prophetic picture?). Per Tamid 3.3 in the Mishnah, it says “The appointed one (Kohen) said to one of the Kohanim, ‘Go out of the Chamber of Hewn Stone and up to a high place in the Temple, and see whether the time for the slaughter of the tamid has arrived. If the time had arrived, the one who saw it says ‘There is light!'” The note on this says regarding seeing the light, “The Kohen waited until just before sunrise when a glow of light could be seen in the east, and then announced that dawn had come!”

On a side note, per Mishnah Tamid 3.3, twelve loaves of bread were baked and placed on the Shulchan (Table) in the Temple Sanctuary. “They remained on the Table until the next Shabbat, when twelve new loaves replaced them. The old loaves, which miraculously remained fresh, were eaten by the Kohanim per Vayikra (Leviticus 24:5-9).” I digress.

The Tamid lambs, offered twice a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, are male, unblemished lambs in their first year. The entire lamb is burnt upon the fire on the Mizbe’ach (Altar) and none of it is eaten! All of it goes to HaShem!

It should be noted, the daily Tamid korbonot, like every animal korbonot brought to HaShem, is to have the one who brought it, witness its slaughter and being offered upon the Mizbe’ach. So, how can this happen if the daily Tamid, is on behalf of all Israel, can all of Israel be there and witness its slaughter and offering?

Tractate Tannis 26a from the Talmud Bavli addresses this question: “Since it is stated in reference to the Tamid offering per Bamidbar (Numbers) 28:2 ‘Command the Children of Israel and tell them, My korban, My food, etc, which shows that all Israel is obligated to offer the Tamid, the question arises, ‘How can a person’s korban be offered when he is not present? Someone who brings a korban to the Beis HaMikdash (Temple) must stand by it and watch over it. Therefore, since the korban Tamid is incumbent on all Israel, every Jew should be in the Courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash during its service. This is physically impossible. To solve this problem, the early prophets instituted twenty four Mishmaros i.e. groups comprised of the Kohanim (Priests) and the Leviim into twenty four groups that served in the Beis HaMikdash one week at a time. And corresponding to each and every mishmar there was a maamad in Yerushalayim consisting of Kohanim, Leviim and Yisraelim, who would stand by the Tamid offering AS AGENTS of the rest of the people.'”

Do you recall in my past Ops I discussed how Yeshua is/was the Agent of HaShem? It is impossible Yeshua can be HaShem in the flesh, but He can be HaShem’s Agent! It is the same concept here with the maamad who are the agents representing all of Israel before HaShem! Additionally, every year all Jewish men were required to donate one half shekel to buy a share in the Tamid offerings and the other communal offerings that are brought throughout the year per Tractate Menachos 52a from the Talmud Bavli. This based upon Shemot (Exodus) 30:12-16 which states “HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying ‘When you take a census of the Children of Israel according to their numbers, every man shall give HaShem an atonement for his soul when counting them, so that there will not be a plague among them when counting them. This shall they give, everyone who passes through the census a half shekel of the sacred shekel, the shekel is twenty geras, half a shekel as a portion to HaShem. Everyone who passes through the census, from twenty years of age and up, shall give the portion to HaShem. The wealthy shall not increase and the destitute shall not decrease from half a shekel, to give the portion of HaShem, to atone for your souls. You shall take the silver of the atonements from the Children of Israel and give it for the work of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting/Later the Temple); and it shall be a remembrance before HaShem for the Children of Israel to atone for your souls.'”

The 24 Mishmarot are listed in order per I Chronicles 24:7-18 (On a side note look at Luke 1:5):

Jehoiarib
Jedaiah
Harim
Seorim
Malchijah
Mi-jamin
Hakkoz
Abijah
Jeshua
Shecaniah
Eliashib
Jakim
Huppah
Jeshebeab
Bilgah
Immer
Hezir
Happizzez
Pethahiah
Jehezekel
Jachin
Gamul
Delaiah
Maaziah

So, why are we commanded to bring the daily Tamid offerings to HaShem twice a day? Mitzvah #401 from the Book of the Mitzvos by Artscroll explains with the following commentary: “We are commanded to do this continual service of the Tamid, which is obligatory twice each day, when the sun rises in the morning and as it declines in the afternoon to bring on evening, so that we should be awakened through the twice daily performance of this action and should direct the entirety of our hearts and all of our thoughts to attach ourselves to HaShem, blessed is He. A person is affected and his nature is awakened according to the actions in which he engages. Therefore, since the nature of a person is such that he must prepare food for himself at least twice daily, evening and morning, he is commanded to set his focus and his routine to likewise be engaged in the service of his Creator no less than twice daily, by offering the Tamid once in the morning and once toward evening, so that the service that the servant does for himself should not exceed the service that he performs for his Master. And what is the purpose of all this? Why indeed is it important that man consistently engage in the service of his Creator? In order to constantly awaken his intellect and his emotions to remember his Creator, for through this he will improve his actions and will merit to receive blessing from Him. HaShem has specifically instructed us in this regard, for He desires kindness, ‘Who is a Elohim like You, Who pardons iniquity and overlooks transgression, for the remnant of His heritage? He does not maintain His wrath forever, for He desires kindness per Micah 7:18’. It is His Will to bestow kindness upon His creations.”

The commentary further explains “When Scripture states that the Tamid offering will be a fire offering, a satisfying aroma to HaShem, it means that HaShem, so to speak, says ‘It is satisfying to Me, for I said that the offering should be brought and My Will was done.’ This means to say that the only true portion for the Most High in every offering is nothing other than the fulfillment of His desire, in that the servant has done what HaShem commanded him in order that he should become suitable to merit His generosity, blessed is He.”

With all this said, I want to quickly address what some of the prayers are which we pray two or three times day to HaShem! There are three prayer services each day, connected to the Temple Services:

Shacharit – The Morning Service: The Shema and Shemoneh Esrei (The Amidah)
Mincha – The Afternoon Service: Shemoneh Esrei
Maariv – The Evening Service: The Shema and Shemoneh Esrei

The Shema prayer is the foundation of our prayer to HaShem. It is comprised of three parts derived from the Torah:

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 6:4-9
Devarim 11:13-21
Bamidbar (Numbers) 15:37-41

Here I have copied and pasted the Shema from the Chabad website in English:

“Hear, O Israel, the L-rd is our G‑d, the L-rd is One.

Recite the following verse in an undertone:

Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom forever and ever.

You shall love the L-rd your G‑d with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words which I command you today shall be upon your heart. You shall teach them thoroughly to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and upon your gates.

And it will be, if you will diligently obey My commandments which I enjoin upon you this day, to love the L-rd your G‑d and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, I will give rain for your land at the proper time, the early rain and the late rain, and you will gather in your grain, your wine and your oil. And I will give grass in your fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be sated. Take care lest your heart be lured away, and you turn astray and worship alien gods and bow down to them. For then the L-rd’s wrath will flare up against you, and He will close the heavens so that there will be no rain and the earth will not yield its produce, and you will swiftly perish from the good land which the L-rd gives you. Therefore, place these words of Mine upon your heart and upon your soul, and bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for a reminder between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, to speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise. And you shall inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates – so that your days and the days of your children may be prolonged on the land which the L-rd swore to your fathers to give to them for as long as the heavens are above the earth.

The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel and tell them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to attach a thread of blue on the fringe of each corner. They shall be to you as tzizit, and you shall look upon them and remember all the commandments of the L-rd and fulfill them, and you will not follow after your heart and after your eyes by which you go astray – so that you may remember and fulfill all My commandments and be holy to your G‑d. I am the L-rd your G‑d who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your G‑d; I, the L-rd, am your G‑d. True.”

It is the declaration of faith in HaShem: “Shema (Hear), O Israel, the Master is our Elohim, the Master is One.” Per the Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer on Pages 294-295 it confirms per the Torah, the Shema is “Read twice every day, in the morning at Shacharit and in the evening at Maariv. Reading the Shema twice daily is a precept of the Torah, as it is written, ‘And you shall speak of them…and when you lie down and when you rise up, which is interpreted to mean in the night and in the morning‘” per Devarim 6:7.

At the heart of every service however, is the Shemonei Esrei (The Amidah – Meaning ‘Standing’)! The book ‘To Pray as a Jew’ by Rabbi Donin, it says on page 69 “The Shemonei Esrei is the heart of every service. It contains the basic components of prayer: Praising HaShem, petitioning Him, and thanking Him. Whenever the Talmud refers to Tefilah (Prayer), it means the Shemoneh Esrei, and not any other blessing, supplication or psalm. It is THE PRAYER! It is recited three times a day. Shemoneh Esrei simply means ‘Eighteen’. The prayer is so called because the original version consisted of eighteen blessings.”

Below, like the Shema above, I have copied and pasted the translated version of the Shemoneh Esrei from the Chabad website

While praying, concentrate on the meaning of the words and remember that you stand before the Divine Presence. Before beginning the Amidah, take three steps back, then three steps forward. Recite the Amidah quietly — but audibly to yourself — while standing with feet together.

My L-rd, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Your praise.

Bend Knees at “Blessed”; bow are “You”; Straighten at “L-rd our G‑d”:

Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d and G‑d of our fathers, G‑d of Abraham, G‑d of Isaac and G‑d of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome G‑d, exalted G‑d, who bestows bountiful kindness, who creates all things, who remembers the piety of the Patriarchs, and who, in love, brings a redeemer to their children’s children, for the sake of His Name.

During the Ten Days of Penitence add:Remember us for life, King who desires life; inscribe us in the Book of Life, for Your sake, O living G‑d.

Bend Knees at “Blessed“; bow are “You“; Straighten at “L-rd our G‑d“:

O King, (You are) a helper, a savior and a shield. Blessed are You L-rd, Shield of Abraham.

You are mighty forever, my L-rd; You resurrect the dead; You are powerful to save.

In summer say: He causes the dew to descend. In winter say: He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall.

He sustains the living with loving kindness, resurrects the dead with great mercy, supports the falling, heals the sick, releases the bound, and fulfills His trust to those who sleep in the dust. Who is like You, mighty One! And who can be compared to You, King, who brings death and restores life, and causes deliverance to spring forth!

During the Ten Days of Penitence add: Who is like You, merciful Father, who in compassion remembers His creatures for life.

You are trustworthy to revive the dead. Blessed are You L-rd, who revives the dead.

When the Chazzan repeats Amidah, Kedushah is recited here.We will hallow and adore You as the sweet words of the assembly of the holy Seraphim who thrice repeat “holy” unto You, as it is written by Your prophet: And they call one to another and Say, (Cong. and Chazzan🙂 “Holy, holy, holy is the L-rd of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory.” (Chazzan:) Those facing them offer praise and say, (Cong and Chazzan:) “Blessed be the glory of the L-rd from its place.” (Chazzan:) And in Your holy Scriptures it is written thus: (Cong. and Chazzan:) The L-rd shall reign forever; your G‑d, O Zion, throughout all generations. Praise the L-rd.

You are holy and Your Name is holy, and holy beings praise You daily for all eternity. Blessed are You L-rd, the holy G‑d. (During the Ten Days of Penitence substitute: the holy King.)

You graciously bestow knowledge upon man and teach mortals understanding. Graciously bestow upon us from You, wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Blessed are You L-rd, who graciously bestows knowledge.

Cause us to return, our Father, to Your Torah; draw us near, our King, to Your service; and bring us back to You in whole-hearted repentance. Blessed are You L-rd, who desires penitence.

Pardon us, our Father, for we have sinned; forgive us, our King, for we have transgressed; for You are a good and forgiving G‑d. Blessed are You L-rd, gracious One who pardons abundantly.

O behold our affliction and wage our battle; redeem us speedily for the sake of Your Name, for You G‑d are the mighty redeemer. Blessed are You L-rd, Redeemer of Israel.

Heal us, O L-rd, and we will be healed; help us and we will be saved; for You are our praise. Grant complete cure and healing to all our wounds; for You, Almighty King, are a faithful and merciful healer. Blessed are You L-rd, who heals the sick of His people Israel.

Bless for us, L-rd our G‑d, this year and all the varieties of its produce for good; and bestow (During the summer season say:) blessing (During the winter season say: dew and rain for blessing) upon the face of the earth. Satisfy us from Your bounty and bless our year like other good years, for blessing; for You are a generous G‑d who bestows goodness and blesses the years. Blessed are You L-rd, who blesses the years.

Sound the great shofar for our freedom; raise a banner to gather our exiles, and bring us together from the four corners of the earth into our land. Blessed are You L-rd, who gathers the dispersed of His people Israel.

Restore our judges as in former times, and our counsellors as of yore; remove from us sorrow and sighing, and reign over us, You alone, O L-rd, with kindness and compassion, with righteousness and justice. Blessed are You L-rd, King who loves righteousness and justice. (During the Ten Days of Penitence substitute with: the King of judgment.)

Let there be no hope for informers, and may all the heretics and all the wicked instantly perish; may all the enemies of Your people be speedily extirpated; and may You swiftly uproot, break, crush and subdue the reign of wickedness speedily in our days. Blessed are You L-rd, who crushes enemies and subdues the wicked.

May Your mercies be aroused, L-rd our G‑d, upon the righteous, upon the pious, upon the elders of Your people, the House of Israel, upon the remnant of their sages, upon the righteous proselytes and upon us. Grant ample reward to all who truly trust in Your Name, and place our lot among them; may we never be disgraced, for we have put our trust in You. Blessed are You L-rd, the support and security of the righteous.

Return in mercy to Jerusalem Your city and dwell therein as You have promised; speedily establish therein the throne of David Your servant, and rebuild it, soon in our days, as an everlasting edifice. Blessed are You L-rd, who rebuilds Jerusalem. Speedily cause the scion of David Your servant to flourish, and increase his power by Your salvation, for we hope for Your salvation all day. Blessed are You L-rd, who causes the power of salvation to flourish.

Hear our voice, L-rd our G‑d; merciful Father, have compassion upon us and accept our prayers in mercy and favor, for You are G‑d who hears prayers and supplications; do not turn us away empty-handed from You, our King, for You hear the prayer of everyone. Blessed are You L-rd, who hears prayer.

Look with favor, L-rd our G‑d, on Your people Israel and pay heed to their prayer; restore the service to Your Sanctuary and accept with love and favor Israel’s fire-offerings and prayer; and may the service of Your people Israel always find favor.

On Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed, (Our G‑d. . . may there ascend) is recited here.Our G‑d and G‑d of our fathers, may there ascend, come and reach, be seen, accepted, and heard, recalled and remembered before You, the remembrance and recollection of us, the remembrance of our fathers, the remembrance of Mashiach the son of David Your servant, the remembrance of Jerusalem Your holy city, and the remembrance of all Your people the House of Israel, for deliverance, well-being, grace, kindness, mercy, good life and peace, on this day ofOn Rosh Chodesh: Rosh ChodeshOn the holiday of Passover: the Festival of MatzotOn the holiday of Sukkot: the Festival of Sukkot. Remember us on this [day], L-rd our G‑d, for good; be mindful of us on this [day] for blessing; help us on this [day] for good life. With the promise of deliverance and Compassion, spare us and be gracious to us; have mercy upon us and deliver us; for our eyes are directed to You, for You, G‑d, are a gracious and merciful King.

May our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy. Blessed are You L-rd, who restores His Divine Presence to Zion.

We thankfully acknowledge that You are the L-rd our G‑d and G‑d of our fathers forever. You are the strength of our life, the shield of our salvation in every generation. We will give thanks to You and recount Your praise, evening, morning and noon, for our lives which are committed into Your hand, for our souls which are entrusted to You, for Your miracles which are with us daily, and for Your continual wonders and beneficences. You are the Beneficent One, for Your mercies never cease; the Merciful One, for Your kindnesses never end; for we always place our hope in You.

On Chanukah and Purim, the following is added.And [we thank You] for the miracles, for the redemption, for the mighty deeds, for the saving acts, and for the wonders which You have wrought for our ancestors in those days, at this time —On Chanukah continue here:In the days of Matityahu, the son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the wicked Hellenic government rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and violate the decrees of Your will. But You, in Your abounding mercies, stood by them in the time of their distress. You waged their battles, defended their rights and avenged the wrong done to them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah. You made a great and holy name for Yourself in Your world, and effected a great deliverance and redemption for Your people to this very day. Then Your children entered the shrine of Your House, cleansed Your Temple, purified Your Sanctuary, kindled lights in Your holy courtyards, and instituted these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name.On Purim continue here:In the days of Mordechai and Esther, in Shushan the capital, when the wicked Haman rose up against them, and sought to destroy, slaughter and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to take their spoil for plunder. But You, in Your abounding mercies, foiled his counsel and frustrated his intention, and caused the evil he planned — to recoil on his own head, and they hanged him and his sons upon the gallows.

And for all these, may Your Name, our King, be continually blessed, exalted and extolled forever and all time.

During the Ten Days of Penitence add:Inscribe all the children of Your Covenant for a good life.

And all living things shall forever thank You, and praise Your great Name eternally, for You are good. G‑d, You are our everlasting salvation and help, O benevolent G‑d. Blessed are You L-rd, Beneficent is Your Name, and to You it is fitting to offer thanks.

Bestow peace, goodness and blessing, life, graciousness, kindness and mercy, upon us and upon all Your people Israel. Bless us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your countenance. For by the light of Your countenance You gave us, L-rd our G‑d, the Torah of life and loving-kindness, righteousness, blessing, mercy, life and peace. May it be favorable in Your eyes to bless Your people Israel, at all times and at every moment, with Your peace.

During the Ten Days of Penitence add: And in the Book of life, blessing, peace and prosperity, deliverance, consolation and favorable decrees, may we and all Your people the House of Israel be remembered and inscribed before You for a happy life and for peace.

Blessed are You L-rd, who blesses His people Israel with peace. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, L-rd, my Strength and my Redeemer.

My G‑d, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully. Let my soul be silent to those who curse me; let my soul be as dust to all. Open my heart to Your Torah, and let my soul eagerly pursue Your commandments. As for all those who plot evil against me, hasten to annul their counsel and frustrate their design. Let them be as chaff before the wind; let the angel of the L-rd thrust them away. That Your beloved ones may be delivered, help with Your right hand and answer me. Do it for the sake of Your Name; do it for the sake of Your right hand; do it for the sake of Your Torah; do it for the sake of Your holiness. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You, L-rd, my Strength and my Redeemer.

Before reciting the following verse one should bow, and in this bowed position, take three steps backward. While still bowing, he should turn his head to his left saying, “He who makes peace in His heavens”; bow forward, saying, “may He”; turn his head to his right, saying, “make peace for us”; and finally bow forward, saying, “and for all Israel; and say, Amen”.

He who makes peace (During the Ten Days of Penitence say: the peace) in His heavens, may He make peace for us and for all Israel; and say, Amen.

May it be Your will, L-rd our G‑d and G‑d of our fathers, that the Bet Hamikdash be speedily rebuilt in our days, and grant us our portion in Your Torah.

I know there is a ton of information I have posted in this Op, but I felt it is necessary to show exactly what praying to HaShem looks like especially now, more than ever, in this world which is crumbling apart all around us each hour of each day!!

I will close this Op out with the following excerpt from a favorite book of mine “My Father, My King” by Rabbi Pliskin which says the following:

“Transform discouragement into hope and courage. Hear your Father, your King, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, saying to you: ‘Let your awareness of My love for you help you transform feelings of discouragement into feelings of hope, courage and empowerment. If you ever feel discouraged, realize that I have the ability to change a situation around in a moment. If it is in your total best interests, I can save you in the twinkling of an eye. So have hope, My beloved child.”

“In the beginning of the Torah, you will find the words, ‘Yehi Ohr’, meaning ‘Let there be light’. This is to teach you that with just two words, total darkness can be transformed into light. Let the light of the world serve as a reminder that even in the darkest moments there can be a hope which shines forth. Let the light of the world give you inner strength. Even if it appears to you that all is lost, even if everyone has already given up hope, even if you feel totally disheartened and discouraged, DO NOT GIVE UP. Hope creates an inner power. Allow yourself to feel that inner power right now!”

“Especially when it comes to learning Torah, doing a good deed, or working on a positive trait, never give up hope. Your effort has immense value regardless of the outcome. Hear My words of encouragement and let feelings of energy and empowerment permeate your entire being. Hear Me telling you, ‘Keep on going with renewed strength!’ It is easier to have courage when someone believes in you. I believe in you!”

I pray this will be a little encouraging for people and maybe help each of us to be strong and courageous because we know HaShem is with us and He goes before us and we are NOT alone!!

May the Final Redemption speedily happen soon in our days!!!

Shalom!!

SOURCE MATERIALS:

To Pray as a Jew by Rabbi Donin
The Encyclopedia of Jewish Prayer by Macy Nulman
The Book of the Mitzvos by Artscroll
The Talmud Bavli by Artscroll
The Chumash by Artscroll
My Father, My King by Rabbi Pliskin

WHY SHOULD WE PRAY? PART 1

“Evening, morning, and noon I pray and moan, and He hears my voice.” Psalms 55:18

As I put this Op together, it is 26 July 2025, Shabbat and the first day of the fifth biblical month of Av! The world continues to spiral into chaos and destruction and Israel continues to be forced fight in a seven front war which began on 7 Oct 2023, with no end in sight.

We are witnessing natural disasters erupt from earthquakes, to sudden flash flooding events in areas which normally do not see much rain. Meanwhile society continues to embrace debauchery, perversion of every abomination amidst increasing and more violent anti-Semitism. Yet, in the midst of this chaos, violence and war consuming the world, HaShem IS making Himself known and His Hand IS being revealed, for those who are paying attention and are searching for Him!

It is for this reason, after reading through this weeks Torah portion and subsequent Haftarah portion i.e. Jeremiah 2:4-28; 4:1-2 and Isaiah 66:1; 23-24, I can see a theme emerging, i.e. PRAYER! Why should we pray and do we pray whenever, wherever and however we want or has HaShem set up specific times of the day for us to approach Him? Is there significance to entering into the Biblical Month of Av in the year 2025? We will discuss these topics further in this Op, but as always, never forget the eternal aspects of HaShem or His Torah listed below:

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

Why am I inserting these photographs of violent, devastating tornado’s in this Op? In my opinion, these tornado’s are a very good illustration for the chaos and destruction in the world we live in today! Nothing is normal anymore and while tornado’s occur during severe thunderstorms, they form usually without much warning and their severity ebbs and flows throughout its lifecycle. One minute it can be a simple tornado swirling in an empty field and the next it can suddenly grow into a massive cloud of swirling death moving into a city. Likewise global events can ebb and flow and sudden massive events and wars can erupt and engulf the entire planet.

With all this in mind, what is the one action we can take to help us walk through the storms of life and survive? Clearly it is our prayer life when we seek out HaShem and His Heart! I want to insert a quote here from the Artscroll Tehillim (Psalms) Tanakh Series book on page 698 discussing the importance of prayer in our lives. It says “Prayer sustains the soul, just as food nourishes the body. The blessed influence of one prayer endures until the time of the next, just as the strength derived from the morning meal lasts until dinner. The further the soul is removed from the time of prayer, the more it is darkened by coming into contact with the mundane world.”

How true this description of prayer truly is! How many of you have felt empty, depressed and literally dry inside and then you approach HaShem, and you suddenly feel better akin to drinking a glass of cold water on a hot, dry, burning day? How much more we are blessed when we pray unto HaShem, Master of the Legions of Heaven, using the prayers He gave, at the times of the day He set and in the manner He determined via what He taught Israel and the tavnit (Pattern/blue print) he gave to David for the Temple and the Temple services per I Chronicles 28? Where do we find these prayers? In the Siddur!!!

This is precisely why we must study and learn the Temple of HaShem and every single millimeter of its layout, how it functions and especially all the Temple services! Isaiah 66:1 says “So did HaShem say: ‘The heavens are My throne, and the earth My footstool. Where is the house (Temple) that you would build for Me, and where is My resting place?'”

On a side note, Acts 7:49 from the Apostolic Writings repeats this question citing Isaiah 66 “The heaven is My throne, and the Earth is My footstool. What house shall you build for Me? Says HaShem, or what is the place of My rest?” Again, reaffirming there is nothing new in the Apostolic Writings, those writings just quote the Tanakh! I digress.

The commentary from the Artscroll Rav Schwab book on Yeshayahu (Isaiah) on page 721 discussing this verse says “Do you think the Beis HaMikdash (Temple) is My residence? Can you possibly build a house that is big enough for Me? Why, the entire universe is My throne, and the planet Earth is My footstool. The Beis HaMikdash was not intended to be My resting place for people to come and visit Me, and then leave and continue with their misguided way of life. Rather, it was intended to be the place that is dedicated to the ideals set forth in My Torah, which is its centerpiece, and from where the people are to take these ideals home with them and put them into practice!”

Consider what King Solomon prayed at the dedication of the First Temple as recorded in I Kings 8:27-30 which says “Would HaShem truly dwell on earth? Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You, and surely not this Temple that I have built! But, may You turn to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplication, O HaShem my Elohim, to hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant prays before You today: That Your eyes be open toward this Temple night and day, to the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ to hear the prayer that Your servant shall pray toward this place. And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Yisrael, which they shall pray toward this place; may You hear from the place of Your habitation in Heaven, may You hear and forgive.”

In other words, HaShem doesn’t need the Temple, because the entirety of creation belongs to Him. He does, however, command the Temple to be built so as we will participate, learn and apply to our own personal lives how to walk and serve HaShem the right and only way! HaShem is not a manmade deity which is appeased by the animal ‘sacrifices’ as is so commonly believed, especially within much of Christendom and its aversion to the Temple; on the contrary, the animal korbanos are what allows us to ‘draw near’ to HaShem in humility and purity of intentions and heart. When there is no Temple standing in Jerusalem, we then take the portions of the animal, bread and wine korbonos and do them today via our prayers! This is again precisely why we MUST learn everything about His Temple!

Hosea 14:3 says “Take words with you and return to HaShem; say to Him, ‘May You forgive all iniquity and accept good intentions, and LET OUR LIPS SUBSTITUTE FOR BULLS.'” The commentary on this verse from the Artscroll Twelve Prophets book Hosea, page 109 says “Those offerings that we should be bringing (In the Temple) to You we will replace with the appeasing words of our lips. Indeed, our words of repentance are preferred by You to our offerings, since offerings are of no value if not accompanied by words of confession.”

This is what HaShem admonished Israel before because they had the Temple, brought their korbonos (Offerings) daily as required by the Torah, but their hearts were not in it. They did it out of rote, because it was their job, not because they wanted too or truly desired to draw near to HaShem.

Isaiah 66:23-24 says “And it will happen (A reference to the future Messianic Age), that month upon month, and Shabbat upon Shabbat, all flesh will come to prostrate themselves before Me, says HaShem. And they will go out and see the corpses of the people who rebelled against Me; their worms will not die, and their fire will not be extinguished, and they will remain an abhorrence to all flesh.”

The commentary from Rav Schwab on Yeshayahu (Isaiah) page 740 discussing verse 23 says “The world will flock to Yerushalayim to come in close proximity to HaShem’s palpable presence there and to worship Him there. They will come in groups; every week of every month will bring new people to worship HaShem in Yerushalayim.” It is interesting, we must pay close attention to the words used because this verse says ‘All flesh’ not ‘All mankind’. What is the difference?

Tractate Sotah 5a from the Talmud Bavli explains “A person’s prayers are not heard unless he makes his heart soft like flesh i.e. he is humble. In this verse (Isaiah 66:23), people are called ‘flesh’, thus only the prayers of those who are soft like flesh will be heard.”

Consider now what the meaning of Ezekiel 36:26-30 says regarding the future Messianic Age “And I shall give you a new heart and a new spirit I will put within you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh; and My spirit I will put within you, and I will cause that you will go by My decrees and guard My Torah and perform them; and you will dwell in the land which I gave your fathers, and you will be to Me a people, and I shall be your Elohim; and I shall save you from all your contaminations, and I shall summon the grain and increase it, and I shall not place famine upon you; and I shall increase the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field so that you longer accept the shame of hunger among the nations.”

Hebrews 8:10-11 reiterates this “Because this is the covenant that I shall make with the House of Israel after those days, says HaShem, giving My Torah in their mind, and I shall write them on their hearts, and I shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. And they shall by no means teach each one his neighbor, and each one his brother, saying, ‘Know HaShem’, because they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them.”

An excerpt from Tractate Taanis 2a from the Talmud Bavli explains prayer as follows: “Our Gemara (Explanation) understands the phrase ‘To serve Him’ as a reference to prayer. Indeed, Scripture and Rabbinic writings often refer to prayer as ‘A service’ which parallels, and in our days, substitutes for the holy service that was performed in the Beis HaMikdash (Temple). In fact, the Gemara teaches that the three daily prayers were instituted to correspond to the three daily services in the Beis HaMikdash, and that the Mussaf prayers were composed to parallel the Mussaf offerings. Moreover, the very fact that prayer is called an ‘Avodah’ (Service) sheds light on the true meaning and significance of prayer.”

It continues “Prayer is referred to as avodah because it is a form of accepting HaShem as one’s Master, and declaring oneself HaShem’s servant. This can be seen in the word avodah as it is used in its classic sense, as referring to the Temple Service. When a person offers a korban to HaShem, he is in effect stating that he belongs to HaShem. All his property is truly his Master’s, just as a slave’s possessions belong to his owner. He thus FREELY gives his animal back to HaShem, its true Owner, as an offerings. The same is true of prayer. Although we pray to HaShem we do ask for our own needs, it is also an admission that all we have comes from Him. We are entirely dependent on HaShem and His generosity. And when a person acknowledges his total dependence on HaShem, he is in effect accepting HaShem as his King and Master. Prayer is thus an expression of the ultimate avodah.”

Now with all this said, as we are entering into the Biblical Month of Av, this time of year has an enormous significance attached to it, because it is typically a time of great trial, destruction and war for Israel. In fact the Ninth day of Av, is the most solemn day of year because it is the day the First and Second Temple’s were destroyed and the exile began.

I cite this because as this year, 2025, has been an unprecedented year of trial, death, destruction and difficulties, unlike other times in history, we MUST pay very close attention in the coming days and weeks. As such, we all, including myself, need to ensure our motivations for praying to HaShem are pure and we do not in any way approach Him in complacency or out of rote behavior. We are going to need to depend upon Him unlike any other time in our lives in the coming months. Life is extremely difficult as it is, and only HaShem, in His infinite mercy, compassion and forgiveness can get us through to the other end.

Just like Abraham and Daniel in the Tanakh, HaShem may not deliver us from these extremely trying times, but He will get us through them to the other side because He is there with us, when we call out to Him. Then as we grow closer to the appointed time and the Final Redemption, we will see the Hand of HaShem move, and Israel will rise up like a roaring lion! May it be so very soon in our days!

Something to consider!

Shabbat Shalom!

SOURCE MATERIALS

The Artscroll Bamidbar (Numbers) With Teachings of the Talmud
The Scriptures
Artscroll Psalms
Artscroll The Twelve Prophets
Artscroll Isaiah
Artscroll Jeremiah
Artscroll Ein Yaakov Aggadah of the Talmud
Judaica Press Isaiah
Rav Schwab Yeshayahu

UPDATE FOR LACK OF POSTING AND THE SHABBAT PSALM

It has been FAR too long since my last posting and for this I apologize!! This will be just a short Op. Life has hit like a category five tornado in the last few weeks and months and thus most of my time has been spent on these family and personal emergency medical issues! It isn’t lost on me how everyone I know who are striving to walk with HaShem are being absolutely throttled in their own lives whether it be health or other means suddenly striking them! No doubt, life is extremely difficult for everyone right now! The Adversary, may his name be blotted out forever, it seems has taken the gloves off and striking unmercifully against HaShem’s people! But, be encouraged because today as I compile this Op, it is Shabbat, 5 April 2025, and today’s Psalm of the Day is Psalms 92! Why is this important? Consider the following excerpts from Psalms 92:

Psalms 92 verse 8 says “When the wicked bloom like grass (Able to flourish and function unopposed and unrestrained) and all the doers of iniquity blossom, IT IS TO DESTROY THEM TILL ETERNITY!” The commentary on this verse sums it up so very well. It says “The success of the wicked in this world and when they prosper is so that HaShem can legally compensate them for their few merits before He utterly destroys them forever.” So, when the wicked flourishes, it means HaShem is legally rewarding them for their few merits just before He will utterly wipe them out, forever!

Psalms 92 verse 12 says “My eyes have seen my vigilant foes; when those who would harm me rise up against me, my ears have heard.” In other words, I have heard of the wicked and their prophesied downfall and HaShem has proclaimed no matter how they try, those who rise up against me will NEVER annihilate me!

Psalms 92 verse 13 says “A righteous man will flourish like a date palm, like a cedar in the Lebanon he will grow tall.” So, we see the wicked are compared to dry grass which will do nothing other than be utterly consumed by fire as compared to the righteous who are compared to a date palm or a cedar tree! Why is this important? Consider the explanation from the commentary on this verse:

The palm tree is a symbol of virtue and righteousness because the palm tree grows straight, without bending, just as a righteous man remains upright and honest.
The wood of a palm tree is free of knots, just as the righteous man is free of flaws.
The palm tree’s shady leaves and fronds are far off the ground, at the very top of the tree. Similarly, the reward promised the righteous is not immediate, but is reserved for the distant future of the World to Come.
Every part of the palm tree is useful. Its fruits are eaten, its leaves and fronds used in thatching, and its wood is used for construction. Similarly, each righteous person fulfills a special purpose.
The cedar symbolizes virtue and righteousness. Furthermore, the unique properties of the cedar compensate for any deficiencies in the palm tree.
When the palm tree is cut down, its trunk dries in the ground. When the cedar is felled, however, its roots and stump remain alive, and a new cedar shoot will sprout in its place. Similarly, righteousness is indestructible; if a righteous man is harmed, he will only grow stronger. If he is cut down, another righteous man will rise to take his place.

Amazing! HaShem is comparing His people to palm and cedar trees and if we examine these trees carefully we can see what characteristics He is trying to teach us! We can get knocked down, we can even be cut down, BUT, because He is faithful and eternal and the source of all life, He can restore, refresh, renew and strengthen us to get up and keep going forward!

This is my prayer for everyone striving to walk with HaShem, may we reach out and grab hold of Him and hold onto Him even tighter than we did yesterday and may we not be seduced into following after our own desires, fantasies and delusions!

Ultimately in Psalms 92 He says in verse 14 “Planted in the House of HaShem (His Temple), in the courtyards of our Elohim they (His people) WILL flourish!” Again, notice the wicked do flourish but are compared to dry grass which again amounts to nothing but fuel for the fire, but His people are compared to palm and cedar trees, PLANTED in the courtyards of His Temple and will flourish for eternity!

Finally He says in verses 15-16 of Psalms 92 “They will still be fruitful in old age, vigorous and fresh they will be, to declare that HaShem is just, MY ROCK in Whom there is no wrong!” Its a prophecy of the Messianic Age when His people will only grow stronger and healthier as they age! What is considered to be old age today will only be considered to be equal to a child in the Messianic Age. May it be so very soon in our days!

So, with this said in this quick Op, we all, myself included, have to be encouraged and strengthened. It is VERY tough for all of us right now, but like a palm and cedar tree, we will only grow stronger if we choose to hold onto HaShem and His Torah!

As a final note, always remember the below list of eternal characteristics of HaShem and His Torah:

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

I hope to post more often in the days and weeks. Remember, next weekend is Pesach (Passover)! We have to make our preparations this upcoming week for the Seder!

Shabbat Shalom!

LIFT UP YOUR EYES AND SEE THE HEAVENS

“Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth below, for the heavens will dissipate like smoke, and the earth will wear out like a garment, and its inhabitants will die, as well, but My salvation will be forever and My righteousness will not be broken.” Yeshayah (Isaiah) 51:6

As I put this Op together, it is 18 October 2024, the second full day of Sukkot. The world is in chaos, wars and rumors of wars are erupting across the globe, economic stability is quickly collapsing while men and women obsessed with acquiring power and wealth dominate each and every day as we quickly approach the time of voting in America.

Additionally, Israel has been at war on seven fronts for over an entire year now as the world grows more disgusted and irritated by Israel’s continued military victories, only brought about by the Hand of HaShem, the Guardian of Israel! We are truly watching biblical prophesies come to pass almost on a daily basis now!

The ones who are striving to walk with HaShem and learn and apply His Torah to our lives, are facing unprecedented troubles today, unlike any other time before! Truly it is a time of great heartache and trouble and no one is immune…we all are in the midst of a very great time of trouble and only holding onto HaShem and His promises are going to see us through to the other side! It all does seem to be very bleak and hopeless at the moment, but this is NOT reality! Below are a partial list of His promises:

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

“To whom can you liken Me that I should be his equal? says the Holy One. Raise your eyes on high and see Who created these things! He brings forth their legions by number; He calls to each of them by name; by the abundance of His power and by vigor of His strength, not one is missing!” Yeshayah (Isaiah) 40:25-26

The purpose of this Op is to reiterate what HaShem has stated to humanity from the beginning, when things look bleak and hopeless, look up to the sky, especially at night, see the stars, the galaxies, the comets, the moon, the planets, etc, and know every single one has a specific name, a specific function and a specific purpose!

Consider the following excerpt from one of my favorite books published by Artscroll titled ‘My Father, My King’ authored by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin. Chapter 55 is entitled ‘Lift up your eyes’ and says the following: “Hear your Father, your King, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, saying to you: ‘Lift up your eyes and see the heavens that I created. Let this fill you with awe and love. Lift up your eyes and contemplate the vastness of what is above you. Think about the size of your solar system. Think about the size of your galaxy. Think about the size of all that is already known about outer space and the multitudes of galaxies and about the galaxies as yet unknown. Realize that all this I have created for you!

When you are feeling low, lift up your eyes and remember that I am with you. When you need a spiritual boost, lift up your eyes and feel the energy flowing from the entire universe into your soul. When you need strength to conquer your yetzer hara (Evil inclination), lift up your eyes and feel your strength intensified.

When you want inspiration, lift up your eyes and hear your loving Father and powerful King ennobling you. For that is the purpose of this Creation. Lift up your eyes and see visions of greatness. Lift up your eyes right now!”

So, when we are feeling overwhelmed, weak and crushed from whatever the times of trouble are currently sitting on each of us, HaShem has given us something we can easily look too…all we have to do is look up into the sky and see HaShem’s vast Creation i.e. the Sun the Moon the Stars, etc. Tehillim (Psalms) says it best in Tehillim 8 “When I behold Your heavens, the works of Your Fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place…What is the frail human that You should remember him? And what is the son of mortal man that You should be mindful of him?”

The commentary on these verses from Tehillim 8 says “To HaShem, the creation of a colossal star is no more difficult than the creation of a tiny gnat. Rav Saadiah Gaon writes ‘We find the term ‘Finger’ of HaShem regarding the creation of three things i.e. the stars and planets, the Tablets of the Covenant and the plague of lice.’ The stars represent the greatest of all physical masses, for no creation exceeds their size. The lice are among the smallest and most despicable of creations. The Tablets of the Covenant are smaller than the stars yet far greater in splendor. Although these three differ vastly, they are all described with the identical Hebrew word to emphasize HaShem’s effort in creating all three was equal to Him.”

The point of this short Op is just as a reminder to each of us, myself included, lift up your eyes to the heavens and see the One Who created it all, is very much involved in our lives and wants to help each of us through our times of trouble. He is the Only One Who can see us through! Its an especially good reminder during this time of Sukkot, taking shelter under the protection of HaShem and rejoicing in His promises which are and will come to pass just as He said it would!

Something to consider!

SOURCE MATERIALS

My Father, My King book by Artscroll
Tehillim (Psalms) Artscroll Tanach Series
Isaiah Artscroll

FIRE GOES BEFORE HIM – A REMINDER OF HOPE

“Behold the Guardian of Israel will neither slumber or sleep!” Psalms 121:4

As I compose this Op, it is Shabbat, 31 August 2024! The world has and is continuing to spiral into madness and insanity. Confusion and chaos are running amok and the tyranny which will be the foundation for the government of the False Messiah is quickly being laid and solidified. I know, you are probably thinking what a great and hopeful opener for this Op (Sarcasm)! Believe me there is a reason I am opening this Op in such a way so stay tuned.

This weeks Torah portion is ‘Re’eh’ which is found in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 11:26-16:17. The Haftarah is found in Isaiah 54:11-55:5. Each Torah portion has a specific Tehillim (Psalm) assigned to it and this weeks Tehillim is Tehillim 97! This is what I want to focus on for this Op.

Before we jump into this Tehillim, always remember the following verses which constantly reaffirm HaShem and His Word are unchanging and eternal as those whose voices are refuting these eternal truths of HaShem are growing louder and louder each day:

HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
He says His Torah is the ONLY truth there is per Psalms 119:142
He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35
He says Messiah Yeshua is the GOAL of His Torah, meaning without His Torah, Messiah cannot be known per Romans 10:4
He says if we had believed Moshe/Torah, we would have believed Messiah per John 5:46
He says His salvation is far from the wicked for they sought not His Torah per Psalms 119:155
He says to hold fast to and guard His Torah, for it is our life per Proverbs 4:13
He says His Torah is the bread of life per Proverbs 9:5

We are currently living in a world where right is wrong and wrong is right. It appears wickedness and sin are growing stronger by the day and for those of us who are striving to survive in this world and conduct our lives, if you are like me are growing more and more exhausted, worn out and discouraged by the moment!

But once again, this is where the Sovereignty and Wisdom of HaShem come into reality and why it is so vitally important each of us read and study His Torah portions on Shabbat because He gives an explanation of the state of things! This is what I want to quickly explore in this Op discussing Tehillim 97 so get your Bibles or Tanakhs out and follow along. There are 12 verses in this Tehillim so it isn’t very long.

Now please understand this Tehillim is one of prophecy but in HaShem’s Word, many times, not always, prophecies are presented in past tense, why is this? Because He reveals the end from the beginning and He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets!

Tehillim 97:1 “HaShem has reigned, let the world rejoice; let the numerous islands be glad.” This verse is one of actuality for in it we see HaShem has reigned and is currently reigning and will still be reigning in the future and in the future all the nations of the world will rejoice and run to serve Him! May this day be so very, very soon in our days! It is also a verse which points to the Messianic Era when Messiah will be reigning as The Agent of HaShem from Jerusalem! Remember the Law of Agency which we have discussed in previous Op’s in which the agent sent by the Principal acts, speaks and makes decisions on behalf of the Principal so when a person sees an agent, they are seeing the Principal. In this case, HaShem is the Principal Who has sent His Agent Yeshua (Not the Jesus of Replacement Theology), to act, do, speak and rule according to what HaShem commands, thus when we see Yeshua, we have seen HaShem! Does NOT mean Yeshua is literally HaShem, which is NOT possible, but this is a later discussion. Moving on.

The Judaica Press Book of the Psalms commentary specifically identifies the wicked here as Amalek and his descendants! This is very important to understand because Amalek is the bitter, violent, immeasurably cruel adversary of Israel! To use the term from the Terminator movie from the 1980’s which describes the attributes of the Terminator, which I thought was very apt for Amalek, modified for this Op, “You cannot reason with it (Terminator/Amalek), you cannot bargain with it, it doesn’t know pity, remorse or fear and it absolutely will not stop, ever, until Israel is completely annihilated and erased from the planet.)

Amalek is who we are witnessing today arise once again, and not just in the Middle East, but more importantly within Christendom and its Replacement Theology doctrine!

Tehillim 97:2 “Cloud and dense darkness surround Him; righteousness and justice are His Throne’s foundation.” This term ‘Cloud and dense darkness…’ is a reference to the destruction He promises to bring upon the wicked in this world! It appears the wicked are being rewarded and being allowed to flourish today, but in reality, He is allowing them to flourish in order to cut them down and utterly destroy them at the appointed time! Further, when those of HaShem are striving to walk according to His Torah in this world today, while being consumed and crushed under the wickedness, confusion, chaos, etc, we will probably end up questioning HaShem’s equity! But, and here is the good part, here in this verse, where He speaks of how righteousness and justice are His Throne’s foundation, He is promising His people will witness the ultimate destruction of the wicked, and His people will all attest to the truth, righteousness and justice truly are the foundation of His Throne!! Again may it be so very soon!!

Tehillim 97:3 “Fire goes before Him and consumes His enemies all around.” This is a prophetic verse discussing the War of Gog and Magog in the end which will precede the arrival of Messiah. If we see the state of the world today with all the wars and rumors of wars erupting all over, the rising tensions between NATO/US/Europe vs Russia/China/North Korea/Iran/Venezuela/Cuba is truly bringing us to the literal brink of World War III! Each day the war in Ukraine escalates in ferocity and each day we grow closer to all out war with Russia. It is not being dramatic to say we have never been closer to all out nuclear war today than at anytime in previous history! China vs the Philippines an China vs Taiwan is drawing America into conflict in the Pacific theater. HaShem is drawing out His enemies and like a chess board is placing His pieces on the table!

Consider Ezekiel 38:22 which in reference to the Gog and Magog war states “I will punish him with pestilence (Viruses, injuries, plagues) and with blood (War, violence, lawlessness, cruelty); torrential rain and hailstones will punish him (Floods, storms, hurricanes, tornadoes), fire and sulfur (Wildfires, volcanoes, earthquakes) will I rain upon him.” Are we not already witnessing every single one of these today?

Isaiah 11:4 says “He will strike the wicked of the world with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.” This is a direct reference to how Messiah will deal with the wicked once He shows up! The flames of His destruction will completely surround His enemies and none of them will escape!

Tehillim 97:4 “His lightning bolts lit up the world, the inhabitants of the earth saw and tremble.” His lightning bolts apparently have two fold affects on the world. One is to intimidate the wicked into rejecting idolatry and rebellion and finally realize and confess HaShem IS the King and the other is His lightning bolts temporarily light up the path for each of us, figuratively speaking. We all are walking in darkness but when His lightning bolts strike and shine, they illuminate the area, temporarily anyways, and we get a very brief glimpse of where we should be walking. Its also a promise to His people which basically says in the World to Come we will live in His Sight and thus at this time all doubts and misconceptions will be forever banished! Again, may it be so very soon!

Ezekiel 38:19 in reference to this verse in Tehillim says “Surely there will be a great earthquake on that day (The Day of Judgment, the beginning of the Birth Pains) in the Land of Israel. And at My presence, the fishes of the sea will quake….”

Tehillim 97:5 “Mountains melted like wax before HaShem, before the Master of all the earth.” This is an allegory for all the nations of the world who reject HaShem and instead are confident in their military and economic power to save them, will absolutely melt like wax before HaShem and when this happens, their arrogance and pride will be broken and they will submit and acknowledge HaShem is The King of all the creation! Ezekiel 38:20 says “And the mountains will be thrown down, and the cliffs will fall.”

Tehillim 97:6 “The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples saw His glory.” Basically this is stating when all the wicked on the earth are pounded with torrential rains, storms, hailstones, earthquakes, wars, etc, they will admit they were wrong and submit to Him!

Tehillim 97:7 “Humiliated will be all who worship idols, who pride themselves in worthless gods; bow to Him, all you powers.” When the pagans, who have fashioned man made objects to represent something HaShem has created such as the sun, moon, stars, etc. The pagans attribute any success to these false deities! They trust in these man made objects and reject HaShem, Who fashioned all of creation! They deny HaShem exists! An interesting excerpt from Tractate Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah 4:7 discusses the future and says “In the future, all the idols will kneel before HaShem; then they will vanish. Their worshipers will recognize the truth, and they, too will prostrate themselves before the true King, HaShem, Master of Legions!” A cross reference to Isaiah 2:18 says “And the idols will completely pass away.”

Tehillim 97:8 “Zion (Jerusalem) heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah exulted because of Your judgments, HaShem.” The commentary from the Tehillim book published by Artscroll says “When the thunder and lightning roar and the fiery hailstones crash, all the nations will be terrified. But the inhabitants of Zion (Israel) will rejoice, because HaShem is judging their tormentors.” Further, the reference to the daughters of Judah is again pointing to the time when Messiah arrives and since He is a descendant of Judah, all the cities of Judah will rejoice.

Tehillim 97:9 “For You, HaShem, are supreme above all the earth; exceedingly exalted above all powers.” Again, another prophetic promise for when all the idolaters are wiped out and all the pagans have recognized HaShem is the true King, then the whole world will finally be at peace!

Tehillim 97:10 “O lovers of HaShem, despise evil! He guards the lives of His devout ones, from the hand of the wicked He rescues them.” Someone who is striving to walk with HaShem and keep His Torah, is likened to a garden and as such to use the allegory of the Artscroll Tehillim commentary, “A man who seeks to implant the love of HaShem in his heart must uproot every trace of evil from his personality.” It is akin to constantly working to uproot the weeds which keep growing in our gardens. Now, none of us can do this on our own, we MUST have the assistance of HaShem! These weeds are too strong for us to try and handle in our own strength and wisdom. Which is why HaShem promises here He guards the lives of His devout ones, from the hand of the wicked He rescues us! As long as we are devoted to Him and strive, not perfectly, but strive to walk in His Torah, He will see us through to the end!

Tehillim 97:11 “Light is sown for the righteous, and for the upright of heart, gladness.” This here is again another prophecy of the World to Come where the world will return to the state it was at the beginning, in the Garden of Eden, BEFORE Adam sinned……it is here at this time we will finally be at rest and full of gladness.

Tehillim 97:12 “Be glad, O righteous, in HaShem, and give grateful praise at the mention of His Holy Name.” This here is another prophecy for those who belong to HaShem, will give Him praise, and not just any type of praise, grateful praise to Him for not only defeating His enemies, but also for the Final Redemption when Israel is released from the exile!

So, in closing this is just a very quick Op, to hopefully show a little encouragement in a world going utterly mad and tyrannical! HaShem has it all under control and He is quickly moving His pieces on the board in order for the Final Redemption to be completed! May it be so very soon in our days!!

Shabbat Shalom!

SOURCES USED:

Artscroll Tehillim
Judaica Press Tehillim
Tractate Avodah Zarah Talmud Yerushalmi by Artscoll