“Thus said HaShem, Master of Legions: Behold, I am saving My people from the land of the east and from the land where the sun sets; and I will bring them and they will dwell within Jerusalem. They will be a people unto Me and I will be a Elohim unto them, in truth and in righteousness.” Zechariah 8:7
There is significant progress in the efforts to obtain a pure red heifer as commanded by HaShem in Numbers 19 as it relates to the building of the Third Temple, may it be so very soon in our days!
This all said, the main point of this posting is the attached below link to the interview (Recorded in April 2023) conducted by my good friend and teacher Joseph Good of HaTikvah Ministries and the head of Boneh Israel (Building Israel) and the state of the red heifer candidates they currently have in Israel. This interview is almost an hour long and very, very informative and encouraging! HaShem IS moving and time is nearly at hand!! May it be so very soon!!
I will leave it here. “Thus said HaShem, Master of Legions: Let your hands be strong, you who hear these days these words from the mouths of the prophets, which were spoken on the day that the foundation was laid for the Temple of HaShem, Master of Legions, the Sanctuary, to be built.” Zechariah 8:9
“Who can stand before His fury, and who can rise against His burning wrath? His wrath is poured out like fire and rocks become shattered because of Him. HaShem is beneficent, a stronghold on the day of distress, and mindful of those who take refuge in Him.” Nahum 1:6-7
I know, I usually begin each Op pointing out how perilous the days are in which we currently live, but to say that today is just pointless. It is a true statement none of us have seen the world in the current perilous state as it is before us today! World War III is literally just days or weeks away and this is NOT an understatement or an exaggeration! Financial distress keeps increasing each week it seems. The corruption and debauchery in our government and society is beyond description. Idolatry of every imagination is readily available at literally just a click away. Whatever one’s heart desires, can be at their doorstep in a blink of an eye! To sum it up: Right is wrong and wrong is right.
As I put this Op together, we are seven days past Pesach (Passover) 2023. We know the significance of Pesach i.e. the miraculous deliverance and rescuing of Israel from the bondage of Egypt by the Strong Hand of HaShem! But there is so more to it than this in that Pesach is the beginning of redemption but culminates on Shavuot, fifty days later!
What is the significance of these fifty days and why does HaShem command we are to count each day? This will be addressed in the Op, but first and foremost, always remember the following 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
“You shall count for yourselves, from the morrow of the rest day, from the day you bring the Omer of the waving, SEVEN WEEKS, they shall be complete. Until the morrow of the seventh week shall count, FIFTY DAYS; and you shall offer a new meal offering to HaShem.” Leviticus 23:15-16
So you may be asking what the significance of counting these fifty days after Pesach is? The commentary on these verses is enlightening. It says “Unlike all the festivals, Shavuos is not identified as a specific day in the calendar, but as the fiftieth day after the Omer offering (The new barley harvest). Beginning on the second day of Pesach, when that offering is brought, forty nine days are counted, and the next day, the fiftieth, is Shavuos. This recalls the days in the Wilderness immediately after the Exodus, when the Jewish people excitedly counted the days, each day improving and elevating themselves, so that they would be worthy of receiving the Torah. The fact that Shavuos does not have a calendar date of its own, but is attached to Pesach by the seven week count, symbolizes that the freedom of Pesach is not an independent value to Israel, but is significant as the prelude to the giving of the Torah. The count does not begin on the first day of Pesach, because that day is reserved for celebration of the Exodus and its miracles, because that event established undeniably that G-d alone controls nature and changes it at will to suit His purposes.”
In other words, Pesach begins the process of our redemption and deliverance, by miraculous events orchestrated by HaShem, and then we spend the forty nine days counting in an effort to improve our walk with HaShem. It has NOTHING to do with earning or obtaining salvation as many in Christendom constantly accuse me of teaching, salvation has already been given by HaShem i.e. Pesach, now BECAUSE of being saved by Him, we now strive to improve ourselves!
Nothing is a coincidence with HaShem, thus, what is the significance of the number fifty? Per the book Jewish Wisdom in the Numbers it states “The number fifty is the distinguished number of transcendence. The milestone of the 50th is reached after passing through all the necessary stages. Here the cumulative levels combine to arrive at the ultimate level, one that transcends everything that came before it.”
Keep this in mind when examining the Exodus from Egypt! HaShem delivers Israel out of bondage and then forty nine days later brings Israel to Mount Sinai on Shavuos and gives Israel the Torah! This book further says “The momentous event that commemorates the birth of the Children of Israel as a nation was the departure from Egypt. Not only is there a twice daily remembrance of this milestone, but much of the Commandments observance is marked by repeated references to the Exodus. Its central importance is due to this event celebrating the Jewish People’s brand new state of existence. Their deliverance was not only from physical slavery but also from the Egyptian worldview. The Exodus released them from an outlook constrained by the natural realm. The redemption catapulted Israel into an alternate state of reality. They exchanged the restricted for the extraordinary. It was the seminal event that would define what Israel had now become i.e. HaShem’s Chosen People. Their transcendental quality was now evident in the aftermath of their trailblazing liberation. This historic event of the Exodus is mentioned in the Chumash (Five volumes of the Torah) a total of 50 times! And the redemption process which started on the first day of Pesach finally reached its completion stage 50 days later at Sinai. Indeed, HaShem freed the Children of Israel in order that they accept the Torah. The Divine instruction given to Moshe at the burning bush was to lead Israel out of Egypt and bring the nation to serve HaShem at that mountain!”
We see here the redemption process BEGAN at Pesach and then culminated at Mount Sinai on Shavuos when HaShem gave Israel His Torah! Now, as I have been recently accused by the Christians of teaching death, destruction, deception and bondage i.e. the Torah of HaShem, is it then possible HaShem delivers Israel from bondage, brings them to Mount Sinai on Shavuos and then shackles Israel with an even greater, more destructive bondage called the Torah? Shaking my head in disgust! The only way to make this foundational doctrine of Replacement Theology work is for HaShem to be a liar and a fraud! We know without a doubt HaShem is absolute truth and purity! I digress.
There are 613 Mitzvos (Commandments) in the Torah. Number 306 is ‘The Obligation of Counting the Omer’ per Leviticus 23:15-16. Counting the Omer is when we each acknowledge each day as the weeks draw closer to Shavuos i.e. the 50th day after Pesach! I will include in this Op a Counting of the Omer calendar for 2023 published by Chabad. You will then see exactly what Counting the Omer looks like!
The Book of the Mitzvos discusses #306 i.e. The Obligation of Counting the Omer. It states “Among the underlying purposes of the mitzvah, according to the basic understanding, is its focus on the anticipation of the day of our receiving the Torah. For the sole purpose of Israel is its adherence to the Torah, and, in fact, it is for the sake of the Torah that the heavens and earth, and Israel were all created, as it is written per Jeremiah 33:26 ‘If not for My covenant of day and night, I would not have established the statutes of heaven and earth.’ This is the purpose and the reason for which the Jewish people were redeemed and went out of Egypt, namely, so as to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai and fulfill it; as HaShem said to Moshe at the Burning Bush on Mount Sinai, when He sent him to redeem the Jewish people per Exodus 3:12.”
Did you catch that? All of HaShem’s creation is created solely for the sake of His Torah!! Now does it make much more sense as to why the Adversary works so hard to convince people His Torah is the epitome of death, destruction, bondage and deception as most of Christendom teaches today? If the Adversary can get people to separate themselves from HaShem’s Torah, then people cannot know HaShem and certainly cannot know the Messiah of HaShem i.e. Yeshua. Moving on.
The commentary referencing Jeremiah 33:26 is very enlightening. It says “The covenant of day and night refers to the Torah which must be studied day and night, as per the verse in Joshua 1:8 ‘And you shall contemplate it day and night.’ Accordingly this verse is understood to mean that were it not for the Torah studied by the Jewish people day and night, HaShem would not have established the statutes of heaven and earth. The Torah thus gives purpose to the heavens, the earth, and the Jewish people!”
The commentary from the Book of the Mitzvos goes on and says “Now, because of this, that is, since the Torah is the sole purpose of Israel, and it is on account of the Torah that they were redeemed from Egypt and elevated to all the heights that they attained, we are therefore commanded to count from the day after the first Yom Tov day of Pesach, which is the day of the Exodus, up until the day of the giving of the Torah. This is dome so that we internalize the great desire for that honored day, which is longed for in our hearts. We are thus like a slave who awaits the evening shade, who continuously counts , wondering when the time for which he longs, the time at which he will go free shall arrive. The act of counting indicates to the person that his entire yearning and his entire desire is to reach that time toward which he is counting.”
Again, we see the connection between redemption and the Torah! First we are redeemed i.e. saved, and THEN HaShem gives us His Torah to know how to live and walk in service unto Him BECAUSE we are saved! With this said thus far, does the concept of the Messiah of HaShem dying on Pesach to free His people from the Torah make any sense what so ever? Obviously its utter and complete demonic Replacement Theology nonsense!
Why is this so important today in 2023? Well, in my opinion, since HaShem reveals the end from the beginning and there is nothing new under the sun, we acknowledge Pesach and the beginning of our redemption and then count 49 days i.e. Counting the Omer, getting ourselves ready for Shavuos on the 50th day in which we receive His Torah i.e. the culmination of freedom! Is it possible HaShem could act this Shavuos and freedom be more literal than spiritual i.e. the Final Redemption? I cannot say it won’t or cannot happen as only HaShem knows when that day will come, but judging by world events around us, I believe that day is very rapidly approaching!
May it be so very soon in our days!!!
SOURCE MATERIALS
The Book of the Mitzvot by Artscroll
The Chumash with the Teachings of the Talmud by Artscroll
“You who fear HaShem! Trust in HaShem! He is their help and their shield!” Psalms 115:11
We are living in great and perilous times, unlike anytime in our lifetimes! We very literally are on the cusp of World War III and that is NOT an exaggeration! The level of debauchery and rebellion against HaShem within societies around the globe has reached the Days of Noah level or perhaps even surpassed that level, in my opinion anyways!
A few times a week I will peruse the various Christian blogs, not looking for an argument, but simply to get a tone for what is being spewed out of the pulpits today and it is shocking! The level of outright disdain, disgust and dare I say hatred of HaShem and His Torah is astounding! Why do I bring this up? Because the deeper the world falls into chaos, is again in my opinion, directly connected to the Replacement Theology doctrine being spewed from the pulpits. Lawlessness (Without the Torah) will increase in the Last Days and it certainly is today, without question!
One of the common complaints/teachings from various leaders within Christendom today is the Torah of HaShem is literally evil! The Torah is the source of death and destruction and anyone who attempts to learn the Torah has forfeited their salvation and is destined for the deepest, darkest pits of Hell (No joke!). Further, they teach the Torah is what deceives and is the main reason why ‘Jesus’ came, was to keep the Torah, so humanity would no longer be bound to these chains of bondage and death! And then these same teachers will claim their ‘Jesus’ is G-d in the flesh, the very G-d Who gave the Torah, Who says His Torah is good, a tree of life, Who never changes, Who reveals the end from beginning and does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets. If this is the case, then this ‘Jesus’ character is either a master deceiver and a liar or he is bi-polar and needs to be put on medication (Sarcasm)!
My point for starting this Op off citing this, is to once again show the massive deception of Replacement Theology is out there and its growing by the day! Consider the so called ‘revival’ going on at the various colleges around America today! Is it legitimate? Not a chance! Match what is happening there to what we read in the Tanakh and the Apostolic Writings and can assure you they do NOT match up! Its all part of the conditioning of the masses to accept the False Messiah when he comes on the world scene, which I believe is very soon to happen. I believe this man is already on the world scene today, just waiting for the moment to be propelled to his place of global power and who will he claim to be or claim to come in the name of? Jesus Christ!
This all said, this weeks Torah portion, as I prepare this Op, is Tetzaveh, found in Exodus 27:20-30:10/I Samuel 15:2-34. Last weeks Torah portion i.e. Terumah, cites the foundational verse which sets the tone for the rest of Scripture….Exodus 25:8 “They shall make a Sanctuary (Mishkan) for Me, so that I may dwell among them!” The Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the Mikdash (Temple), are interchangeable and one in the same and the center of just about everything discussed in His Word! Keep this in mind as we proceed, but as always, never forget what HaShem says about Who He is and His eternal characteristics:
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 Temple in Jerusalem is over, done away with and has been replaced by the Church! The only reason for the Temple in Jerusalem in the Last Days is for the Antichrist!” Very common statement from Replacement Theology doctrine today which has absolutely zero truth to it!
To continue on from Exodus 25 above, Exodus 25:9 says “Like everything I show you (Moshe), the form (Tavnit/Blueprint) of the Mishkan, and the form (Tavnit/Blueprint) of all its implements; AND SO SHALL YOU DO!” So, we see HaShem is the One Who is giving Moshe the blueprints of everything concerning the Mishkan/Mikdash! But it is here in this seemingly insignificant statement at the end which He says ‘And so shall you do!’ which in Hebrew means ‘You do it EXACTLY as HaShem has shown to do and you may not deviate at all, it must be exact!’ Further, in Hebrew, this verse has the letter ‘Vav’ in it. The letter ‘Vav’ the sixth letter of the Hebrew alphabet, which according to Rashi, changes the tense of the command from just applying to the generation of Moshe’s day, but applies to EVERY generation, to include ours today in 2023 and beyond! Consider that!!! If you are reading this Op, this command to build the Mishkan/Mikdash applies to you right now!
The term ‘Mishkan/Mikdash’ are both interchangeable terms. Shevuos 16b from the Talmud Bavli states “It is well with your assertion that the Temple is sometimes called a Tabernacle, for it is written ‘And I will place My Tabernacle in your midst’, which refers to the Temple as well. Leviticus 26:11. From this we see that any dwelling for the Divine Presence that is placed among you is called Mishkan. This includes both the Tabernacle and the Temple. Moreover, this verse is a promise of a future establishment of a Tabernacle, whereas the Tabernacle of the Wilderness had already been erected by the time this verse was said to Moshe. Hence, what Mishkan was HaShem promising to place among them in the future if not the Temple that was eventually to be built in Jerusalem? Thus we see the Torah refers to the Temple as Mishkan.”
So, the question must be asked, ‘Is the Torah and the Temple of HaShem meant to benefit HaShem when we obey Him?’ Can man do anything to provide something for HaShem? Absolutely NOT! HaShem is One and He has everything and has need of nothing! So, why then does He command man to obey His Torah and to build Him a Mikdash? Deuteronomy 10:12-13 sums it up best “Now, O Israel, what does HaShem, your Elohim, ask of you? Only to fear HaShem, your Elohim, to go in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve HaShem your Elohim, with all your heart and with all your soul. To observe the commandments of HaShem and His decrees which I command you today, FOR YOUR BENEFIT!”
An excerpt from the Book of the Mitzvos #95 addresses this question and says “HaShem is not requesting anything from you when commanding that you observe His mitzvos; rather, due to His great goodness, He desires to bestow goodness upon you, so all that He asks of you is for your benefit. Deuteronomy 10:14 states ‘Behold! To HaShem your Elohim are the Heavens and the Highest Heavens, the earth and everything that is in it.’ That is to say, He has no need for your performance of mitzvos, since everything is His; rather, it is due to His love for you that He commanded you to perform them, so as to provide you with merit.In short, the reason HaShem gave us His mitzvos is to enable us to attain closeness to Him and benefit from His goodness.”
So, does the Sovereign of the Universe, actually require humanity to build for Him a structure for Him to dwell in or is He using this command force us to interact with Him and learn concepts we would normally shrug off? Continuing from the Book of the Mitzvos #95 says “And now that we have reached this conclusion with regard to the mitzvos of HaShem, blessed is He, in general, it compels us to say further that our constructing a Temple dedicated to HaShem, blessed be He, and our conducting of prayers and offerings in it before Him, are all in order to prepare the hearts of man to be focused upon His service, may He be exalted. It is not because He needs to dwell among men or to come beneath the shelter of their roof, even if they should construct it most fittingly, with cedars of Lebanon or with cypress. Indeed, the Heavens and Highest Heavens cannot contain Him, and they, in fact, exist only by His Will! Surely, then, is it absurd to think that a building constructed by man would be able to contain Him, or that His Honor should need such a building; Heaven forbid the thought! Thus, the matter is most obvious and clear, that all this is commanded in order to improve our corporeal nature; for physical entities become improved through the actions and through consistently performing them, the thoughts of the heart become purified, cleansed, and refined. It follows that since HaShem wishes for the betterment of His creations, as we have said, He therefore commanded us to establish a place that is pure and spiritually clean, with the ultimate degree of cleanliness, so that the thoughts of men should be purified there and so that their hearts should become attuned toward Him there.”
Again, we see HaShem gives these commands to keep His Torah and to build Him a Mikdash, not for His benefit, but for ours!! And why? Because His Torah and His Mikdash teach us of Who He is and what kedushah (Holiness/being set apart to Him) is truly like! In other words, we grow in our walk with Him by learning, studying and walking in His Ways. We will know Who He is and we will know His Agent i.e. Messiah Yeshua, Who teaches only HaShem’s doctrine and HaShem says both His Torah and Temple are eternal! Messiah CANNOT be someone who teaches the Torah and Temple are now tossed out and replaced, its biblically impossible! Keep this in mind!
The Book of the Mitzvos #95 further says “Within the confines of the purity and sanctity (Kedushah) of the Beis HaMikdash (Temple), man elevates his perspective and nurtures an ability to recognize HaShem’s Attributes and to engage in mitzvos OUT OF LOVE for Him.” So, not out of some religious rote do we pursue HaShem, but out of love, devotion and loyalty to Him and how is that done? Only one way! The Torah and the Temple! Yeshua taught exactly the same doctrine as the Agent of HaShem!
Why did HaShem choose the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as THE PLACE to put His Name and Throne on earth? The continued commentary from the Book of the Mitzvot #95 says “HaShem, blessed is He, chose the specific location of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple), and prepared it for the betterment of man. Perhaps He chose this location because it is precisely the center of the world, and the center is more select than the edges, or, perhaps He chose it for some other reason that may exist. Blessed is He, Who knows the reason!”
Hilchot Beit HaBechirah 2.2 from the Mishneh Torah addresses this and says “It is universally accepted that the place on which David and Solomon built the Altar, the threshing floor of Onan, is the location where Abraham built the Altar on which he prepared Isaac for offering. Noah built an altar at that location when he left the ark. It was also the place of the Altar on which Cain and Abel brought offerings. Similarly, Adam, the first man, offered an offering there and was created from the place where he would find atonement.” Once again, we see HaShem is unchanging and He reveals the end from the beginning!
Now does it make much more sense why He commands us in Ezekiel 43:10-11 for us to learn EVERYTHING i.e. Blueprints, gates, structures, services, garments, offerings, functions about His Temple? In doing so we will become ashamed of our sins and truly repent and seek His Face out of love, devotion and loyalty!! I can attest to how studying His Temple has drastically changed my life and my walk and understanding of HaShem and certainly the Apostolic Writings! Now, the Apostolic Writings make sense and fit perfectly within the Tanakh! Further, what Paul teaches in that Christendom has so horribly distorted, ‘We are the Temple of HaShem’! In other words, we are to take what we learn in the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem and apply those principles to our lives and live them out in service to HaShem!
This all said, I am embedding the following video from my great friend and teacher Joseph Good of HaTikvah Ministries. This video was recorded 28 Feb 2023 and is from Joe’s weekly Chavurah teaching every Tuesday night on his website. This video entitled ‘Build Me a Mikdash’ discusses the Mishkan/Mikdash extensively and ties in with this Op (Used with Joe’s permission):
“If one turns his ear aside from hearing the Torah, his prayer, too, will be considered an abomination.” Proverbs 28:9
Everyone one of us today in this life at some point or another will be challenged in some way or another and at some point all of us will be confronted with a situation likened to the Bitter Waters! What am I referring too? This Op is going to address this…I hope anyways. For your information: This weeks Torah portion, as I prepare this Op, is ‘Beshalach’ found in Exodus 13:17-17:16 and it is here the Bitter Waters are discussed!
What is the single most common objection uttered today from Replacement Theology Christendom as it pertains to the Torah of HaShem? “Oh, you are teaching a works based salvation, one must keep the Torah in order to earn their salvation!” This accusation is absolutely, one hundred thousand percent false! HaShem reveals this many times and through many different ways in His Word via different persons, circumstances and challenges. First, He saves, THEN He presents His Torah, not to obtain salvation, but BECAUSE we are saved so we can know Him, know how to serve Him and know how to live in this life here and now with regards to how we interact with others!
We will see this concept shortly as it pertains to the Bitter Waters. However, as always, never forget the eternal, unchanging characteristics of HaShem as He reveals Himself in 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
In order to fully understand what the significance is regarding the topic of this Op i.e. the Bitter Waters, we first must completely understand HaShem’s Torah is likened to fresh, clean, drinkable water! Isaiah 55:1 says “Ho, everyone who is thirsty, go to the water (Torah), even one with no money, go, buy and eat; go and buy wine and milk (Torah is likened to wine and milk) without money and without price.” The commentary on this verse says “Water is a metaphor for Torah and wisdom, for just as the world cannot exist without water, it cannot exist without the Torah. Furthermore, just as one who is thirsty yearns for water, a wise soul yearns for Torah and wisdom. Torah is compared to water to teach that just as water leaves heights and flows to lower places, Torah wisdom can only remain in one who is humble. A humble person realizes that he has much to learn. He will not let pride prevent him from learning from others or from asking questions that will expose his lack of knowledge.” Keep this in mind!
With this said, lets jump into examining the topic of this Op. At this point in the Torah portion, HaShem has miraculously delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage, brought them through the Sea of Reeds, drowned the Egyptian army and is leading them into the Wilderness. Israel is singing and praising HaShem for His miracles, kindness and salvation! On a quick side note, notice already, if we are paying attention, we would see through this example of the Exodus from Egypt, HaShem FIRST saves and THEN He offers the Torah after salvation has been granted. He didn’t Tell Israel, “Here is My Torah, if you do it perfectly for a month, I will deliver you!” What He did say is He would first deliver Israel, destroy Egypt, take Israel to Himself as His people and then offer them the Torah! Once more destroys Christendom’s anti-Torah doctrine! Moving on.
Exodus 15:22-24 says “Moshe caused Israel to journey from the Sea of Reeds and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur; they went for a THREE DAY period in the Wilderness, but they did not find water. They came to Marah (Hebrew Word meaning ‘Bitter’), but they could not drink the waters of Marah, because they were bitter (Poisonous); therefore they called its name Marah. The people complained against Moshe, saying, ‘What shall we drink?'”
There is much to glean from these verses which we can apply to our lives today and I will explain. Understand, at this point in the Wilderness, Israel still had not received the whole Torah yet, but HaShem had given them bits and pieces to hold onto, study, learn and apply to their lives.
The commentary on these verses are very enlightening. It says “The word ‘Water’ hints to Torah. Thus, when our pasuk (Verse) says that the Jews went for a three day period…but they did not find water, it means that they went three days without studying Torah. Since they did not study Torah for three days, they became spiritually exhausted.”
One of the concepts of the Exodus from Egypt which we can apply to each of ourselves today is the concept of Egypt representing our ‘Yetzer Hara’ i.e. our Evil Inclination, in which we are constantly battling against and enslaved too every day. The ‘Yetzer Hara’ is what each of us today battles down i.e. fending off temptations, giving in to sin in all its disastrous forms! Did Israel destroy Egypt themselves through their own efforts? Of course not! It was HaShem Who destroyed Egypt and delivered Israel because only He can do so! Baruch HaShem!! Just like the Egyptians, our Yetzer Hara seeks to keep each of us separated from HaShem and certainly wants us to steer clear and reject His Torah and why? Consider this little nugget from the Chumash on Exodus 15:22 which says “The ONLY way to overcome the Yetzer Hara is by studying Torah! Since the Jews did not study Torah for three days, they became exhausted and could not fight against their Yetzer Hara!” Thus what happened? Per Exodus 15:24 it says “The people complained against Moshe, saying, ‘What shall we drink?'”
Here is Israel, they have just experienced and witnessed HaShem’s miraculous deliverance from Egypt, HaShem has destroyed Egypt, led Israel through the Sea of Reeds and provided for and sustained Israel, and what is their response to the Bitter Waters? They complain against Moshe! They should have trusted in HaShem to provide a way!
How many times have we been in a situation, which is extremely nerve wracking, our stress is through the roof because we don’t know how the situation can be resolved in our favor, and HaShem suddenly acts in a manner we didn’t even think of, and then just a few days later, we are already complaining against Him? I know personally I have fallen into that trap many, many times and then feel horrible afterwards because I know I have failed Him once more. I had allowed my weak, fleshly desires i.e. my Yetzer Hara get the better of me. But, thank HaShem, His mercies are fresh and anew every morning. This doesn’t give a free license to sin, on the contrary, we are to strive to fight off our Yetzer Hara and hold onto the hope in HaShem, in which one day, hopefully soon, the Final Redemption will occur and we will be forever delivered from the bondage of our Egypt i.e. Yetzer Hara!
This doesn’t in any way diminish what Yeshua accomplished on Pesach (Passover) with His death and resurrection, on the contrary it further explains what He did! He didn’t die to release us from the Torah, if He claimed to do so, He just disqualified Himself as being Messiah and would qualify as the Adversary. In reality, He died as the Agent of HaShem to restore and renew the marriage contract between HaShem and His bride i.e. Israel! Keep this in mind as we proceed.
Consider what Tractate Bava Kamma 82a from the Talmud Bavli says “The Gemara teaches that the Evil Inclination renews itself and threatens to overpower a person every day. Nevertheless, HaShem provided the Torah as an antidote. However, when a person goes three days without learning the Torah, he becomes spiritually exhausted i.e. weakened, and then even Torah study will not readily enable him to break the Evil Inclination’s grip.”
So, here is Moshe, standing with Israel, at the spring of bitter water, has absolutely no idea what to do or how to fix the issue. The people need water desperately and so he calls out to HaShem for help. Exodus 15:25 says “He (Moshe) cried out to HaShem, and HaShem showed him a tree; he threw it into the water and the water became sweet. There He established for the nation a decree and an ordinance, and there He tested it.”
What is HaShem teaching us here through this verse? Moshe was shown a tree, HaShem commanded Moshe to take a branch and throw it into the Bitter Waters and the waters became sweet i.e. pure, clean and drinkable! This tree is a picture of the Tree of Life and the Torah of HaShem!! He says His Torah is an eternal Tree of Life to those who take hold of it per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160!
Now here is the crux of the matter: Exodus 15:26 says “He (HaShem) said, ‘If you (Israel) hearken diligently to the Voice of HaShem, your Elohim, and do what is just in His eyes, give ear to His commandments and observe all His decrees, then any of the diseases that I placed in Egypt, I will not bring upon you, for I am HaShem, your Healer.'”
The commentary on this verse says “HaShem promises, any of the diseases I placed in Egypt, I will not bring upon you, for I am HaShem, your Healer. But if HaShem will not bring diseases upon the Jews, there is no need to heal anything. So why did HaShem say, for I am your Healer? This phrase is a continuation of the beginning of the verse, ‘If you will hearken diligently to the Voice of HaShem.’ The verse means, if you will hearken, etc, then, any of the diseases I placed in Egypt I will not bring upon you. But if you will not listen to Me, I will place these diseases upon you. Nevertheless, once you repent and obey My commands I will cure those diseases, for I am HaShem, your Healer.”
So, very quickly, what is the gist of this Op? The gist is the fact we all, no matter who we are, or where we are at, WILL come into phases of our lives where we will be faced with having to drink the Bitter Waters and will see no other way. Our choices are to complain and search to go back where we came from or stop, take a breath, remember Who HaShem is and all of His eternal, unchanging characteristics, and call out to Him for help. He will then answer and He will make a way to purify those Bitter Waters, and make them clean and drinkable in only the way He can!
Will we follow Him diligently and consistently? Sadly no, we won’t, because we are still weak and succumb to our Yetzer Hara! Our hope is in Him while our salvation is secure in Messiah Yeshua! Remember, FIRST He saves/redeems and THEN He offers His Torah! I can guarantee you, when you first start looking into the Torah of HaShem, it truly is and very literally like drinking in a glass of cold, fresh, sweet water, in which you will realize you knew you have been missing something in life, but you never knew what it was until that moment! Then from that moment on, you drink more and more and you see, you want more and more!
Consider this last thought from the book I have entitled ‘My Father, My King’ which states “Hear your Father, your King, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, saying to you: ‘When you are engaged in doing My will, the difficulty increases the merit of your deeds. If it is difficult for you to study Torah and you do so anyway, the difficulty increases the reward. If you are trying to pray and find it difficult, the difficulty increases the reward. If you try to do an act of kindness and it is difficult, the difficulty increases the reward. The more difficult it is for you to do My will, the greater the love for Me that your deeds express. And the reward will be commensurate. When it is difficult to do a mitzvah, realize that I am the One Who has created the difficulty. And just as it is I Who created that difficulty, I also created your ability to overcome it. Ask Me for My help and I will be with you. With My help no obstacle will be too difficult for you to overcome. No mountain will be too high and no river will be too wide to keep you away from doing My will.'”
Much to consider.
SOURCE MATERIALS:
The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research
My Father, My King by Artscroll
Talmud Bavli by Artscroll
The Prophets by Artscroll
The Milstein Edition of The Chumash with the teaching of the Talmud by Artscroll
“He who loves purity of heart, and whose lips are gracious, the King (HaShem) is his friend.” Proverbs 22:11
Corruption, deceit, lies, robbery, treachery, violence, immorality, debauchery, wickedness and fury. All of these words describes life in 2023, wouldn’t you agree? Probably many more adjectives could be added if we were to dwell on this more. No doubt, the state of the world today in 2023 is beyond what any of us could have imagined thirty years ago and it seems to fall more and more each and every day.
You may be thinking this is a very depressing way to begin a new Op, but I thought it to be important to acknowledge reality and to understand and accept that yes, life is indescribably bad for many people today, and as such, we each, myself included, need something to remind us in the face of this reality of just Who HaShem is and He has NOT forgotten us, hope still applies to each of us today! We just need help in seeing it and grabbing onto it! This will be a short Op as well.
I thought it best to integrate the most recent Torah portions into this Op i.e. Parashot Va’era and Bo, both of which encompass Shemot (Exodus) 6:2-13:16 and deeply describes the conditions in which Israel, living in slavery and bondage in Egypt, cried out to HaShem for deliverance and He heard their cries and acted. In His acting against Egypt, He levied a total of TEN specific judgments upon Egypt and their leader i.e. Pharaoh and shielded His people Israel at the same time. It is during these ten judgments He smashes and destroys the most powerful nation, economically and militarily, on the planet, and brings His people out and to Himself….hint hint hint!
We will be discussing these ten judgments among other important aspects of the number ten in His Word throughout this Op, but first, always remember and never lose hold of the following Scriptural facts of Who HaShem is:
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
One of the most important verses to hold onto regarding how HaShem manages and rules His creation is found in Isaiah 46:10 which says “From the beginning I foretell the outcome (End), and from earlier times, what has not yet been, but I say and My plan will stand, and I will carry out My every desire.”
This verse here in Isaiah 46:10 absolutely destroys Christian Replacement Theology and thank HaShem it does! If HaShem reveals the end from the beginning, then how can the beginning be tossed away with and replaced with something brand new? Its utterly impossible! Keep this in mind as we proceed because it will be very important!
When reading HaShem Word from the beginning and all throughout the Tanakh (Erroneously called the Old Testament), we see the number ten shows up beyond calculation. HaShem must be communicating something to us, if we will just take the time to explore and learn!
A book I have titled ‘Jewish Wisdom in the Numbers’ by Levene Hartman and published by Artscroll, is an amazing book and based upon the Tanakh and the Talmud, both sets i.e. Talmud Bavli and Talmud Yerushalmi. Let’s explore the significance of the number ten and see how each instance of its revealing is used and what HaShem may be telling us, especially how it may apply to each of us today in 2023!
The number ten as revealed by HaShem relates to an integrated system, meaning a full set of individual parts combines to make up a communal whole! Ten typifies kedushah (Holiness) as there are ten levels of kedushah, each level requiring a higher level of sanctity the closer one approaches to His Throne and the resting place of HaShem’s Divine Presence (Shechinah) in the Most Holy Place in the Temple. Ten is the pathway to reach spiritual perfection and to the World to Come. Ten is the basis of the Jewish (Biblical) numbering system. Now this seems kind of overwhelming, but hang on.
In the Tanakh it is recorded for us in Hebrew, HaShem spoke ten utterances in bringing forth all of Creation! The following from the ‘Perkei Avos’ (Ethics of our Fathers) 5.1 says “With ten utterances the world was created. The Rambam enumerates the ten Divine Utterances used to create our world. If you count the times the verse says ‘And He said’, Bereishis (Genesis) does not describe an utterance per se, it alludes to the creation of the heavens and the earth. It is as if the verse states that HaShem ‘said’ to create the heavens and the earth, for they too, needed an utterance to come into existence. We may ask, though, why does the Torah not say explicitly, ‘HaShem said that there should be a heaven and an earth?’ Why was the creation of the heavens and the earth different? The heavens and the earth, with everything in them, were brought into existence from complete and total nothingness right away, on the first day of Creation. The Hebrew word ‘Bara’ used in the first verse of the Torah hints at this, for it connotes a creation of something from nothing, as opposed to all the latter utterances, that are expressed as ‘And He said…’, which connotes something formed from an already existing entity. This follows the opinion of Rabbi Nechemiah, that on the first day of Creation the entire world came into being.” So, with ten utterances, HaShem brought forth the heavens and the earth and spread them out over six days!
The first generations of mankind were themselves grouped into two sets of ten i.e. ten generations from Adam to Noach and ten generations from Noach to Abraham! Remember, ten generations from Adam to Noach and then the flood which wiped out the earth because of sin! Perkei Avos 5.2 says “There were ten generations from Adam to Noach, to show the degree of His patience; for all those generations angered Him increasingly, until He brought upon them the waters of the Flood.”
Perkei Avos 5.4 says “Our forefather Abraham was tested with ten trials, and he withstood them all, to show the degree of our forefather Abraham’s love for HaShem!” Why is this so important? Because the Torah teaches us Abraham was the one who saved the world after HaShem had waited for so many generations. Abraham taught the world to do teshuvah (Repentance) and spread HaShem’s Name throughout Creation, something Adam was to do. This was the purpose for HaShem creating man in the first place i.e. to spread His Name throughout the world and to reflect the image of HaShem! Hint hint hint!! I seem to recall Yeshua being referred too as The Second Adam i.e. to reflect the image of HaShem and spread His Name while encouraging and teaching people to do teshuvah! Can you see, nothing changed and HaShem reveals the end from the beginning?
This weeks Torah portion i.e. Parashot Bo which is found in Shemot (Exodus) 10:1-13:16 and continues to give the account of how HaShem delivered Israel from the bondage and slavery of Egypt. He uses His Creation to wage war on His enemies, specifically ten judgments which are in order as follows:
Blood
Frogs
Lice
Wild Animals
Pestilence
Boils
Hailstones
Locusts
Darkness
Death of the Firstborn
The Egyptians had deified all of creation and completely rejected HaShem, therefore HaShem used these elements of His Creation to show them the folly of their idolatry. Further it was to show them there is only One True King Who rules over all of His Creation and can use any element of His Creation for His purposes and there is nothing mankind can do about it!
What is astounding is the Ten Utterances of Creation correspond to these ten plagues which fell upon Egypt! The First Utterance of Creation i.e. ‘In the Beginning’ is the inverse of the Tenth Plague i.e. the Death of the Firstborn! The Second Utterance of Creation i.e. the creation of light is the inverse of the Ninth Plague i.e. Darkness!
Perkei Avos 5.5 tells us “Ten miracles were performed for our ancestors in Egypt, and ten miracles at the Sea. Ten plagues did the Holy One, Blessed is He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten miracles at the Sea.”
All of these miracles were done to prepare Israel for meeting with HaShem at Mount Sinai where He would offer His Torah to the world, and they rejected it. He then offers His Torah to Israel who accept it. His Torah is condensed into the Ten Commandments which encapsulates the entirety of His Torah! We now know, it is through His Torah, which He uses as the tool to bring about His Creation!! Again, another gigantic example how His Torah cannot be done away with as Christendom teaches because to do away with Torah would be to destroy Creation!
Other examples of ten in His Word includes the Tenth Day of the month of Tishrei i.e. Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year! Prior to that, there are the Ten Days of Awe (Teshuvah) which begin at sunset on Rosh HaShanah and end on Yom Kippur!
During the Yom Kippur Temple Service performed by the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest), he utters the Four Letter Divine Name of HaShem a total of ten times…….Remember Yom Kippur is the most holy annual Feast of the year.
The tenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter ‘Yod’. Per the book ‘The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet’ published by Artscroll, it defines the letter Yod as the following: “The symbol of creation and the metaphysical. It is the numerical value of ten. Isaiah 26:4 says ‘For with His Name (Yah), HaShem is the Rock of the universe.’ Tractate Menachos 29b from the Talmud Bavli states ‘HaShem created the universe with the letters Yod and Hey which form the Divine Name ‘Yah’. With the letter Yod He created The World to Come and with the letter Hey He created this world.”
Remember, Yeshua Himself carries on this theme and likens the Kingdom of HaShem to ten virgins per Matthew 25 who carry their lamps going out to search for the Bridegroom.
Ten connects to creation, to deliverance and to HaShem and His Torah!! All of which we are commanded to remember and hold onto in our lives so we are not overwhelmed and overcome by the stress, frustration, anxiety, anger, debauchery, corruption and filth which we all are being constantly inundated with!
Can you see the mastery HaShem has over all of His creation just by this simple number ten and all it represents? If He reveals the end from the beginning, He is unchanging, and there is nothing new under the sun, then during this weeks Torah portion i.e. Bo, in which we read about HaShem using TEN plagues to deliver His people, then can we derive hope and confidence today HaShem will do so once again and very soon? Can we see these specific plagues HaShem uses against Egypt once more emerging in the world and America today?
Studying and learning His Torah and His Temple and then striving to apply what we are learning into our lives is the ONLY way we can develop a relationship with HaShem and know Who He is and know Who His Messiah really is. It has nothing to do with salvation, its all about relationship and in doing so, developing hope and confidence in Him in these very dark and troubling times we live in!
“I rejoice over Your Word, like one who finds abundant spoils. I hate falsehood and I abhor it, but Your Torah I love.” Psalms 119:162-163
HaShem, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Elohim of Israel, is awesome, wonderous, beyond our limited comprehension and yet He desires to have a deep, personal relationship with each individual person. Sadly, we all succumb to our Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination) and embrace our sinful, fleshly desires, rather than pursue developing a deep, personal relationship with Him. But, we are a work in progress! This is precisely why Shir HaShirim is my most favorite book of the Tanakh (Erroneously called the Old Testament), because this book shows us just how much HaShem desires and pursues His Bride i.e. Israel!
This book also reveals what exactly Yeshua did when He completed His mission as HaShem’s Agent on Pesach (Passover). Was it to end the Torah, change the Feasts of HaShem, change Shabbat, render the Temple obsolete and replace Israel with Christendom and the Church? No, absolutely not. Only the False Messiah, whose nature and main characteristic is all about change, claims to have done all that under his doctrine i.e. Replacement Theology.
This all said, this Op will be a direct continuation from the previous Op which discussed Shir HaShirim chapter five, verses 1-2. Like that Op, there is an enormous amount of information we will be covering and I hope I can capture the remaining verses of chapter five in this one Op.
Keep all this in mind as we continue to explore chapter five of Shir HaShirim. But as always, never forget the following eternal characteristics of HaShem:
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
Shir HaShirim 5:3 says:“I have doffed my robe of devotion; how can I don it? I have washed my feet that trod Your path; how can I soil them?” This is Israel responding to HaShem’s knocking on the door as shown in verses one and two.
The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary says “Continuing the metaphor, Israel reacts to HaShem’s knocking on the door with the following rationale: I had already taken off my robe, how shall I don it? I had already washed my feet, how can I soil them? Allegorically, ‘I had already accustomed myself to the service of other gods and I had even accepted their ways as proper, how can I possibly return to HaShem?’ The verse in the literal sense reflects of thoughts of a straying wife who wished not to open the door for her husband.”
“Hearing the above reply, the Sovereign of the Universe replied to them through the prophets: ‘And as for Me, I have already removed My Presence from your midst. How then can I return, seeing that you have done these evil things? And having cleansed My feet of your uncleanness, how can I soil them in your midst through your wicked actions?'”
“Metzudas David explains this as one, who, ready to retire, is reluctant to dress again. Allegorically he refers it to the Jews in Babylon who became acculturated in their new country and were not well disposed towards sustaining the hardships of travel back to Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel).”
Why this catches my attention is because remember HaShem says there is nothing new under the sun and that which has been is that which shall be per Ecclesiastes 1:9? Babylon is today the United States, no doubt, hands down! And just like then, many Jews who live in the US today are not only eligible but also strongly encouraged to return to the Land of Israel today, but many are too comfortable in Babylon and have ended up embracing idolatry and other gods.
The Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah has an interesting perspective on this verse. It says “I have taken off my robe, how shall I don it? On the day when the wicked Nebuchadnezzar (Of Babylon) fought against Israel and destroyed the Temple, he stripped off two great garments from them i.e. the priestly vestments, which could no longer be used, and the garments of royalty, which was now defunct.”
“I have washed my feet, how shall I soil them? The phrase I have washed my feet means, I have cleansed myself from the filth of idolatry; I knew that the very dust of that place (Babylon) could lure me to idol worship. Nevertheless, although I had my precious garments taken from me, My Beloved sent for His hand from the opening i.e. He extended His hand to me and brought the Babylonian exile to an end.”
The Shir HaShirim Judaica Press commentary on this verse says “I have already accustomed myself to other ways; I can no longer return to You, as it is stated quoting Jeremiah 44:18 ‘But since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven, etc….’, for these ways were proper in their eyes, and the expression, ‘I have taken off my tunic….I have bathed my feet,’ is the language of an adulterous wife, who does not wish to open the door for her husband. And since Scripture commenced with the language of, ‘I sleep…Hark! My Beloved is knocking,’ it concludes with an expression apropos to an expression of knocking at the door at the time of retiring to sleep at night.”
“Mezudath David explains: ‘And I replied to Him: Behold, I have already taken off my tunic in order to retire. How will I put it on again? That involves much trouble. Moreover, before going to bed, I bathed my feet. How can I soil them by walking on the ground to open the door for you? Allegorically, Israel says: I was too lazy to go up to Jerusalem, because I was already settled in Babylon, and that land pleased me so much that I did not wish to take the trouble to travel to Jerusalem.”
Again, today, the same excuses are made from some, obviously not all of the Jews in Babylon (USA) who refuse to go back to the Land of Israel, even though HaShem has opened the doors for the return! This in turn causes me to want to know exactly what Jeremiah 44:18 is referring too as it relates to Israel in Babylon offering incense to the Queen of Heaven and do we see something similar today in Babylon (USA)?
Jeremiah 7:18 says “The sons gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough, to make pastries in honor of the QUEEN OF HEAVEN and to pour out libations to the gods of others, in order to provoke Me.”
Per the Jewish Encyclopedia on the Queen of Heaven, it is a name for The Sun but is also a name for the god Ishtar/Ashtoreth the god of love and fertility. In Babylon this same god was also known as Marduk/Merodach. It adopted Mithraism into its traditions and required pigs be offered to it. To very quickly and succinctly encapsulate this ‘Queen of Heaven’, its the basis for what became Christendom today. It is highly influential in Rome i.e. the capital of Christendom and has its tentacles per se in Judaism and Islam as well.
My point is, the Babylon of the biblical era was highly involved with the Queen of Heaven and seduced a large portion of exiled Israel living in Babylon. Since there is nothing new under the sun and HaShem reveals the end from the beginning, we must see the same once again in Babylon today i.e. the USA, which prides itself of primarily being a Christian nation i.e. the Queen of Heaven. Something to consider.
Shir HaShirim 5:4 says“In anger at my recalcitrance my Beloved sent forth His Hand from the portal in wrath and my intestines churned with longing for Him.” Israel is again responding to HaShem’s pleading for His bride to repent and her continued rejection of His Hand.
The commentary from the Artscroll Shir HaShirim book says it best “He (HaShem) sent forth His Hand from the portal i.e. the key hole of the door, like a poor man asking for alms. For despite its disloyalty and transgressions, HaShem pleaded with Israel to repent. After which Israel changed its ways i.e. ‘And my intestines stirred for Him’. Intestines be used interchangeably with ‘heart’ as the Biblical term referring to the seat of emotion.”
Jeremiah 31:19 says “Is Ephraim (Israel) My favorite son or a delightful child, that whenever I speak of him I remember him more and more? Therefore, My inner self yearns for him; I will surely take pity on him, the Word of HaShem.” Here HaShem likens Israel to a son and relates to him as a Father yearns for his child. The commentary says “The Sages expound that ‘The Word’ can be rendered ‘My Word’ i.e. the Torah. HaShem says that the Torah Israel studies is reason enough to earn His compassion.”
Lamentations 1:20 says “See, HaShem, for I (Israel) am in distress; my innards churn! My heart is turned over inside me for I rebelled grievously. Outside the sword bereaved, inside was deathlike.” The commentary says “This verse begins with a supplication to HaShem to bear witness to the extent of Zion’s affliction, and it culminates with an appeal for Divine retribution against the enemy. The term ‘my innards’ is used extensively in Scripture to denote emotion so strong that it affects the innermost depths. ‘Inside was deathlike’ i.e. the fear of death, even within the house, was a real as the enemy’s sword causing destruction from without.”
The Judaica Press commentary has an interesting different take on Shir HaShirim 5:4. It states: “When I saw His Hand stretched out from the hole (In the door), I was pained because of Him, and my feelings toward Him were stirred up. The allegorical meaning is that the Omnipresent, blessed be He, sent His Word through Haggai and Zechariah to prophesy that the end had arrived, and through that, they were inspired to rebuild the Temple, as it is written in Ezra 5:1: ‘Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, etc. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shaltiel…arose and commenced to build the House of God, etc.'”
Shir HaShirim 5:5 says “I arose to open for my Beloved and my hands dripped myrrh of repentant devotion to Torah and HaShem and my fingers flowed with myrrh to remove the traces of my foolish rebuke from the handles of the lock.”
This verse is very interesting and very detailed in explaining. The Artscroll Commentary says “In eager and tender delight she (Israel) rose to unbolt the door as one who perfumes herself to be endearing to her husband. Allegorically, Rashi explains that this refers to Israel’s reaction to HaShem’s wrath as described previously in verse four. Hezekiah, Ahaz’s son, reacted to His father’s punishment by repenting with all his heart and sought HaShem. His entire generation was perfect and there never arose in Israel another generation like it. As the Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin 94b relates: ‘Hezekiah planted a sword by the door of the house of study and proclaimed ‘He who will not study the Torah will be pierced with the sword.’ They searched from Dan to Beersheva and found no ignoramus; from Gabath to Antipris, and found no boy or girl, man or woman who was not thoroughly versed in the intricate and difficult laws of purity and impurity. This is the significance of ‘My hands dripped with myrrh’ i.e. in my attempt to make myself pleasing to Him as possible, I prepared myself by figuratively anointing and purifying myself with precious ointment, its effects overflowing, thus removing the foul odor of my past deeds.”
Even II Kings 23:25 discusses the righteousness of King Hezekiah and says “And like him there was no king before him that turned to HaShem with all his heart” because he witnessed the punishment that befell his grandfather Menashe and his father Amon, in fulfillment of ‘He sent forth His hand from the portal of the door and my intestines stirred for him.’
The dripping myrrh referenced here in this verse alludes to the sacrificial incense, which we discussed briefly in the Shir HaShirim 5:1-2 Op.
Isaiah 9-5-6 is extremely important as it relates to Shir HaShirim 5:5 above! These verses should sound very familiar! It says the following: “For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us, and the dominion will rest on his shoulder; the Wondrous Adviser, Mighty Elohim, Eternal Father, called Hezekiah’s name Sar-Shalom (Prince of Peace); upon the one with the greatness in dominion and boundless peace that will prevail on the throne of David and on his kingdom, to establish it and sustain it through justice and righteousness, from now to eternity. The zealousness of HaShem, Master of Legions, will accomplish this!” These verses not only reference Hezekiah but also apply as prophecies concerning the Messiah!
What I find so interesting is Hezekiah, considered to be one of Israel’s greatest king’s, ruled figuratively with a sword i.e. the sword he put before the Yeshiva (Torah study hall) and everyone who comprised the nation of Israel learned the Torah, specifically the purity commandments and the result was they had a very long era of unprecedented peace and prosperity because of their zeal for HaShem and His Torah!
If Hezekiah is a picture of Messiah Yeshua and verses in Revelation specifically Revelation 2:27 and 19:15 confirm Yeshua will rule with a rod of iron and with a SWORD! And what is the result? The world will know unprecedented peace and prosperity and why? Because the world will be learning and living the Torah of HaShem! Remember He reveals the end from the beginning!! Nothing new under the sun!
Shir HaShirim 5:6 says “I opened to my Beloved, but alas, my Beloved turned His back on my plea and gone. My soul departed at His decree! I sought His closeness but could not find it, I beseeched Him but He would not answer.”
The Artscroll commentary on this verse reveals a lot. It says “I (Israel) responded to my Beloved, but it was too late, He did not annul His decree, as it is said of Hezekiah per Isaiah 39:6-7 ‘Behold, days are coming that all that is in your house shall be carried to Babylon…and of your children which shall descend from you’, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. Similarly was Josiah forewarned by Chuldah, the prophetess per II Kings 22:16 ‘I will bring evil upon this place and upon its inhabitants’; and in addition per II Kings 23:25 ‘And like him there was no king before him, etc’. Nevertheless, HaShem did not turn back from the fierceness of that great anger with which His anger burned against Judah, on account of all the provocation with which Menashe had provoked Him. And HaShem said, ‘I will remove Judah also out of My sight as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city, Jerusalem, which I have chosen.'”
Will HaShem’s anger last forever? Baruch HaShem no!! Jeremiah 3:12-15 says “Go and proclaim these words towards the North (Israel), and say: ‘Return, O wayward Israel, the Word of HaShem, I will not cast down My anger upon you, for I am the Beneficent One, the Word of HaShem, and I will not bear a grudge forever. But you must recognize your sin, that you have rebelled against HaShem, your Elohim, and that you have spread out your ways to seek strange gods, under every leafy tree, and you did not heed My Voice, the Word of HaShem. Return, O wayward sons, the Word of HaShem, for I shall be your Master. I shall take you, even one from a city and two from a family, and I shall bring you to Zion. I shall appoint shepherds for you according to My Own heart, and they will care for you with knowledge and wisdom.'”
Then HaShem says in Jeremiah 3:18 says “In those days (The End of Days) the House of Judah will walk with the House of Israel (Remember, because of sin/rebellion/idolatry/etc, HaShem turned Israel over to Babylon and scattered into the world. Judah remained with HaShem while Israel i.e. the Ten Tribes, were devoured and scattered. Now does it make more sense when Yeshua says ‘I came ONLY for the lost sheep of the House of Israel’ per Matthew 15:24?), and they will come together from the land of the North to the land that I have given as a possession to your fathers.”
The Shir HaShirim Midrash expounds on this and says “I opened for my Beloved, by my Beloved had turned and gone away, this means that despite my opening up for Him, He hid Himself and became full of anger against me, as full as a pregnant woman. My soul departed as He spoke, this means that I became disheartened because of His spoken Word, because the sound of His first spoken Word to me, which I had transgressed by worshiping the Golden Calf, when He said, I am HaShem, your Elohim…You shall have no other gods before Me per Exodus 20:2-3. At that time, I sought Him but did not find Him; I called Him but He did not answer me.” HaShem heard and granted to Israel His forgiveness for the sin of the Golden Calf only when Moshe interceded on behalf of Israel before HaShem. Sound familiar? Messiah Yeshua intercedes for Israel before HaShem and HaShem grants forgiveness!
HaShem commands in His Torah per Exodus 20:2 “I am HaShem, your Elohim, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.” It is the basis for the 25th Commandment from the Torah i.e. ‘The Obligation to Believe in the Existence of HaShem, Blessed Be He.’ The Book of the Mitzvos #25 expounds on this further and says “We are commanded to believe that the world has One G-d Who brought into existence all that exists, and that His Power and His Will have brought about and continue to bring about everything that is, and that was, and that will be, forever and ever i.e. He is the Controller of everything that has transpired, that does transpire, and that will transpire from the beginning to the end of history, and that He took us out of bondage in the land of Egypt and gave us the Torah. We are so commanded, as it is stated, at the beginning of the Giving of the Torah at Sinai per Exodus 20:2: ‘I am HaShem, your Elohim, Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery.’ Each clause in the verse conveys a principle:
‘I am HaShem conveys that there is One Elohim Who brought everything into existence. The Name (Yod Hey Vav Hey) represents that He exists eternally and that He brought everything into existence.’
‘Your Elohim conveys that He is All-Powerful, and thus the One Who controls and is the Cause of everything that has occurred and that will occur forever and ever.’
‘Who has taken you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery conveys that it was He Who miraculously delivered us from the Egyptian bondage.’
‘Since this is the introductory verse in the Giving of the Torah, it obviously means that the One Elohim, Who created everything, Who is All-Powerful, and Who delivered us from Egypt, is the One Who gave us the Torah. It is noteworthy that the three principles mentioned are the subjects of the three passages recited in the daily Shema:
‘The first passage discusses the Oneness of Elohim’
‘The second passage discusses His providential control of natural events, whereby He rewards goodness and punishes evil’
‘The third passage discusses the Exodus from Egypt.’
You may be asking why all of this is important for me to cite in this Op? Because, all of us are constantly, every second of every day faced with being pulled away from HaShem and to embrace Avodah Zarah (Idolatry), whether we recognize it or not! That’s why I was so stunned when He began to teach me His definition of what constitutes Avodah Zarah and suddenly realized a great majority of what Christendom teaches and celebrates constitutes Avodah Zarah and as such since I had practiced that garbage for many years of my life had to truly make teshuvah (Repentance).
This leads to explaining what true ‘Emunah’ or ‘Faith’ defined by HaShem looks like per Mitzvah #25 which we briefly discussed above. The commentary from the Book of the Mitzvot expounds further and says “The laws of this mitzvah i.e. To believe in the existence of HaShem, include, for example: The details of what we are obligated to believe regarding HaShem, including that all ability, and all greatness, strength, and splendor, and all glory, and all blessing and all endurance, must be ascribed to Him; and that we lack the faculty and intellect to even grasp in our minds, and certainly to convey with words, His greatness and His benevolence, as, due to the exaltedness of His stature and His glory, He i.e. His Essence, cannot be grasped by any being, we must, with all our mental faculties, recognize Him as precluded from any deficiency, or anything inconsistent with absolute perfection and absolute virtue.”
Hilchot Avodah Zarah 1.3 from the Mishneh Torah “Describes how our forefather Abraham arrived at an awareness of HaShem through carefully studying the universe, which led him to recognize decisively the existence of a Higher Authority Who governs the world. Accordingly, he concluded there is One G-d, Who created and Who controls the entire universe. Thus, Abraham did not merely believe in the existence of G-d; he came to KNOW it. Ideally, one should strive to attain this highest form of emunah (Faith), through contemplation of the world and its events, and even more so through study of the Torah.”
Point is, true emunah (Faith) is NOT just belief, it is knowing and then taking that knowing and putting it into our choices and actions. James 2:18 sums it up and says “But someone will say ‘You have faith; I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith BY my deeds.'” In other words, if we truly have faith in HaShem, then we will want to strive to walk in His Torah as the means to demonstrate to Whom we have put our faith in! Torah is not about obtaining salvation, Torah is about emunah i.e. demonstrating to Whom we believe, just as James 2:18 says it i.e. “I will show you my faith by my works!”
Shir HaShirim 5:7 says “They found me, the enemy watchmen patrolling the city; they struck me, they bloodied me wreaking Elohim’s revenge on me. They stripped my mantle of holiness from me, the angelic watchmen of the wall.”
The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary on this verse explains and says “The watchmen who patrol the town found me. The watchmen metaphorically refers to Nebuchadnezzar and his forces who patrolled the City to wreak the vengeance of Elohim i.e. who acted as Elohim’s instrument in implementing His plan of retribution against the Jews. The Destruction of the First Temple was to begin.”
“In Shir HaShirim 3:3 the same word ‘Watchman’ is used and is referring to Moses and Aaron whereas here, in Shir HaShirim 5:7, it is rendered as referring to Nebuchadnezzar and his horde, an apparent incongruity. In truth, however, there is no discrepancy. Any person who carries out the will of Elohim is His ‘watchman’, whether he does it consciously as did Moses and Aaron, or like Nebuchadnezzar, without even knowing that he was Elohim’s instrument. Nebuchadnezzar’s purpose, was to force Israel to repent by making them realize that only in HaShem lay their salvation. Therefore, Scripture calls him ‘My servant Nebuchadnezzar’ per Jeremiah 25:9 and in that sense, he is here called Elohim’s watchman.” So, we again can see the Mastery of HaShem in controlling all of His creation at all times to serve His purposes, just as we briefly discussed in the previous verse!
The Shir HaShirim Midrash 5.4 discussing Shir HaShirirm 5:7 is very interesting and says “The Midrash first interprets this verse as an allusion to the return from Babylonian exile under Cyrus. This is referring to Tattenai, governor of the Trans-Euphrates region and his cohorts, who tried to have the construction of the Temple halted.” Ezra 5:3 says “At that time, Tattenai, governor of the Trans-Euphrates region, approached them, along with Shethar-bozenai and their accomplices. They said this to them, ‘Who issued you a decree to construct this building (The Second Temple) and to lay the foundation for these ramparts?'”
The Midrash goes on and says “They struck me, they wounded me. This refers to the enemies of the Jews at that time, when they wrote a calumny (Defined as – a false and malicious statement designed to injure the reputation of someone or something) against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem, who sought successfully to have the Persian king Artaxerxes bring a halt to the building of the Temple.”
“The Guards of the Walls stripped my mantle from me. These guards of the walls refer to the walls of Jerusalem. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: ‘In the past, a wall in Jerusalem was built of massive stone of eight cubits and stone of ten cubits in length per I Kings 7:10, whereas here the Temple wall was being built of gelal stone per Ezra 5:8, meaning stones that were small enough that they could be rolled from place to place. That is, the Persians sent guards to ensure the walls would not be fortified too greatly.”
I Kings 7:10 says “It was founded upon valuable stones, large stones, stones of ten cubits and stones of eight cubits.” The note attached to this verse says “The foundation stones of the buildings were larger than those used for the walls. Some of these foundation stones were above ground as well. The ten cubit stones protruded two cubits beyond the eight cubit stones, forming ledges. The senior Kohanim slept on these ledges, since beds were not brought into the Temple, while the younger Kohanim slept on the ground, using their garments as improvised mattresses.” Consider one cubit is equal to 20.67 inches, so ten cubit stones are a little over 16 feet stones…gigantic stones!
So, you can see how quickly this exploration of Shir HaShirim 5:7 connects to the Temple of HaShem! Just to go off on what I call a Rabbi Trail, lets quickly explore where the Kohanim would sleep in the Temple of HaShem!
Per Tractate Middot 1.8 from the Mishnah it says “Beit HaMoked, a dome, and it was a large structure, surrounded by stone slabs, and the elders of the Beit Av would sleep there, and the keys of the Azarah were in their hands, and the young Kohanim, each one was with his cushion on the ground.”
Tractate Tamid 26a from the Talmud Bavli says “It the Hall of the Fire was a large structure, whose interior was encircled with ledges of stone. The elders of the Beis Av scheduled to perform the service the next day would sleep there on the ledges, and the keys of the Courtyard were in their hands. The young Kohanim who were not accorded the privilege of sleeping on the ledges, would sleep each with his cushion on the ground. They would not sleep in their holy vestments; rather, they would remove them and fold them, and place them beneath their heads, and cover themselves with their personal garment.”
Okay, so lets get back on track and quickly discuss Ezra 5:8 which the Midrash references above. Ezra 5:8 says “Let it be known to the king that we have gone to the province of Judah, to the Temple of the great Elohim; it is being built of marble stone (Gelal stone), with wood reinforcing the walls. This work is proceeding rapidly and is succeeding in their hands.” The note associated with this verse says “Midrash Rabbah to Shir HaShirirm 5:7 states that the word ‘Gelal’ alludes to the relatively small size of the building stones of the Second Temple compared to those of the First Temple. The stones were small and could have been rolled with relative ease. This is in contrast with the massive stones, measuring eight and ten cubits in length, which were used in the First Temple.”
“The Midrash now interprets the verse (Shir HaShirirm 5:7) as alluding to the giving of the Torah at Sinai and the incident of the Golden Calf. The watchmen found me, this refers to the Tribe of Levi, of whom it is written, for they observed i.e. watched Your Word. (Not even one member of the Tribe of Levi worshiped the Golden Calf.) Who go about in the city, this aptly describes the Levites, as it is stated that Moses said to them, ‘Every man, put his sword on his thigh and pass back and forth from gate to gate in the camp. They struck me, they wounded me, as it is stated further that Moses said to them, ‘Let every one of you kill his brother, every man his fellow, and every man his near one.’ They stripped my mantle from me, this is referring to the weapon that the Israelites had at that time. The weapon that was given to the people of Israel at Horeb i.e. Mount Sinai, had the Ineffable Name engraved upon it, but once they sinned with the Golden Calf, it was taken away from them. The guardians of the walls, this refers to the Levites, the guardians of the walls of the Torah. The Levites are the archetypical guardians and teachers of Torah, as it is stated concerning them, ‘They observed Your Word and Your Covenant they preserve; they shall teach Your Ordinances to Jacob and Your Torah to Israel’ per Deuteronomy 33:9-10”
Tractate Yoma 26a from the Talmud Bavli explains further and says “Apropos this passage in Deuteronomy, Rava said: ‘You do not find a young Torah scholar who gives halakhic instruction unless he comes from the Tribe of Levi or from the Tribe of Issachar. The assertion with regard to the Tribe of Levi is as it is written ‘They shall teach Jacob Your ordinances and Israel Your Torah per Deuteronomy 33:10.’ And the assertion with regard to the Tribe of Issachar is as it is written: ‘And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel should do’ per I Chronicles 12:33. The Gemara asks: ‘And say that scholars from the Tribe of Judah also, as it is written: ‘Judah is My lawgiver’ per Psalms 60:9. Rava answers: ‘While it is true that the Tribe of Judah also taught Torah, in my statement I was speaking only of those who can draw conclusions according to the halakha. Although Judah produces great scholars, men capable of translating abstract analysis of the Torah into legal principles come from the two tribes mentioned.'”
Shir HaShirim 5:8 says “I adjure you, O nations who are destined to ascend to Jerusalem, when you see my Beloved on the future Day of Judgment, won’t you tell Him that I bore all travails for love of Him?”
This single verse alone is incredibly important and very prophetic in nature! An entire Op could be done on this one verse alone as there is so much to unpack! Again, we see where HaShem reveals the end from the beginning and in doing so, completely dismantles and destroys Replacement Theology which is permeating and dominating the world today! We will explore what the underlined term ‘Day of Judgment’ means and how it is a term for a specific Feast of HaShem!
The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary encapsulates and begins to explain this verse well. It says “Israel is in Exile. But, faithfully enduring all suffering, they cling to their faith and address their captors: ‘I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem’ i.e. O nations who are destined to ascend to Jerusalem. According to Rashi, the adjuration in this verse is addressed to Nebuchadnezzar and his armies: ‘who have seen Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah submit themselves to the fiery furnace per Daniel 3:20, and Daniel cast into the lion’s den per Daniel 6:17 in punishment for his praying; and to the generation of Mordechai in the time of Haman.'”
“When you see my Beloved i.e. in the future, on the Day of Judgment, when you will be called upon to bear witness for me, as is written per Isaiah 43:9 ‘Let them bring forth their witness that they may be justified.'” What is HaShem saying here? Let’s examine Isaiah 43:9-10!
Isaiah 43:9-10 says “Were all the nations gathered together and all the regimes assembled, who among them could have declared this and let us hear the early prophecies? Let them bring their witnesses and they will be vindicated; or else let them hear me and then say, ‘It is true’. You are My witnesses, the Word of HaShem, and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you will know and believe in Me, and understand that I am He; before Me nothing was created by a god nor will there be after Me!” In a nut shell, on the future Day of Judgment, HaShem will bring forth the nations who will testify they witnessed HaShem’s miracles and protection of Israel while in exile…they will not be able to deny this!
The following excerpt from Tractate Yoma 86a from the Talmud Bavli which expounds on this further says “Abaye said: ‘As it was taught in a baraita (Interpretations not included in the Mishnah) And you shall love the L-rd your G-d’ per Deuteronomy 6:5, which means one do so? One should do in that he should read Torah, and learn Mishnah, and serve Torah scholars, and he should be pleasant with people in his business transactions. What do people say about such a person? Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah, fortunate is his teacher who taught him Torah, woe to the people who have not studied Torah. So and so, who taught him Torah, see how pleasant are his ways, how proper are his deeds. The verse states about him and others like him ‘You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified’ per Isaiah 49:3.'”
Tractate Avodah Zarah 3a from the Talmud Bavli says “The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the heathens (Nations): ‘Even some of you will testify that Israel observed the entire Torah. Let Nimrod come and testify that Abraham did not consent to worship idols; let Laban come and testify that Jacob could not be suspected of theft; let Potiphar’s wife testify that Joseph was above suspicion of immorality; let Nebuchadnezzar come and testify that Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah did not bow down to an image; let Darius come and testify that Daniel never neglected the prayers; let Bildad, Tzofar, and Eliphaz testify that Israel observed the whole Torah, as it is said: ‘Let them i.e. the nations bring their own witnesses, that they i.e. Israel, may be justified’ per Isaiah 43:9.”
Another interpretation of Shir HaShirim 5:8 says “Israel says to the nations ‘When you recognize HaShem’s greatness, testify that I realize that the cause of my suffering is not due to inability on His part to rescue me, or because He has decided to cast me off, never to return to me. I am fully aware that my travail is because I am sick by virtue of His love for me. His chastisements are chastisements of love, designed to awaken me and bring me to repentance. As it is written per Proverbs 3:11-12 ‘Do not despise the chastening of HaShem nor be weary of His correction; for HaShem reproves him who He loves’; and in the Torah per Deuteronomy 8:5 ‘As a man chastens his son, so HaShem your Elohim chastens you.'” Again we see the love HaShem has for His people!
In order to further explore the Day of Judgment, lets first establish via Tractate Rosh HaShanah from the Mishnah how HaShem has set up FOUR periods during a year in which the world is judged!
Rosh HaShanah 1.2 says “The world is judged at four periods: On Pesach for the produce; on Shavuot for the fruits of the tree; on Rosh HaShanah all the inhabitants of the world pass before Him like flocks of sheep, as it is written, ‘He that fashioned the hearts of them all, Who understands all their doings’ per Psalms 33:15; and on THE Festival (Sukkot) they are judged for water.”
Psalms 33:15 says “He Who fashions their hearts all together, Who comprehends all their deeds.” The commentary on this says “Because He alone fashioned their hearts, only He can truly understand them. Although He made them (Humanity) all together, each (Person) has a unique personality and must be understood according to his particular characteristics. As the Sages teach, just as no two faces are alike so are no two personalities alike.”
So, we can see Rosh HaShanhah IS the Day of Judgment in Scripture! This day has many different names attached to it throughout Scripture which we will see some of them shortly.
Leviticus 23:24 says “Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month (Tishri) on the first of the month, there shall be a rest day for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation.'”
There are at least 85 different titles for this day in Scripture!! Per the book ‘Rosh HaShanah and the Messianic Kingdom to Come’ by Joseph Good of HaTikvah Ministries, he compiled a list of these titles in his book. Here are just a few (Used with his permission):
The Judgment of the Great Day per Jude 6
The Great Day of His Wrath per Revelation 6:17
The Day of Wrath per Job 21:30
The Day of Battle and War per Job 38:23
The Day of Your Power per Psalm 110:3
The Day of Adversity per Proverbs 11:4/24:10
The Day of Messiah per Philippians 1:10
The Day of Jacob’s Trouble per Jeremiah 30:7
The Day of Trouble per Nahum 1:7/Psalm 50:15/Habakkuk 3:16
The Day of Punishment per Hosea 9:7
The Day of Battle per Amos 1:14
The Day of Our King per Hosea 7:5
I hope you can see once more, in order to grasp what HaShem is saying here in Shir HaShirim, we MUST know His Torah, His Feasts and His Temple!! Not having an understanding of these will lead to making very wrong interpretations and in doing so you end up with Replacement Theology Christendom as an example! I digress.
Shir HaShirim 5:9 says (Nations speak to Israel) “With what does your Beloved G-d excel all others that you suffer for His Name, O fairest of nations? With what does your Beloved G-d excel all others that you dare to adjure us?”
The nations of the world are recorded here taunting and questioning Israel. The commentary from the Artscroll Shir HaShirim says “This was the response of the heathens to the Jews: ‘In what way is your G-d so superior to other gods that you are ready to be burned and tortured for Him? You are handsome, you are mighty. Come intermingle with us.'”
“Are you truly the fairest among nations by virtue of clinging to this G-d of yours? Surely not! Just look at yourselves; the reverse is true! Therefore, why do you insist upon the superiority of your G-d over all others, and so adjure us that we should not dare disturb your love and cause Him to love us? Never! It would be better for all if you forgot Him. Join us in serving our god and let us all prosper together.”
The Judaica Press Shir HaShirim commentary says “This is what the nations were asking Israel, ‘What is it about your G-d more than all the other gods, that you allow yourselves to be burned and hanged because of Him?'”
Basically the nations are taunting Israel to give up HaShem, reject His Torah and join them and worship their gods. In a round about way this is precisely what Christendom has taught throughout the centuries and continues to teach and taunts Israel today with the exact same message: “Give up your Torah in exchange for our Jesus and then we will have peace and prosperity!” I read these exact sentiments constantly today from pastors and others within Christendom taunting and threatening Israel into forsaking HaShem and His Torah in exchange for what they call ‘salvation’ via ‘Jesus’. It is insidious and so very, very wrong but there is nothing new under the sun!
The enemy of HaShem and Israel has several goals but one of the main goals is to separate Israel not only from HaShem but more importantly from His Torah! He knows, to get Israel to forsake the Torah means Israel is now defeated and can be destroyed! The Midrash Rabbah Vayishlach Insights section 77.3 is very enlightening as it explains the significance of the struggle between Ya’akov (Jacob/Israel) and the angel in Genesis 32:26 as it pertains to this topic:
“Man, particularly Israel, is locked in constant war with his evil inclination. HaShem says ‘I created the evil inclination, I have create the Torah as its antidote’ per Kiddushin 30b from the Talmud Bavli. The Sages teach that Israel’s most far reaching sin is neglect of Torah study. Why was the land destroyed, left desolate as a desert without passerby? HaShem said, ‘Because they forsook My Torah’ per Jeremiah 9:11-12.”
“In another verse in Jeremiah 16:11, HaShem says ‘But Me they forsook; and My Torah they did not observe’, which the Midrash interprets to mean ‘O that they would have forsaken Me but observed the study of My Torah, for the light in it would have brought them back.’ Such is the spiritual strength inherent in the study of Torah, that it can transform sinners. Thus, Torah represents the Jew’s capacity to fight the war against evil. DESTROY THE JEW’S CAPACITY TO STUDY TORAH, AND EVIL HAS WON!”
Consider what HaShem says about His Torah in Jeremiah 23:29 “Behold, My Word (Torah) is like fire, the Word of HaShem, and like a hammer that shatters a rock.” This is precisely why the nations of the world hate and despise Israel and the Torah so much, because the Torah of HaShem is the only truth there is and as such the nations are not only exposed but their false gods are revealed and they are enraged because of it. If the nations cannot defeat Israel militarily then they adopt a more insidious tactic i.e. love and acceptance! They get Israel to assimilate and in doing so Israel gives up the Torah and embraces the various religious systems to include Christendom and are destroyed. Thank HaShem He promises He won’t let the nations succeed!
Shir HaShirim 5:10 says (Israel replies to the nations taunts) “My Beloved is pure and purifies sin, and ruddy with vengeance to punish betrayers, surrounded with myriad angels.”
The Artscroll Five Megillos Shir HaShirim commentary expounds on this and says “Israel responds to the nations. She will describe her Beloved as a bride would describe her fiancé. Then the nations will understand her persistent devotion to Him.”
The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary expounds further on this verse and says “My Beloved is clear skinned and ruddy. Rashi translates the word ‘White’ to ‘Clear’. He is anxious to whiten my deeds even when He sits in judgment as He is depicted in Daniel 7:9 ‘His garment was white as snow and the hair on His hand was like pure wool.’ And ruddy i.e. red in readiness to exact retribution from His enemies as Isaiah 63:2 declared in surprise upon seeing a vision of HaShem depicted as a solitary and majestic figure in blood red vesture approaching victoriously from the direction of Edom, after having wreaked vengeance on Israel’s enemies: ‘Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the wine vat?’White signifying purity and atonement and red signifying sin and punishment seemingly contradictory attributes, both of which are embodied within Him simultaneously.”
“White signifies purity, while red signifies sin and punishment, apparently contradictory terms. HaShem is white in the sense that He longs to forgive my sins, and He is red in the sense that He will punish my enemies. HaShem is immeasurably more exalted than the countless angels that surround Him, as it were. He is like a banner that towers above the army.”
In my opinion the key point to get from this is Israel responds to the nations in a way which she will describe her relationship with HaShem as a bride describes her Fiancé! Why is this significant to me? Because it once again shows HaShem never tossed His bride overboard per se and brought in a new one called ‘The Church!’ Its just impossible! I digress!
The Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah describes the meaning of ‘White’ and ‘Ruddy’. It says “The nations of the world are saying here to Israel, ‘What is your Beloved more than another beloved?’ i.e. ‘What is your G-d more than other gods? What is your Patron more than other patrons?’ And Israel replies to them: ‘He was white i.e. forbearing toward me in the land of Egypt, but ruddy i.e. harsh, toward the people of Egypt. He was white toward me in the land of Egypt, as it is stated, ‘I shall go through the land of Egypt on this night, and I shall strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt…And the blood shall be a sign for you upon the houses where you are; when I shall see the blood I shall pass over you; there shall not be a plague of destruction upon you when I strike the land of Egypt’ per Exodus 12:12-13.”
HaShem is STILL faithful to His Bride i.e. Israel to this day today! He WILL rescue her at the appointed time!
Shir HaShirim 5:11 says “His opening words were finest gold, His crowns hold mounds of statues written in raven black flame.”
This verse is so descriptive of HaShem, His majesty and His Torah! The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary says “His head is like finest gold. Interpreting ‘His Head’ to mean ‘His beginning’ i.e. the beginning of His Words i.e. the Ten Commandments, HaShem’s direct communication to the entire people shone forth like the finest gold, as suggested by the verse per Psalms 119:130 ‘The preamble of Your words give light.’ By proclaiming the first commandment i.e. ‘I am HaShem your Elohim’, He established His sovereignty over them, and then decreed His ordinances upon them.”
“As the Midrash esoterically comments: ‘The Scroll which HaShem gave to Moses was of white fire and its writing was of black fire. It was itself fire and it was hewn out of fire; completely formed of fire and given in fire, as it says in Deuteronomy 33:2 ‘From His right Hand He presented the fiery Torah to them.'”
Remember, HaShem says He Himself is a consuming fire per Deuteronomy 4:24 “For HaShem, your Elohim, He is a consuming fire.” Again showing the Torah comes from HaShem Himself and if He is eternal, unchanging and His Word is firmly established, then how could His Torah be something terrible, burdensome and ultimately tossed aside like yesterday’s garbage as Christendom so often teaches in its Replacement Theology doctrine?
Tractate Sotah 8.3 from the Talmud Yerushalmi says “The Torah that the Holy One, Blessed is He, gave to Moses, its parchment was white fire, and its ink was black fire. It, the Torah, is fire and it is mixed with fire, hewn from fire, given from fire, as it is written ‘From His right hand He presented the fire of the Torah to them.’This teaching is not intended literally. It is a metaphor that expresses the profoundly spiritual nature of the Torah. Fire is used to convey spirituality, because it lacks substance, yet possesses great energy and brilliance.The wisdom of the Torah emanates from HaShem, about Whom it is written ‘For HaShem, your Elohim, He is a consuming fire. This, of course, is meant metaphorically and not literally. Alternatively, the Gemara (Commentary of the Talmud), refers to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, which was executed amidst tremendous fire as described in Deuteronomy 4:11-12.”
The Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim says “His head, this is an allusion to the Torah, as it is stated, ‘HaShem made me as the beginning of His way’ per Proverbs 8:22.” Let’s quickly examine Proverbs 8:22 closer and see what HaShem is saying!
Proverbs 8:22 says “HaShem made me (Torah) at the beginning of His way, before His deeds of yore.” The commentary is very interesting and says “The speaker of these verses is Wisdom/Torah, describing how it preceded all stages of Creation. Torah is thus the essence of all that is created; the manifold facets of the universe are but manifestations of the Torah’s wisdom. To assume the commandments are nothing more than Heavenly guidelines necessary to direct and maintain civilization is a great error. The commandments of the Torah were not promulgated to confirm the needs of society; rather, it is society that was created to conform to the dictates of Torah. The commandment to honor one’s parents, for example, is not imposed upon the child because this is his duty to his elders. Rather, HaShem ordained that children be born of parents so that they may perform the commandment of Honor your father and mother per Exodus 20:12. It follows, then, that the continuity of Creation is contingent upon man’s adherence to the Torah.” In other words, when man tosses Torah aside, there is chaos as Creation reacts. When man guards and keeps His Torah, there is blessing and shalom in Creation!
It further says “HaShem created the Torah before He created the world. Torah served as a blueprint for the entire creation. The Sages teach ‘The Holy One, Blessed is He, looked into the Torah and created the world per Bereishis Rabbah 1:2. The Torah begins with the words ‘Bereishis Bara’, which may be interpreted to mean, ‘With the Torah, which is called Beginning, Elohim created heaven and earth’. Every detail of Creation followed a master plan designed and executed for one purpose, the Torah.”
Tractate Pesachim 54a from the Talmu Bavli says “Seven phenomena were created before the world was created, and they are: Torah, and repentance, and the Garden of Eden, and Gehenna, and the Throne of Glory, and the Temple, and the name of Messiah. This statement means that HaShem created these phenomena before He created the world, as without them the world either could not exist or its existence would not be justified. Torah, repentance, the Throne of Glory, and the Temple all enable man to know HaShem and serve Him, which is the ultimate purpose of Creation. The Garden of Eden and Gehenna represent the concept of reward and punishment. The name of the Messiah relates to hope and anticipation of the ultimate redemption. As these foundational ideas were essential to the world. It was necessary for them to precede Creation.”
The Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim 5.7 says “Finest gold, these are the words of Torah, which are comparable to gold, as it is stated, ‘They are more valuable than gold, than even much fine gold’ per Psalm 19:11. His locks are curly. This is referring to the scoring of the Torah scroll i.e. the ruled lines that are scored into the parchment, which guide the writing of the lines of text, ensuring that they are straight, neat, and easy to read. Black as the raven. These words are referring to the letters of the Torah scroll, which are written in black ink. Even those words in the Torah that you see as thorns i.e. as trivial and insignificant as thorns, are actually full of heaps upon heaps of Torah laws. With whom are they properly established? Black as raven i.e. they are established with one who begins at dawn and stays through the late evening continuously involved with them.”
The Midrash lists three objectives of Torah study:
To fulfill the obligation of constant Torah study i.e. to devote as much time as possible to Torah study. This obligation does not require that one become proficient in all of Torah, or even that one remember the Torah he learns. As long as one engages in Torah study, even if he limits his study to a single area, and even if he learns and forgets, he discharges this obligation.
To accumulate stores of Torah knowledge. This is the obligation of the verse from Deuteronomy 6:7 ‘And you shall teach them diligently’, which requires that one become thoroughly knowledgeable in the entire Torah.
To master the evil inclination. The Gemara states per Tractate Kiddushin 30b ‘I have created the evil inclination, and I have created the Torah as its antidote. If you involve yourself in Torah, you will not be delivered into the hand of the evil inclination.
Can you see the greatness of His Torah and why Israel i.e. the Bride, is telling the nations why she is devoted to her Fiancé i.e. HaShem? How can His Torah be something terrible, evil, Satanic in origin as I have literally heard so many Christians over the years state in their absolute ignorance and their efforts to regurgitate the Torah hating propaganda originating from the pulpits?
If all of Creation is dependent upon the Torah to not only exist but to function, then if the Torah was rendered obsolete and tossed aside, then all of Creation would cease to exist. My point is to once again show how utterly absurd and so destructive Christendom and its Replacement Theology doctrine is!
Shir HaShirim 5:12 says “Like the gaze of doves toward their cotes, His eyes are fixed on the waters of Torah, bathing all things in clarity, established upon creation’s fullness.”
This single verse here is incredibly revealing and amazing as we will soon see as we explore this verse in-depth! But first, let me quickly add this tidbit from a great book I have entitled ‘My Father, my King’ which addresses the issue of a person being inundated with their past mistakes to discourage them from learning the Torah and drawing near towards HaShem. On page 140-141 of this book it states the following regarding mistakes:
“Hear your Father, your King, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, saying to you – Mistakes are great teachers. Let your mistakes teach you how to avoid other mistakes. Let your mistakes teach you humility. They show you that you are fallible. Let your mistakes teach you to have compassion for others when they err. Let your mistakes show you what you can teach others so they avoid making similar mistakes. But never allow a mistake to diminish your awareness that you are My valuable child. Never let a mistake prevent you from learning, doing, and accomplishing. Never let a mistake cause you to give up out of discouragement. Have the strength to keep going if what you are doing is worthwhile. Mistakes test you. They test your honesty. Having the courage to admit a mistake raises you in My eyes. So, never be afraid to say, ‘I was wrong. I made a mistake.’ Let My view of your courage give you the courage to acknowledge and learn from mistakes.” Keep this in mind as we proceed.
The commentary on Shir HaShirim 5:12 begins with the following: “His eyes alludes to HaShem’s governing of the Universe as in II Chronicles 16:9 it states ‘For the eyes of HaShem run to and fro throughout the earth’; and Psalms 33:18 says ‘HaShem’s eyes are upon those that fear Him.’ Just as doves gaze toward their cotes, per Isaiah 60:8 which says ‘Who are these who fly like a cloud, like pigeons to their cote-windows’.”
The significance of this verse in Isaiah 60:8 is this is a prophetic picture of when at the Final Redemption, the pigeons (In this case a picture of exiled and scattered Israel) who is described as “A pigeon returning to feed its young does so with greater haste than when leaving to forage for food. So too, Israel will hasten to the original source of its spiritual connection, like a pigeon returning to its brood. In the end, observers will be struck by the swiftness of the return, and will wonder aloud who are these that return so quickly? Just as clouds and birds seem to be unencumbered by the earth’s gravitational pull, so Israel will be freed from the natural pull of human materialistic desires. When the Redemption comes, they will quickly rise to the lofty spiritual grandeur of the Holy City.”
“So, just as doves gaze toward their windows i.e. cotes, so are His eyes directed toward synagogues and study houses from which emanates Torah which is compared to water. Water refers to Torah!” Tractate Bava Kama 17a from the Talmud Bavli says “And the reference to water refers ONLY to the study of Torah, as it is stated with regard to Torah study per Isaiah 55:1 ‘Ho, all who are thirsty, go to water.'”
Isaiah 55:1 says specifically “Ho, everyone who is thirsty go to the water, even one with no money, go, buy and eat; go and buy wine and milk without money and without price.” The commentary on this verse explains “Water is a metaphor for Torah and wisdom, for just as the world cannot exist without water, it cannot exist without the Torah. Furthermore, just as one who is thirsty yearns for water, the wise soul yearns for Torah and wisdom. Torah is compared to water to teach that just as water leaves heights and flows to lower places, Torah wisdom can only remain in one who is humble. A humble person realizes that he has much to learn. He will not let pride prevent him from learning from others or from asking questions that will expose his lack of knowledge.”
“Sitting upon the fullness i.e. upon the fullness of the earth. ‘They are the eyes of HaShem hovering through the whole earth’ per Zechariah 4:10; watching evil and good per Proverbs 15:3. Eyes refers to Torah scholars whom HaShem provides with eyes to enlighten the world as man’s eyes enlighten him. Just as the dove wanders from cote to cote in quest of food, so do scholars go from the study house of one sage to that of another seeking explanations of the Torah.”
The Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah 5.10 says “His eyes, these are referring to the Sanhedrin for they are the eyes for the assembly as it is stated ‘If because of the eyes of the assembly’ per Numbers 15:24. The Sanhedrin is referred to as the eyes for the following reason – There are two hundred and forty eight limbs within a man and they all follow after the eyes. Similarly, the people of Israel cannot do anything without their Sanhedrin.”
The Bereshis Midrash Rabbah 54.1 expounds further and says “Solomon said, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread; and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink per Proverbs 25:21.’ Feed him bread, this means from the bread of Torah, as it is stated ‘Come, eat of my bread’ per Proverbs 9:5, and give him water to drink, this means from the waters of Torah, as it is stated, ‘Ho, everyone that is thirsty come for water’ per Isaiah 55:1”
So, once again we see HaShem’s Torah is eternal and is what the entire universe is sustained by! Further, it reveals the more mankind tells HaShem to take His Torah and take a hike, in the name of Christendom and its Replacement Theology doctrine, the more creation falls into darkness and collapses into utter chaos!
If you want a clear picture of what the Torah is, read Proverbs 8, the entire chapter as the chapter is recorded from the point of view of the Torah itself is speaking! And then ask yourself again if the Torah is something which can be tossed aside as easily as yesterday’s trash as Christendom teaches? Is this really what Paul was teaching in his letters in the Apostolic Writings?
It is summed up with these two verses from Proverbs 8:35-36 “For one who finds me (Torah) has found life and he has elicited favor from HaShem. But one who sins against me despoils his soul, all who hate me (Torah) love death.”
Shir HaShirim 5:13 says “Like a bed of spices are His Words from Sinai, like towers of perfume. His comforting words from the Tabernacle are roses dripping flowing Myrrh.”
Tractate Shabbos 88b from the Talmud Bavli comments upon this verse and says “With every single word that went forth from the Mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, the whole world was filled with spices i.e. fragrance, for His Words spiritually purified and prepared the souls of the people, just as fragrant spices revive and rejuvenate the flesh.” His Words are life to those who take hold of them!
The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary says “His comforting words from the Tabernacle are roses dripping flowing Myrrh. His words in the Tent of Meeting, words of conciliation and atonement, teaching Israel the laws of the various offerings which please HaShem and atone for sin.” Remember, the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and the Mikdash (Temple) are commanded by HaShem and are the epitome of kedushah in action i.e. holiness/separation to HaShem for His service! The Mikdash is to be The Place where HaShem has chosen to place His Name so He may dwell among His people i.e. Israel and to where the whole world can come and worship Him at His throne on earth!
The Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah 5.11 says “Like a bed of spices are His Words from Sinai, this refers to the study of Torah. The towers of perfume is an allegory for Torah scholars. Just as a perfumer’s closet contains in it all kinds of spices, so must a Torah scholar be full of knowledge of Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, Halachos and Aggados.” To learn the Torah of HaShem requires all the tools He gave i.e. the Written and Oral Torah, yes both are directly from HaShem and are not the ‘traditions of men’ to be tossed out as many in the Hebrew Roots/Messianic crowds teach, I digress.
Comparing HaShem’s Words to that of a blossoming rose is a common theme throughout His Word, which we have previously discussed in Shir HaShirim chapter two. Needless to say, not only are the Words of HaShem compared to a blossoming rose , but also His bride i.e. Israel is compared to a blossoming rose per Isaiah 35 1-2 which says “The wilderness and the wasteland will rejoice over them (Israel); the desert will be glad and blossom like a rose. It will blossom abundantly and will rejoice, with joyousness and glad song; the glory of Lebanon has been given to her; the majesty of the Carmel and the Sharon; they will see the glory of HaShem, the majesty of our Elohim.”
Additionally, He uses the allegory of a rose per the Judaica Press Shir HaShirim commentary which says “Symbolizing the prophets sent by HaShem to preach His words, which are like roses, whose fragrance wafts over long distances, for they foretell what will take place at the End of Days, and they herald much good and prosperity.”
Shir HaShirim 5:14 says “The Tablets, His handiwork, are desirable above even rolls of fine gold; they are studded with commandments precious as gems, the Torah’s innards are sparkling as ivory intricately overlaid with precious stone.”
Pay close attention to the picture associated with this verse and notice the various colors as well as the stars and the comet! You will see why this is important here shortly.
The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary says regarding this verse the following “The Tablets which He gave with His right hand and which were the handiwork of Elohim per Exodus 32:16 which says ‘The Tablets were Elohim’s handiwork, and the script was the script of Elohim, engraved on the Tablets.’ Rods of Elohim are the Ten Commandments, of which it is said per Psalms 19:1 ‘They are more desirable than gold, even than much fine gold.’ Rods i.e. rolls alludes to the Midrash that the Tablets were of a miraculous nature, they were of hard stone, yet they rolled up. The Ten Commandments are like rods of gold studded with precious stones because all 613 Commandments are alluded to in the Ten Commandments.”
“Tarsis (Sapphire) is a precious stone, described by the commentators as blue in color: The Bible names it per Exodus 28:20 as one of the stones set into the fourth row of the Choshen, the Breastplate of Judgment worn by the Kohen HaGadol. According to others, the verse allegorizes the expanse of the heavens i.e. the product of His Hands per Psalms 8:4 ‘The heavens, work of Your fingers’, which glow abright like gold and are studded with jewel like stars.”
So, when we look up into the night sky and see the stars in the heavens fashioned by the Fingers of HaShem, we are literally, in my opinion, see the Torah of HaShem in action. I know I keep pounding this fact home in this Op, but again the question must be asked, is it truly a biblical fact HaShem sent this Jesus figure to earth to release humanity from the bondage of His demonic Torah. Yes, many Christians I have had the displeasure of encountering over the recent years refer to His Torah as being demonically inspired and the epitome of death and destruction citing Paul’s letters as the proof text….makes me see purple because of just how utterly absurd and utterly demonically inspired this Replacement Theology doctrine truly is and just how much damage it has and continues to do…okay, I am off my rant again. Moving on.
Now, Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah 5.12 elaborates and equates a Sapphire with the Torah. It says “The Torah weakens the strength of people (Physically) who study it, even if they are as tough as sapphire. If you say that sapphire is soft, come and see that you are mistaken, for there was once an incident that happened with a certain person who brought a sapphire to Rome to sell it. The purchaser said to him, ‘I will buy it on condition that you consent to test it and prove its genuineness.’ He tested it by trying to break off a small piece from it. He placed it on an anvil and started to beat on it with a hammer. The result was the anvil split and the hammer became flattened, but the sapphire was in its place, and was not lacking a single piece. And thus it is written, inlaid with sapphires.”
“In the millennia since (Israel being given the Torah), many hammers and many anvils (Kingdoms, nations and pagan religious systems) have south to crush the sapphire (Torah) but to no avail. As Israel said to HaShem ‘Master of the Universe, if not for Your Torah that You gave us, the nations would have long ago destroyed us.’ Therefore, the pages of world history are filled with the scattered remains of blunted hammers and fragmented anvils, and the sapphire remains UNCHANGED!” What an amazing description of HaShem and His Torah and no matter how hard the world to include Christendom seeks to destroy and tear apart His Torah, it is they who end up shattered and destroyed while His Torah remains unchanged! Baruch HaShem!!
Shir HaShirim 5:15 says “The Torah’s columns are marble set in contexts of gingold (Finest gold), its contemplation flowers like Lebanon, it is sturdy as cedars.”
The commentary expands on this verse and explains “The columns of the Torah which are interpreted in connection with what follows and what precedes them. What do they resemble? A pillar which has a pedestal below and above. So the sections of the Torah are interpreted by relating them to what follows and what precedes them. Whoever contemplates upon His Word finds flowers and shrubs like a blooming forest i.e. Lebanon being a forest. Such is Torah in that whoever meditates therein discovers limitless wisdom and understanding. He is the choicest, just as cedar is the choicest for building, strength, and height. HaShem so surpasses anything around Him that it is futile to attempt a description of Him by comparison with any other being.”
The Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah 5.14 expounds “His legs are pillars of marble. This is referring to the world. The world is referred to as pillars of marble because the world was founded i.e. created in six days, as it is written per Exodus 31:17 ‘For in a six day period HaShem made heaven and earth.'”
“Set upon sockets of finest gold. These are referring to the sections of the Torah, which are expounded by virtue of their juxtapositions to sections before them and after them. So that the verse is saying the world, alluded too in the previous phrase, is set upon the sections of the Torah i.e. it is supported by the Torah. And hence what are they similar too? To a pillar, which has a base on the bottom and a capital on top.”
What’s the message being conveyed? HaShem and His Torah are inseparable, to toss His Torah out as being irrelevant now, is to toss HaShem out as well! All of creation depends upon HaShem and His Torah in order to not only be sustained but to also function as everything was created to do so!!
Shir HaShirim 5:16 says “The words of His palate are sweet and He is all delight. This is my Beloved and this is my Friend, O nations who are destined to ascend to Jerusalem.”
The commentary on this verse says “It is written per Amos 5:4, ‘For thus said Elohim to the House of Israel, seek Me and live.’ Could anything be sweeter than this?! When the wicked man turns away from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live per Ezekiel 33:19 i.e. if he is truly sorry for his misdeed, his iniquities shall be counted as merits. Could anything be sweeter than this?!”
“This is my Beloved, and this is my Friend and it is for all these virtues that I am sick for His love. This is the triumphant conclusion of her (Israel) answer to the cynical question posed to her in verse 9. This sums up the description of My Beloved, O nations of the world! This is why He is more beloved to me than any other, and why I willingly subject myself to every tribulation for the sanctification of His Name.”
Again, we see this is not a religious experience, but it is a personal relationship with HaShem and His Torah is the vehicle i.e. the means to know Him and to know how to serve and live our lives in service unto Him! Salvation is obtained by faith but Torah is the means to put that faith into action! Moving on.
The Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah 6.4 says “Magnificence in the mundane. In distinguishing between Israel and other nations, the Midrash emphasizes the special nature of our mundane activities. It goes without saying that our principles of faith, modes of worship, and festival celebrations are different from theirs. Our everyday pursuits differ as well.”
“Man made religions tend to compartmentalize human life. There are times to nurture the body and times to nurture the soul, places for temporal endeavors and places for spiritual ones. There is little overlap between the two sides of this dichotomy, little communication between heaven and earth.”
“This is not HaShem’s model for Israel. There is but one focus in Jewish life i.e. to serve HaShem and sanctify His Name. So that all aspects of our lives may be permeated with thoughts of our Creator and our obligations toward Him, the Torah prescribes numerous mitzvos that places limits on, and give direction to, virtually every human activity, no matter how far removed they may seem from the dedicated religious institutions of time and space .”
“In a Midrash elsewhere, the Sages expound the verse ‘Light is sown for the righteous’ quoting Psalms 97:11, as a reference to the mitzvos, with whose light HaShem seeded the world to allow His children to earn a share of eternity.”
“What is the meaning of this ‘Seeds of light’ metaphor? In this world, of natural law, camouflaged by the illusion that man controls his surroundings and fate. To help a person remember his place and purpose in this world, to remind him of the hidden Presence of the Divine in each of man’s mundane tasks, HaShem implanted a kernel of sacred light, in the form of a mitzvah specific to that task. As a result, when a person performs a physical action, when he exercises his will in the world, he need only do the accompanying mitzvah to release the light it contains. For a moment, the concealing darkness is dispelled, and in his heart a vision of the Holy One is formed. In that flash of illumination, his path is laid out before him, and he is reminded again of his true purpose in the Creator’s grand scheme of things.”
When we truly grasp our purpose in this life is the service of HaShem as He is the Creator, Sovereign and King of all of His Creation, it can help get the eyes off of ourselves and onto Him, but it will also remind us in the difficult times of Who exactly is in control of everything!! Again, as I have stated in previous Op’s this is why I get so disgusted with Christendom and its Replacement Theology doctrine because it’s stealing so much from many of the people who legitimately want to know HaShem!
I will end this Op here and include one final point which ties in with Shir HaShirim chapter 5……….the following is from the Artscroll published book ‘My Father, my King’ which says “Hear My Voice. Hear your Father, your King, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe saying to you: Hear My Voice in the sound of thunder and sirens. Hear My Voice and let it awaken you. Hear My Voice in the blast of the shofar. Hear My Voice and let it awaken you.”
“Hear My Voice in the voice of Torah scholars, and let their words and deeds teach and inspire you. Hear My Voice in the voice of those crying and let it arouse your compassion. Hear My Voice in the call to prayer, whether its a rooster, an alarm clock, or one of My loyal subjects. Hear My Voice in the sound of the rain, and in the blowing of the wind.”
“Hear My Voice in the mighty waterfalls and hear My Voice in the subtle sound of the most beautiful garden, with its multitude of colorful flowers on a spring day. Hear My Voice in the roar of a lion, and in the song of birds. Hear My Voice in the sound of every infant. Hear My Voice in the laughter of children. Hear My Voice when people rejoice at a wedding, and hear My Voice when people cry at a funeral. Hear My Voice in every call for help. Hear My Voice in every opportunity to do good. Hear My Voice and follow Me.”
Much to consider!!!
Now on to Shir HaShirim Chapter 6!
Shalom!
SOURCE MATERIALS:
Shir HaShirim by Artscroll
Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah by Artscroll
The Illuminated Shir HaShirim by Artscroll
The Steinsaltz Chumash by Koren Publishers
Talmud Bavli by Artscroll
Talmud Bavli by Steinsaltz and Koren Publishers
Yerushalmi Talmud by Artscroll
The Writings by Artscroll
The Prophets by Artscroll
The Milstein Edition of The Chumash with the teaching of the Talmud by Artscroll
The Midrash Kehati Edition
The Stone Edition Tanach by Artscroll
The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research
“Thus said HaShem, Master of Legions: ‘In those days (The End of Days) it WILL happen that ten men (Non-Jews), of all the different languages of the nations, WILL take hold, they will take hold of the corner of the garment of a Jewish man, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that HaShem is with you!'” Zechariah 8:23
The following two videos are produced by Joseph Good of HaTikvah Ministries during his weekly Chavurah teaching series. For the last two weeks he is addressing the topic of Non-Jews entering the covenant and therefore what is their relation to the Torah of HaShem? Joe bases his answers to this question upon historical and Scriptural facts as recorded in the Apostolic Writings.
These are extremely important videos especially right now, in light of the collapsing world we are currently living in as well as the constant doctrine being promoted and taught in certain Messianic and Hebrew Roots congregations to separate from learning anything from the Orthodox Jews. By rejecting what HaShem has given as resources and tools to learn and improve our walks with Him we are in fact not walking with Him. Further, by forsaking Moses, as is defined in Acts 21, we are in fact going our own way! It boils down to, Know Torah = Know Yeshua; No Torah = No Yeshua!
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 Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
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
“He who loves purity of heart, and whose lips are gracious, the King is his friend.” Proverbs 22:11
As I began to put this Op together it is 22 September 2022. There is much going on in the world! Everything from weather storms, earthquakes and not just physical earthquakes but also political earthquakes per se! Wars are erupting and or escalating! But, one of the most amazing and encouraging news reports in the last few days are the reports of the five red heifers which were shipped from Texas to Israel, for the Parah Adumah ceremony per Bamidbar (Numbers 19), which is required for a rebuilt Temple!
Now the biblical requirements for the Red Heifer is extremely strenuous and so stringent people will know it only came from HaShem! Mankind could not in any way, shape or form manipulate the Red Heifer! Unfortunately, while encouraging as it is, the reports of these red heifers has provoked and brought out those who are extremely threatened and enraged by the thought of a red heifer because of its connection to the Temple of HaShem!
The common objection to these red heifers and to the Temple primarily emerges from Replacement Theology Christendom who see these red heifers, the korbonot (Offerings) and the Temple itself as being the domain of HaSatan and the epitome of wickedness and the absolute abomination against the one Christendom serves. I say this not to bash anyone, but to point this out as being another giant indicator of where I believe, in my opinion, where we are on the timeline of HaShem!
Because the Temple of HaShem is SO important and central in His entire Word, I thought it would be a good reminder as we begin chapter five i.e. the middle of Shir HaShirim and the beginning of the second half of Shir HaShirim, to remember just how important the Temple of HaShem is.
The following is an excerpt from the book ‘The Temple: Its symbolism and meaning then and now’ by Joshua Berman. Pages 40-41 says “Virtually every law and commandment listed from Exodus chapter 25, until the consecration of the Tabernacle in Leviticus, chapter 10, pertain DIRECTLY to the Sanctuary (Temple). Significantly, Moses is told to construct the Tabernacle vessels in accordance with the prototype he had seen of each while convening with HaShem on Mount Sinai. The sustained and focused attention to the Tabernacle laws immediately following the theophany narrative is a sign of a connection between the Revelation at Sinai and HaShem’s continued presence among the people in the Sanctuary. The meaning of this connection is explained by Cassuto:
‘In order to understand the significance and purpose of the Tabernacle, we must realize that the children of Israel, after they had been privileged to witness the Revelation of HaShem on Mount Sinai, were about to journey from there and thus draw away from the site of the theophany. So long as they were encamped in the place, they were conscious of HaShem’s nearness; but once they set out on their journey, it would seem to them as though the link had been broken, unless there were in the midst a tangible symbol of HaShem’s presence among them. It was the function of the Tabernacle (literally meaning Dwelling), to serve as such a symbol. Not without reason, therefore, does this section come immediately after the section that describes the making of the Covenant at Mount Sinai. The nexus between Israel and the Tabernacle is a perpetual extension of the bond that was forged at Sinai between the people and their Elohim.”
So, we can see the Temple is akin to Mount Sinai but also to the Garden of Eden! Consider the following link to a previous Op I did earlier this year discussing the need for a Temple in Jerusalem:
Continuing from the book ‘The Temple: Its symbolism and meaning then and now’ by Joshua Berman, page 28-29 discussing how the Torah of HaShem is akin to the Tree of Life which was in the center of the Garden of Eden. “In place of eternal physical life offered by the Tree of Life, in the post-Eden era, HaShem offers spiritual life in the form of the Torah per Deuteronomy 30:15-18 which says ‘See, I set before you this day life and good, death and evil. For I command you this day, to love the Lord your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His laws, and His norms, that you may live and increase…but if your heart turns away…you shall certainly perish.’ The Torah is portrayed here as a source of life. Its depiction as the difference between good and evil and between life and death may be a deliberate reference to the Tree of Good and Evil and the Tree of Life in the Eden narrative and an indication that the Torah supplants them in the aftermath of man’s sin. The Book of Proverbs refers to the wisdom of HaShem’s ways as a tree of life: ‘She is a tree of life for those who grasp her’ per Proverbs 3:18.”
“The Midrash employs this verse (Proverbs 3:18) to demonstrate that the Torah is a substitute for the Tree of Life of Eden: HaShem hid the tree that granted eternal life to all who ate from it and in its place He gave us His Torah. ‘This is the tree of life, for it says, she is a tree of life for those who grasp her, Proverbs 3:18. When a man beholds it, and sees in it HaShem’s wisdom, and His righteous and just laws and statutes, he is immediately induced to adopt a new mind, and observe them. In so doing he acquires for himself reward in this world and in the world to come, as it says, ‘The Lord commanded us to observe all these laws for our lasting good and to grant us life’ per Deuteronomy 6:24.”
The Temple of HaShem is also known as the House of Kedushah i.e. Holiness. What is the definition of the word ‘Kedushah/kadosh/holy?’ The best answer is the following from my very good friend and teacher Joe Good of HaTikvah Ministries which says: “The time, space and objects that are limited to us through the agency of kedusha (Holiness) are signs that as HaShem’s covenantal partners, we must relinquish some control in every sphere of our existence and reserve those elements for His service!”
Keep all this in mind as we explore chapter five of Shir HaShirim. Understand, there is SO much to explore, it would literally take enormous amounts of space on this blog to cover, so I must do this in sections, thus, this first part of Part 5 will only cover verses one and two. But as always, never forget the following eternal characteristics of HaShem:
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 Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
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 are sixteen verses in chapter five of Shir HaShirim and we will explore each one, however, verses one and two alone will take an enormous amount of time to explore because there is so much in the verses!
Shir HaShirim 5:1 says “To your Tabernacle Dedication, My sister, O bride, I came as if to My garden. I gathered My myrrh with My spice from your princely incense; I accepted your unbidden as well as your bidden offerings to Me; I drank your libations pure as milk. Eat, My beloved priests! Drink and become G-d intoxicated, O friends!“
What needs to be understood is even though this chapter begins here with verse one, which implies a new trend of thought, it is not a new trend of thought, but a continuation of chapter four! The commentary on this verse from the Artscroll Shir HaShirim book says “According to the Mesorah, therefore, this verse does not begin a new chapter and a new trend of thought. Hence, the commentators view this verse contextually as HaShem’s response to Israel’s request that His Shechinah (Presence) descend upon them and eat of their precious fruit. ‘I have already done as you requested!’ HaShem replies.”
The commentary goes on and says “As it is written in Shemot (Exodus) 40:33-34, ‘And Moshe finished the work, and a cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of HaShem filled the Tabernacle.'” Remember HaShem likens His Temple to His Garden of Eden!
The dedication of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness is explained in Bamidbar (Numbers) chapter seven. After Moshe erected the Tabernacle the dedication of the Tabernacle took eight days. Per the Torah, Moshe began on the 23rd day of the month of Adar and finished on the 1st day of the month of Nissan for a total of eight days! The completion of the dedication of the Tabernacle was also Rosh Chodesh Nissan i.e. the new moon for the beginning of the month of Nissan!
The dedication of the Mizbe’ach (The Altar) however, took twelve days! HaShem commands in Bamidbar 7:11 “HaShem said to Moshe, ‘One leader each day, one leader each day shall they bring their offering for the dedication of the Mizbe’ach.'” There are twelve tribes which comprise Israel which correspond to the twelve stones on the Breastplate worn by the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest)! See the image below for example.
Now remember HaShem is unchanging and He reveals the end from the beginning as there is nothing new under the sun! The dedication and the twelve tribes during this ceremony, which is comprised of Minchah (Bread) offerings, incense, Olah (Burnt), Chatat (Sin) and Shelamim (Peace) offerings. Now remember, as it pertains to the korbonot (Offerings): “The truest offering is when the owner brings himself as the offering. The owner of the animal or grain offering, sets himself apart to HaShem, subservient to the teachings of the Torah. The animal or grain offering is secondary in that it is an indication of what the owner feels and what the owner is striving for!” The meaning of the word ‘Korbonot’ means ‘To draw near to HaShem’. The purpose of the korbonot is not simply to obtain forgiveness from sin, but for the purpose of communing with HaShem, drawing near to Him. To give thanks, gratitude, cleansing from ritual impurity and atonement.
There are THREE species of animals which may be brought as korbonot which, per Vayikra Midrash Rabbah 8.3 states these three species of animals correspond to one of the Patriarchs who exemplify a characteristic of each species of animal:
Oxen – Corresponds to Abraham who exemplified the characteristic of kindness
Rams – Corresponds to Isaac who exemplified the characteristic of strength
Sheep – Corresponds to Jacob who exemplified the characteristic of glory
Per Vayikra (Leviticus) 22:27, an animal selected as a korbonot MUST be at a minimum EIGHT days old and from that point on, it is acceptable to HaShem. Keep this in mind.
There are EIGHT categories of korbonot (Offerings) which may be brought. Not all are for atonement from sin:
Chatat (Sin)
Olah (Burnt)
Asham (Guilt)
Shelamim (Peace)
Todah (Thanksgiving)
Bechor (Firstborn)
Maaser (Tithing)
Pesach (Passover)
***Birds may be brought as Olah and Chatat.
What is astounding is when we examine why HaShem decided on eight categories of korbonot. Why did He choose the number eight? Per the book ‘Jewish Wisdom in the Numbers’ when reading about the number eight, it says “The number 8 denotes transcendence. It symbolizes that a Jew is not subject to the natural realm. They have the ability to break free from this world and its limitations.” Further the number 8 relates to the Torah of HaShem in that the Torah is not of this natural world. The number 8 relates to the House of HaShem i.e. His Temple. But most astoundingly the number 8 relates to King Messiah!“Messiah, refers to the anointing of the Davidic Dynasty with oil. The oil used in the Menorah is related to the Messianic King who will illuminate the world with His light.” Okay, moving on.
It is the application of the blood onto the Mizbe’ach (Altar) which atones, not the burning of the meat or the fat. This is just an extremely quick review of what we have discussed in previous Op’s concerning the Korbonot. Now, we can continue with the dedication ceremony which is as follows as stated in Bamidbar (Numbers) seven beginning with the first day. Each head of the tribes brought the same korbonot on each day:
Nachson of the tribe of Yehuda. He brought one silver bowl filled with 130 shekels worth of fine flour mixed with oil. One silver basin filled with 70 shekels worth of fine flour mixed with oil for a Minchah (Bread) offering. One gold ladle of 10 shekels worth if incense. One young bull, one ram, one sheep in its first year for an Olah (Burnt) offering. One he-goat for a Chatat (Sin) offering. Two cattle, five rams, five he-goats, five sheep in their first year for a Shelamim (Peace) offering.
Nesanel of the tribe of Issachar.
Eliav of the tribe of Zevulun
Elitzur of the tribe of Reuven
Shelumiel of the tribe of Shimon
Eliasaph of the tribe of Gad
Elishama of the tribe of Ephraim
Gamaliel of the tribe of Menasheh
Avidan of the tribe of Benyamim
Achiezar of the tribe of Dan
Pagiel of the tribe of Asher
Achira of the tribe of Naphtali
Per Bamidbar (Numbers) 7:84 the twelve heads of the tribes brought a total of:
12 silver bowls – Each containing 130 shekels worth of fine flour mixed with oil
12 silver basins – Each containing 70 shekels worth of fine flour mixed with oil
12 gold ladles – Each containing 10 shekels worth of incense
12 bulls, rams, sheep in their first year for the Olah
12 he-goats for the Chatat
24 bulls
60 rams, he-goats, sheep in their first year for the Shelamim
I hope you can thus far see the immense detail involved in this ceremony? And this is just a very quick glance as I am leaving out so much! Continuing on.
His reference to the Incense is a giant topic worthy of its own Op in itself! I will have to summarize as much of it as possible here.
Shemot 30:34 lists four of eleven ingredients which comprise the Temple Incense:
Stacte
Onycha
Galbanum
Pure Frankincense
Keritot 6A from the Talmud Bavli lists seven more ingredients:
Myrrh
Cassia
Spikenard
Saffron
Costus
Aromatic Bark
Cinnamon
Per Keritot 6A, Steinsaltz Talmud Bavli, the incense is prepared according to the following manner:
“The Sages taught in a baraita: How is the blending of the incense performed? Balm, and onycha, and galbanum, and frankincense, each of these by a weight of seventy maneh, i.e., seventy units of one hundred dinars. Myrrh, and cassia, and spikenard, and saffron, each of these by a weight of sixteen maneh. Costus by a weight of twelve maneh; three maneh of aromatic bark; and nine maneh of cinnamon. Kersannah lye of the volume of nine kav; Cyprus winen of the volume of three se’a and three more kav, a half-se’a. If one does not have Cyprus wine he brings old white wine. Sodomite salt is brought by the volume of a quarter-kav. Lastly, a minimal amount of the smoke raiser, a plant that causes the smoke of the incense to rise properly. Rabbi Natan says: Also a minimal amount of Jordan amber.”
“The Sages taught in a baraita (Teaching outside of the Mishnah): The incense was prepared from ingredients amounting to the weight of 368 maneh, i.e., 368 units of one hundred dinars. Of these, 365 of them correspond to the days of the solar year. The additional three maneh are those from which the High Priest would bring in to the Sanctuary his handful required on Yom Kippur (see Leviticus 16:12), and the rest, i.e., the incense that was not used over the course of the year, was given to the artisans as their wages.”
Shemot 30:37 says “The incense that you shall make, in its measure you shall not make for yourselves; it shall remain holy to you, for HaShem.”
Mitzvah #110 – The Prohibition to Replicate the Incense – Regarding one who transgressed the prohibition and made a replica of the ketores in accordance with its proportions, in order to smell it, if he did so deliberately, he is liable to kares (excision), and if he did so inadvertently, he is liable to a fixed chatat (Sin) offering.
HaShem says here in Shir HaShirim 5:1 “…Eat, My beloved priests! Drink and become G-d intoxicated, O friends!” His Kohanim (Priests) are the ones who officiate the Temple Avodah (Services) each day and will do so once again hopefully very shortly, HaShem willing!!
The commentary from the Illuminated Shir HaShirim, page 62-63, says “The word for ‘Garden’ is used in the possessive form, meaning ‘My wedding canopy’. HaShem states that He came to His Garden. HaShem placed man on this earth after creating the luminaries, vegetation and plant life, animals, birds, and fish. The entirety of creation was placed at man’s service. HaShem is omnipresent, ‘The whole world is filled with His glory.’ Even before the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, Godliness was found on the earth below. As long as mankind lived up to its Divine mission, fulfilling the directives of their Creator, the earth could be the footstool of the Almighty.”
“Man, if he comports himself in accordance with the will of Elohim, can be a vehicle to bring Godliness to himself and to share it with the world. In the time of Moses, who perfected his character and was a prophet with no equal, Elohim rested His Shechinah once more on earth with the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle). On that day, the first of Nissan, the verse says, ‘The cloud covered the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting), and the glory of HaShem filled the Tabernacle’ quoting Shemot (Exodus) 40:34. The verses describing the construction of the Mishkan in many instances parallel the terms used in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the Mishkan is a miniature form of Creation itself. With the construction of the Mishkan and its dedication on the first of Nissan, HaShem once more had a place where the Divine Presence could dwell on earth.”
The more man tells HaShem to get out and spits on His Torah, the more the world collapses into insanity and chaos! And then we wonder why the world is in the abominable mess it is in today?
Now consider an excerpt from the Vayikra (Leviticus) Midrash Rabbah 8.3 Insights section which says “Our Midrash teaches that David yearned for the dedicatory offerings of the tribal princes, and that those offerings were as precious as the Song of the Sea, the two Tablets of the Covenant, and the daily offering of Aaron, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), which in turn was as precious before HaShem as the twelve tribes themselves.”
Consider the following from the Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah 5.1 when explaining verse 5.1: “Another interpretation of ‘Eat, friends…’ Why did HaShem say this to them? It may be compared to a King who made a feast and invited guests to come join Him, and at the feast the King was going around to all the guests and saying to them, ‘May the food be enjoyable for you! May it be pleasing to you!'” The king here in this parable is HaShem Himself! Again, can you see the compassion, kindness, mercy, in that He as the King is going around to His guests making sure the food is enjoyable? This again captures the heart of Shir HaShirim! HaShem reaching out and seeking out His bride i.e. Israel, who responds to His calls!
The Midrash enhances this further and says “HaShem was like a King Who made a feast and invited guests, and then went around them saying, ‘Eat friend….I hope you like it, I hope you enjoy it!'” Can you imagine having HaShem Himself coming around to His guests i.e. you and I, and encouraging us to enjoy ourselves and to eat from His bounty? There isn’t a king or a president in human history who would do this! THIS is what HaShem does everyday and His Torah is the bounty to eat from and enjoy! Keep this in mind!
Shir HaShirim 5:2 says “I am asleep but my heart is awake. The sound of my Beloved, knocking ‘Open up for Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My perfect one! For My head is filled with dew, My locks with the droplets of the night.'”
The Artscroll Shir HaShirim commentary on this verse says “These verses beautifully and tragically allegorize the period of the First Temple and its destruction; Israel’s evil ways; HaShem’s many compassionate warnings to repent; their recalcitrance followed by His display of wrathful vengeance. They repented, but it was too late, His prophetically foretold Decree of imminent Destruction was not to be annulled.”
The Illuminated Shir HaShirim says from page #63 “For any relationship to flourish, particularly between the people of Israel and HaShem, there has to be a constant vigilance to maintain the level of connectedness. in the time of the First Holy Temple, the Jewish nation did not fulfill its obligation to its Beloved. In a state of spiritual slumber, she drifted from the lofty level that kept her connected to HaShem. Elohim sent His prophets to rebuke and encourage the nation to return, to repent of her ways and return to her Beloved.”
“The verses describe Elohim’s Divine disappointment in His children. If no relationship ever existed, there is little expectation; when there was a strong connection, when the People of Israel were favored as HaShem’s beloved people and then strayed, the relationship is fraught with frustration. The endearing terms that HaShem uses in calling out to His beloved i.e. My sister, My beloved, My dove, My perfect one, display the attempts He has made to bring His people close to Him. Yet a relationship must have reciprocity to continue, and surely to flourish.”
The Judaica Press Shir HaShirim commentary on this verse breaks it down and says “I sleep…When I was confident and tranquil in the First Temple. I despaired of worshipping the Holy One, blessed be He, as one who sleeps and slumbers. But my heart is awake…This is the Holy One blessed be He. But my heart is awake…The Holy One, blessed be He, Who is per Psalms 73:26 ‘The Rock of my (Israel’s) heart and my portion,’ is awake to guard me and to benefit me. Hark! My beloved is knocking…He causes His Shechinah to rest upon the prophets and He admonishes through them by sending them. Open for me…Do not cause Me to withdraw from you. For my head is full of dew…A term referring to a man who comes at night, knocking on the door of his beloved. He says thus, ‘Because of love for you, I have come at night at the time of dew or rain’, and the allegory is that, ‘My head is full of dew because I am full of good will and satisfaction with Abraham your father, whose deeds pleased Me like dew, and behold, I come to you, loaded with blessings and the payment of reward for good deeds if you return to Me!'”
So, again we see HaShem reaches out to His bride, Israel, and knocks on the door hoping Israel responds and opens up for Him! My point is, again we see the astounding kindness, compassion, mercy and forgiveness of HaShem! How much more disgraceful, disrespectful and offensive is it when people not only reject HaShem but to actually refer to what He has given i.e. His Torah, His Feasts, His Shabbat, etc, as something akin to trash, the source of death, destruction, deception, bondage, sin, and the power of Satan himself as Christendom in its doctrine has and continues to teach today! Moving on.
The Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah expounds on this verse even more…be ready to be astounded again at the lengths HaShem goes to redeem His people!!
Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah 5.2 says “I am asleep from anticipating the Messianic End, but my heart is awake for anticipating the Redemption.” The notes associated with this says “The Messianic End, the set time by which the Messianic Redemption will take place no matter what. Since I have been in exile for so long, I have sometimes despaired of the End ever arriving. For under certain circumstances, Elohim will redeem Israel even before the set time for the End.”
Here is the good stuff!!
“What does it mean when He tells Israel to ‘Open up’ for Him? The Holy One, blessed is He, is saying to the people of Israel, ‘Open up for Me an opening of repentance, LIKE THE SIZE OF A POINT OF A NEEDLE, and I, in return, will open for you openings that are so wide that wagons and carriages can enter them!‘” WOW…consider that! If we decide to make teshuvah i.e. repent, just a tiny bit, like the size of a needle, HaShem will then open that point of a needle to the size, figuratively speaking, that wagons and carriage can enter them! Meaning, if we just have a needle point of teshuvah, HaShem is that ready to move to help us!
Its important to know, this concept is NOT confined to the time of the Exodus, but “to a general, timeless message from HaShem to Israel!”
From the ‘Insights Section’ in the Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah titled ‘The Prick of Needle’ it says “Where does one make this needle size opening? In the heart. Any contemplation of repentance, and good deed, any moment of triumph over one’s evil inclination forms an opening in the iron partition that separates one’s heart from his Father in Heaven. And then a wave of Divine assistance will come down through that hole, sweeping a person out of his lowly, materialistic state, and raising him up to a far higher spiritual level. There is, however, one condition. The opening one forms must truly be like that bored by a needle i.e. a penetrating hole that passes entirely through the pierced material. In other words, the breakthrough must be durable, reflecting a resolve that is hardy and sincere. If it is not, if one’s resolve is marked by hesitancy and indecision, then, it is more like a hole formed by a finger in a pool of water, which closes up on its own as soon as the finger is removed.”
“Once a person fulfills this condition, he is eligible for the grand dividends spoken of in the Midrash. And marvelous they are, compared to the principle invested i.e. a gateway spacious enough for wagons and chariots, formed from a hole as minute as a needle’s point, an exponential increase not only in size but in quality as well.”
“The Talmud derives this idea from a verse in Leviticus 11:44 which says ‘You (Israel) are to sanctify yourselves and you shall become holy.’ What seems like a redundancy actually teaches us that when a person sanctifies himself even a little, from below in this world, he will be sanctified to a much greater degree from Above, here and in the World to Come.”
“How wonderful is HaShem’s kindness! Not only does He infuse us with a generous dose of spiritual energy in response to each puny step we take in His direction, but He even gives us credit for all the progress that we subsequently make, as if we had accomplished it all on our own.”
The point I want to highlight again, is HaShem is longsuffering, wishing NONE would perish, but that ALL would repent! Just a tiny speck of sincere repentance the size of a needlepoint and He will do the rest!! This also tells us when we begin to answer His call to shrug off the religious systems of the world i.e. Christendom, and to embrace His Torah, we won’t know hardly anything and thus it can look incredibly overwhelming; but we start out small, just like a needlepoint, and He will help us progress and move forward learning more and more as time passes by. You will be surprised at how much you can learn once you begin to sincerely ask Him to help you do so! Again, the great kindness and compassion of our Great King!
So, why does HaShem refer to Israel as His ‘Sister’ or His ‘Bride’? Per the Shir HaShirirm Midrash Rabbah it tells us HaShem refers to Israel as His sister because Israel clung unto HaShem during the exile. He refers to Israel as His bride because Israel was decimated for Him while in exile and quotes Psalms 44:23 which says “Because for Your sake we are killed all day long, we are considered as sheep for slaughter.” In the Messianic future HaShem will refer to Israel as His sister because Israel will be fully attached to Him. He will refer to Israel as His bride because of Lamentations 2:15 which says “All who pass along the way clap hands at you; they whistle and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, ‘Could this be the city that was called Perfect in Beauty, Joy of All the Earth?'” The nations here realize how incredibly destructive for the world it was for them to destroy the Temple and Jerusalem and had they known just how destructive it was going to be, they wouldn’t have done so.
Further, why does He refer to Israel as His dove? Again the Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah says “All doves have markings that distinguish them from each other. Similarly, the Israelites became distinguishable from others through the mitzvos (Commandments/Torah) that are unique to them.” Uh oh, Replacement Theology Christendom once again has a real problem on its hands, because once more we see it is HaShem’s Torah which distinguishes His people from the world!! If you toss out His Torah, what sets and distinguishes you from the world? Nothing!
The Midrash goes on and says “Those who received commandments at Marah, for it was there that the Israelites were given commandments and became DISTINGUISHABLE through the mitzvos and righteous acts and good deeds that they were commanded to do.” Marah was a station in the Wilderness HaShem led Israel through when He delivered them from Egypt. The name ‘Marah’ in Hebrew means ‘Bitter‘.
What commandments were given to Israel at Marah which sets Israel apart from the nations of the world? Shemot (Exodus) 15:25-26 says “He (Moshe) cried out to HaShem, and HaShem showed him a tree; he (Moshe) threw it into the water (Bitter waters/Marah) and the water became sweet. There He established for the nation a decree and an ordinance, and there He tested it. He said, ‘If you hearken diligently to the voice of HaShem, your Elohim, and do what is just in His eyes, give ear to His commandments and observe all His decrees, then any of the diseases that I placed on Egypt, I will not bring upon you, for I am HaShem, your Healer.”
The Chumash commentary on these two verses says “At Marah, HaShem commanded Israel to observe ten mitzvos even before the Torah was given. These include the seven mitzvos given to the sons of Noah, the mitzvah to establish courts i.e. judgment, the mitzvah to observe Shabbat, and the mitzvah to honor one’s parents!” So, again we see at the very least it is Shabbat, His Shabbat, which distinguishes His people from the world!
Tractate Sanhedrin 56b from the Talmud Bavli says “The Jewish people were commanded to observe ten mitzvot when they were in Marah: Seven that the descendants of Noah accepted upon themselves, and HaShem added to them the following mitzvos: Judgment, and Shabbat, and honoring one’s father and mother.” This was all BEFORE He gave the complete Torah at Sinai! Again this has gigantic implications for Replacement Theology because it shows once more His Shabbat IS for everyone and is very much a means to be distinguished unto Him!
What does HaShem mean when He says “My Head is filled with dew, My locks with the droplets of the night?” Per the Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah it says “This verse refers to the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, the words for my head is filled with dew reflecting what is written concerning that event, even the heavens trickled quoting Judges 5:4, which says ‘HaShem, as You left Seir, as You strode from the field of Edom, the earth quaked and even the heavens trickled; even the clouds dripped water.'” This is the event when before HaShem offered the Torah to Israel, He first offered it to the offspring of Esau i.e. Edom, on Mount Seir. They refused it and then He went to Israel who accepted it. The commentary for Judges 5:4 expounds on this and says “Poetically, Deborah depicts the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, according to the tradition of the Sages, that before giving the Torah to Israel, HaShem offered it to the offspring of Esau, who dwelt on Mount Seir and the field of Edom. Only after they refused it out of hand did HaShem advance in splendor to Mount Sinai for His rendezvous with Israel. Since the Torah is so awesome that heaven and earth quaked when it was given, as it were, it is understandable that Israel should suffer for forsaking it, and be helped when it repented.” HaShem is describing the sky and clouds at Mount Sinai using the metaphor of His head and His hair.
Judaica Press Shir HaShirim commentary further says “For My head is full of dew, is a term referring to a man who comes at night, knocking on the door of his beloved. He says thus, ‘Because of love for you, I have come at night at the time of dew or rain,’ and the allegory is that, ‘My head is full of dew because I am full of good will and satisfaction with Abraham your father, whose deeds pleased Me like dew, and behold, I come to you, loaded with blessings and the payment of reward for good deeds if you return to Me.'”
Can you see how much HaShem loves His bride Israel and to what extent He goes to bring her back to Him? And remember this Op is covering just pieces of what is recorded in all the source materials for verses one and two of chapter five of Shir HaShirim!! The next Op will continue chapter five!
Much to consider!
Shalom!
SOURCE MATERIALS:
Shir HaShirim Midrash Rabbah by Artscroll
Shir HaShirirm by Judaica Press
The Chumash with the Teachings of the Talmud by Artscroll
The Illuminated Shir HaShririm by Artscroll
Shir HaShirim by Artscroll
Tractate Sanhedrin Talmud Bavli Steinsaltz
The Temple its Symbolism and Meaning Then and Now by Joshua Berman
Measure the Pattern Volume 1 by Joseph Good of HaTikvah Ministries
“For HaShem alone my soul waits silently, because from Him is my hope!” Psalms 62:6
Its becoming more difficult by the day to ignore the plight of this old, wicked and corrupt world. I see constantly people and television personalities who are working harder and harder each day to try and ignore the giant elephant in the room i.e. the world as we have known it is finished and rapidly collapsing!
Foundations built upon economics, religion, entertainment, medical, etc, they ALL are failing now. Nothing is withstanding the pressures coming to bear upon the world. We all see and we all are experiencing it first hand! Whether it be economic difficulties to medical difficulties, everyone is experiencing the collapse around us 24/7!
People attempt to ignore and distract themselves from the glaring fact of the state of the world with entertainment, sports, etc, and from the look on their faces, its absolutely obvious its not working anymore! People are having to accept the state of the world and many do not know how to handle it. Many, unfortunately, are turning to idolatry and false religious systems, which may distract for a moment, but even in that, the idolatry will eventually fail them and they will be left with the same glaring questions they had at the beginning i.e. “What do I do now?Who can I turn too for help?”
As such, nothing is a coincidence with HaShem! Everything, even down to the most miniscule, insignificant element in existence has a specific purpose for which He placed in its specific spot, for a specific reason. Absolutely nothing is just because or an accident with HaShem! Keep this in mind as we proceed.
As I put this Op together, it is 8 October 2022, the final Shabbat before Sukkot begins. The Torah portion for today is the last Torah portion before Sukkot and it is ‘Ha’azinu’ which is found in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 32:1-52. The Haftarah is found in 2 Samuel 22:1-52. The Psalm for Shabbat today is Psalms 71. Let’s examine these for a bit and see what HaShem is telling us today amidst this collapsing world around us. But, before we do so, never forget the following unchanging characteristics of HaShem:
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 Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
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 Song of Moshe, which is found here in today’s Torah portion says beginning in Devarim 32:1-6 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; and may the earth hear the words of my mouth. May my teaching drop like the rain, may my utterance flow like the dew; like storm winds upon vegetation and like raindrops upon blades of grass. When I call out the Name of HaShem, ascribe greatness to our Elohim. THE ROCK! Perfect is His work, for ALL His paths are justice; a Elohim of faith without iniquity, righteous and fair is He. Corruption is NOT His, the blemish is His children’s, a perverse and twisted generation. Is it to HaShem that you do this, O vile and unwise people? Is He not your Father, your Master? Has He not created you and firmed you?”
It is interesting, the commentary on describing HaShem as our Rock from the Chumash says “HaShem’s justice applies so broadly that nothing escapes His system of reward and punishment. Someone who claims that HaShem will overlook sins is dangerously mistaken. By making such a claim, he influences others to sin, since they will think that there is no punishment for their actions. Therefore, anyone who claims that HaShem disregards our sins will have his own life disregarded.”
What is the one thing the world is collapsing over? In my opinion, it is injustice! There are multiple levels of justice being executed on people depending on their level of wealth, status in the community, entertainment status, social status, etc. Instead of having an unbiased level of justice applied equally to all persons, now its corrupted and what is the end result? Societies and nations collapse! Moving on.
Devarim 32:7-10 says “Remember the days of yore, understand the years of generation after generation. Ask your father and he will relate it to you, your elders and they will tell you. When the Supreme One gave the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of man, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the Children of Israel. For HaShem’s portion is His people; Yaakov is the measure of His inheritance. He discovered him in a desert land, in desolation, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He granted him discernment, He preserved him like the pupil of His eye.”
So, here we see it is HaShem Who sets the borders of the nations based upon the number of the Children of Israel! This indicates it is the twelve tribes of Israel which help hold up the world! We further see it is from HaShem Who encircled His people, granted discernment and preserved Yaakov i.e. Israel! Keep this in mind!
Devarim 32:11-14 says “He (HaShem) was like an eagle arousing its nest, hovering over its young, spreading its wings and taking them, carrying them on its pinions. HaShem alone guided them, and no other power was with them. He would make him ride on the heights of the land and have him eat the ripe fruits of my fields; He would suckle him with honey from a stone, and oil from a flinty rock; butter of cattle and milk of sheep with fat of lambs, rams born in Bashan and he-goats, with wheat as fat as kidneys; and you would drink blood of a grape like delicious wine.”
The analogy of HaShem like an eagle is amazing. Read the following from a commentary from Ohr HaChaim: “An eagle approaches its nest gently, so as not to overwhelm its young by appearing in the nest too suddenly; in addition, it does not rest its weight upon its young but hovers over them. Likewise, when HaShem appeared to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, He appeared in a manner that they could bear, designed so as not to overwhelm them.”
Unfortunately, too much of a good thing tends to make us get lazy, complacent, take for granted and as a whole end up rebelling against HaShem.
Devarim 32:15-27 says “Yeshurun (Another name for Israel) became fat and kicked. You became fat, you became thick, you became corpulent, and it deserted HaShem its Maker; and was contemptuous of the Rock of its salvation. They would provoke His jealousy with strangers; they would anger Him with abominations. They would slaughter to demons without power; gods whom they knew not, newcomers recently arrived, whom your ancestors did not dread. You ignored the Rock Who gave birth to you, and forgot Elohim Who brought you forth. HaShem will see and be provoked by the anger of His sons and daughters, and He will say, ‘I shall hide My face from them and see what their end will be, for they are a generation of reversals, children in whom there is no loyalty. They provoked Me with a non god, they angered Me with their vanities; so shall I provoke them with a non people, with a vile nation shall I anger them. For fire will have been kindled in My nostrils and blazed to the lowest depths. It shall consume the earth and its produce, and set ablaze what is founded on mountains. I shall accumulate evils against them, My arrows shall I use up against them; bloating of famine, battles of flaming demons, cutting down by the noontime demon, and the teeth of beasts shall I dispatch against them. On the outside, the sword will bereave, while indoors there will be dread, even a young man, even a virgin, a suckling with the gray haired man. I had said, ‘I will scatter them, I will cause their memory to cease from man’ were it not that the anger of the enemy was pent up, lest his tormenters misinterpret; lest they say, ‘Our hand was raised in triumph, and it was NOT HaShem Who accomplished all this!'”
All of this sounds extremely harsh by HaShem towards His people who rebelled against Him, but consider if He will do this to His own people, how much more will He act against the nations who have never known Him and embrace all sorts of debauchery, filth, idolatry and sins! Further, the nations He brings down upon Israel, often think it was by their own hands, skills, superiority, etc, that allowed them to prevail over HaShem’s people, when in fact, they are just a tool in HaShem’s Hand! Again, showing the mastery of HaShem over His creation and how all things work to His purposes! Finally, remember HaShem brings about these harsh judgments, not only just for purposes of justice and righteousness but also to motivate teshuvah (Repentance) i.e. returning to HaShem and His Torah! It is HaShem’s desire that none perish, but that all come to repentance!
Consider what HaShem says in Ezekiel 33:11 which says “Say to them, ‘As I live, the words of my Master, HaShem/Elohim, I do not desire the death of the wicked one, but the wicked one’s return from his way that he will live. Repent, repent from your evil ways; why should you die, O family of Israel?'” This is reiterated in 2 Peter 3:9!
Devarim 32:28-31 says “For they are a nation bereft of counsel, and there is no discernment in them. Were they wise they would comprehend this, for they would discern it from their end. For how could one pursue a thousand, and two cause a myriad to flee, if not that their Rock had sold them out, and HaShem had delivered them? For not like our Rock is their rock, yet our enemies judge us!”
The commentary from Ohr HaChaim on these verses says “For they are nation bereft of counsel. It means that these idolatrous nations do not have the nature to make such an observation; they are bereft of such counsel, and will not assume that the Jewish people were destroyed on account of their sins. Moreover, the verse continues, and there is no discernment in them, meaning that even if these nations would recognize that what happened to the Jewish people was a result of their sins, they lack the ability to discern one thing from another and to infer that if the Jews were punished so severely, then surely the idol worshiping nations will be destroyed on account of their greater sins!” Again, the perfect explanation for why Replacement Theology Christendom is so extremely dangerous and destructive, because its doctrine is exactly as is explained here i.e. “G-d hates Israel, ‘Jesus’ destroyed the Torah, and everything has either been changed or replaced while sin is just a concept from the past with no fear of punishment or judgment!” Moving on.
Devarim 32:32-35 says “For their (Israel’s) vineyard is from the vineyard of Sedom (Sodom) and from the fields of Amorah (Gemorah); serpents venom is their wine, the poison of cruel vipers. Is it not hidden with Me, sealed in My treasuries? Mine is vengeance and retribution at the time their foot will falter; for the day of their catastrophe is near, and future events are rushing at them.“
HaShem is referring here to the Day of Judgment which is the era we are currently fast approaching!
Devarim 32:36-41 here Israel is comforted by HaShem despite the judgments decreed: “When HaShem will have judged His people, He shall relent regarding His servants, when He sees that enemy power progresses, and none is saved or assisted. He will say, ‘Where is their god, the rock in whom they sought refuge?’ The fat of whose offerings they would eat, they would drink the wine of their libations? Let them stand help you! Let them be a shelter for you! See, now, that I, I am He, and no god is with Me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and there is no rescuer from My hand. For I shall raise My hand to heaven and say, ‘As I live forever; if I sharpen My flashing sword and My hand grasps judgment, I shall return vengeance upon My enemies and upon those that hate Me shall I bring retribution.“
Ohr HaChaim expounds and says “It will thus gird itself in judgment to return vengeance upon the enemies of HaShem, who are in fact none other than the enemies of the Jewish people, for they hate us for no reason other than our attachment to HaShem. When the verse concludes and says, and upon those who hate Me I shall bring retribution, it is referring to those who are in the class of people that incite the Jewish people to transgress the Torah.”
Devarim 32:42-43 says “I shall intoxicate My arrows with blood and My sword shall devour flesh, because of the blood of corpse and captive, because of the earliest depredations of the enemy. O nations, sing the praises of His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants; He will bring retribution upon His foes, and His earth will atone for His people.”
There is a prophetic verse found in Psalms 144:15 which says “Praiseworthy is the people for whose Elohim is HaShem.” The point is, HaShem will punish and judge His people, but the judgment which will fall upon the nations who never knew Him will be far more severe and in the falling of this judgment, in the end of days, the nations will realize who Israel is in relation to HaShem!
Devarim 32:44-47 says “Moshe came and spoke all the words of this Song in the ears of the people, he and Hoshea (Joshua) son of Nun. Moshe concluded speaking all these words to all Israel. He said to them, ‘Apply your hearts to all the words that I testify against you today, with which you are to instruct your children, to be careful to perform all the words of this Torah, for it is not an empty thing for you, FOR IT IS YOUR LIFE, and through this matter shall you prolong your days on the Land to which you cross the Jordan to possess it.”
Again, HaShem reiterates the Torah is our life! It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it! Even if we read His Torah and have zero idea or understanding what exactly we are reading, it still is having an effect in that His Word is getting into our hearts and minds! If we ask Him, He WILL give us discernment and help us to understand and how to apply this to our daily lives!
Devarim 32:48-52 says “HaShem spoke to Moshe on that very day, syaing, ‘Ascend to this mount of Abarim, Mount Nevo, which is in the land of Moav, which is before Yericho, and see the land of Canaan that I give to the Children of Israel as an inheritance, and die on the mountain you will ascend, and be gathered to your people, as Aharon your brother died on Mount Hor; and was gathered to his people, because you trespassed against Me among the Children of Israel at the waters of strife at Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Tzin; because you did not sanctify Me among the Children of Israel. For from a distance shall you see the Land, but you shall not enter there, into the Land that I give to the Children of Israel.'”
There is a giant prophetic element to these verses in that even though Moshe was not allowed to enter the Land then, in the future redemption, Moshe WILL be resurrected and WILL enter the Land then!! May it be so very soon in our days! So, I hope you can see HaShem IS our Rock and our place of refuge, safety, protection, provision, etc from this Torah portion? Now consider what David says in the Haftarah from 2 Samuel 22!
The Haftarah is pretty self explanatory so I won’t comment on it. Just pay attention to how HaShem is described by David!!! 2 Samuel 22:1-51 says “Then David spoke to HaShem the words of this song, on the day when HaShem had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. And he said: “HaShem is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer; The Elohim of my strength, in whom I will trust; My Shield and the Horn of my Salvation, My Stronghold and my Refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. I will call upon HaShem, Who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.”
“When the waves of death surrounded me, the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon HaShem, and cried out to my Elohim; He heard my voice from His Temple, And my cry entered His ears. ‘Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because He was angry. Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down with darkness under His feet. He rode upon a cherub, and flew; and He was seen upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness canopies around Him, dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him Coals of fire were kindled.”
“HaShem thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His Voice. He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning bolts, and He vanquished them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, the foundations of the world were uncovered, at the rebuke of HaShem, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils. ‘He sent from above, He took me, He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me; for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but HaShem was my Support.”
“He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. ‘HaShem rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of HaShem, and have not wickedly departed from my Elohim. For all His judgments were before me; and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also blameless before Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore HaShem has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyes. ‘With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless; with the pure You will show Yourself pure; and with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd. You will save the humble people; but Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.”
“For You are my lamp, HaShem; The Master shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; by my Elohim I can leap over a wall. As for Elohim, His way is perfect; the word of HaShem is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. ‘For who is Elohim, except HaShem? And who is a Rock, except our Elohim? Elohim is my Strength and Power, and He makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on my high places. He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.”
“You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great. You enlarged my path under me; so my feet did not slip. ‘I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them; neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. And I have destroyed them and wounded them, so that they could not rise; they have fallen under my feet. For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose against me. You have also given me the necks of my enemies, so that I destroyed those who hated me. They looked, but there was none to save; even to HaShem, but He did not answer them. Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth; I trod them like dirt in the streets, and I spread them out.”
“You have also delivered me from the strivings of my people; You have kept me as the head of the nations. A people I have not known shall serve me. The foreigners submit to me; as soon as they hear, they obey me. The foreigners fade away, and come frightened from their hideouts. “HaShem lives! Blessed be my Rock! Let Elohim be exalted, The Rock of my Salvation! It is HaShem Who avenges me, and subdues the peoples under me; He delivers me from my enemies. You also lift me up above those who rise against me; You have delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks to You, O HaShem, among the Gentiles, and sing praises to Your Name. ‘He is the tower of salvation to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, to David and his descendants forevermore.’”
Now consider what He says in Psalms 71 i.e. the Psalms for this Torah portion!
Psalms 71:1-22 says “In You HaShem, I have taken refuge, let me not be shamed, ever. In Your righteousness rescue me and deliver me; incline Your ear to me and save me. Be for me a sheltering Rock to which to come always; in the past You commanded my salvation, for my Rock and my Fortress are You. My Elohim, deliver me from the wicked one’s hand, from the palm of the schemer and the violent one. For You are my hope, O Master HaShem/Elohim, my security since my youth.”
“I relied on You from my birth, You with drew me from the innards of my mother; of You is my praise always. When I became an example to the multitude, You were my mighty refuge. Let my mouth be filled with Your praise, all day long with Your splendor. Do not cast me off in time of old age; when my strength fails, forsake me not. For my foes speak of me, and those who watch for life consult together, saying, ‘Elohim has forsaken him, pursue and catch him, for there is no rescuer.’ O Elohim, be not far from me; O my Elohim, hasten to my assistance.”
“Let the adversaries of my soul be shamed and consumed; let those who seek my harm be enwrapped in disgrace and humiliation. As for me, I shall always hope, and I will yet add to all Your praise. My mouth shall recount Your righteousness, all day long Your salvation, though I know not their numbers. I shall come with the mighty deeds of the Master, HaShem/Elohim, I will mention Your righteousness, Yours alone. O Elohim, You have taught me from my youth, and until this moment I declare Your wonders. And even until old age and hoariness, O Elohim, forsake me not; until I proclaim Your strength to the generation, Your might to all who will yet come.”
“And Your righteousness, O Elohim, is unto the high heavens; You, Who have done great things, O Elohim, who is like You? You, Who have shown me many and grievous troubles; revive me again, and from the depths of the earth raise me again. Increase my greatness, and turn back to comfort me. I shall also thank You on the stringed instrument for Your faithfulness, my Elohim; I shall sing to You on the harp, O Holy One of Israel. My lips shall rejoice when I sing to You, as well as my soul that You have redeemed. My tongue, too, shall utter Your righteousness all day long; for they are shamed, for they are humiliated, those who seek my harm.”
Can you see the theme of this weeks Torah portion? HaShem IS the ONLY Rock we have and there is no other….Baruch HaShem!! He is ALL we need and to walk in His Ways i.e. His Torah is what facilitates our relationship with Him! In HaShem we take our refuge, especially now in the midst of this vile, cruel, wicked and debaucherously corrupt world!
One final thought and then I will close this Op. The following is from a book published by Artscroll by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin titled ‘My Father My King’ discussing the topic of fear which says “When you experience fear, hear your Father, your King, the Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, saying to you: ‘My child, let Me help you over come your fears. Any experience of fear provides you with an opportunity to become closer to Me. When you feel a strong need for Me, your words to Me will be more intense and will come from a deep place within you. When your fear brings you closer to Me, you benefit spiritually, even as your fear diminishes.”
“How would you feel if you knew I was always with you? Permit yourself a greater awareness that I am always with you. Feel yourself becoming calmer. A total awareness that your loving Father and powerful King is with you will give you feelings of serenity and courage. Along with King David, you will be able to say, ‘Even when I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.'”
“When you feel courage and inner strength, you will be free from fear. Imagine hearing Me saying to you, ‘I am giving you courage.’ Feel this courage permeating your entire being. Feel this courage entering every cell and every muscle. Feel this courage filling every part of your brain. Think of what it would be like to have this courage now. And this courage is a gift to you whenever you need it.”
“Think of various people who have courage. I have sent those people to you as role models to increase your own level of courage. Whenever you need more courage, imaging that you are one of the most courageous people you have ever encountered. The power of imagination I have given you enables you to do this.”
“Breathe slowly and deeply, My child. This will diminish your fear and begin to make you calmer. Appreciate each breath. Feel Me helping you become calmer with each breath you take. Every time you exhale, exhale fear. Every time you inhale, inhale courage. Never do anything to needlessly cause any of My other children fear. Do everything you can to help My children overcome their fears. Let your own experiences of fear give you more compassion for the fears of others. When you learn to overcome your own fears, you will be able to do chesed (Kindness) by helping others do the same.”
Its an interesting concept Rabbi Pliskin discusses here about fear and I thought it might be helpful especially in light of today’s world!
So, in closing this Op, today’s Torah portion reinforces HaShem is our Rock and our Shield in every way possible, but also our Provider for all of our needs. We have to live one day at a time, one step at a time, literally one breath at a time and pray to our compassionate, kind, forgiving Great King that may today be the day of our great final redemption and until we get to that point, may He grant us the strength and stamina to hold onto Him tightly one more day!
Much to consider!
Shabbat Shalom!
SOURCE MATERIALS
The Milstein Chumash with the Teachings of the Talmud by Artscroll
“The Elohim! His Way is perfect; the promise of HaShem is pure. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him!” 2 Samuel 22:31
Can we all agree that the year 2023 has been a year unlike any other in recent history? This year has been an extremely difficult year for many, many people: The sudden deaths of loved ones, receiving devastating health news, economic difficulties, watching a country literally rip itself apart, crime running amok akin to Hollywood movie levels, a literal invasion of the country via the border and being facilitated from the very top, catastrophic weather events, etc. Plus, being literally on the cusp of World War 3 to include using nuclear weapons at any moments notice! This year has been one hit after another hit in rapid succession it seems and there appears to be no reprieve anytime soon!
HaShem knows and has known all along this is how it will be in the End just before the Birth Pains commence because, remember, He reveals the End from the Beginning (Isaiah 46:10)! He is in so much control over all of His creation, He is able to to reveal the End from the Beginning and turn catastrophic events into something good and to our benefit because nothing is impossible for Him!
With this said, it is no wonder then that HaShem, in my opinion, wants us to, now more than ever, better understand the significance of not just His Feasts, but specifically Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) and just what it all truly represents especially in light of 2023! In my opinion, what we are witnessing take place in the year 2023 brings us to the very cusp, before the real prophesied events of the Birth Pains commence; which means we are going to have to draw closer to HaShem unlike anytime in our lives before if we are going to not only survive what is coming but also to be a witness for others that HaShem, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Elohim of Israel, is the One and Only true living Elohim, Who shares His glory with no one and the focus of servitude and worship of Israel and all those who wish to serve HaShem!
It is my intent that this Op not focus on the horrible events that have occurred to people, but to be a reminder that HaShem has NOT abandoned us! But that He Himself, in His abundant mercy, compassion, kindness and forgiveness, is wholly able to not only shelter us, but to provide for us and yes, even weep and grieve with us when these catastrophic events do take place. This is best exemplified in His commanded Feast of Sukkot! Keep this in mind as we progress and never forget the following eternal and unchanging characteristics of HaShem:
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 Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
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 the main theme of Sukkot? Is it to dwell in a sukkah? Is it to commemorate the Wilderness experience when HaShem miraculously delivered our forefathers out of Egyptian bondage by His Great Power and mercy? Yes, Sukkot commemorates these events, but would you be surprised the main theme of Sukkot is the command to REJOICE in HaShem and to celebrate our most greatest possession He has granted to us i.e. His Torah! Seven days of rejoicing in HaShem and acknowledging all we have is from Him and Him alone! Seven days of rejoicing in HaShem and acknowledging only He is our literal place of refuge, shelter, protection, provision, redemption and salvation! Imagine, seven days of celebrating the goodness of HaShem, especially in light of the events of 2023! Baruch HaShem!!
Sukkot is the climax of the three Pilgrimage Feasts of HaShem i.e. Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, in which all are to present themselves before HaShem, the Great King, in the Temple in Jerusalem as well as bring korbonot (Offerings) and gifts to the Great King!
On Pesach HaShem redeemed His people and on Shavuot He informed His founding nation Israel the purpose of our freedom, to make the entire nation a ‘Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation’ per Exodus 19:6! On Sukkot, per the Sukkot Machzor, it states the message of Sukkot is as follows: “In the wilderness HaShem enveloped and sheltered Israel in His Clouds of Glory. The clouds were a sign that Israel had risen to the spiritual level that made it worthy of HaShem’s all enveloping protection.” This is where the importance of the Sukkah is derived from in that in the Wilderness, HaShem Himself, sheltered Israel and shielded the people from every form of danger in existence. This is why when we build our Sukkah’s each year, at least in my experience, there is a very real, tangible, Presence in the Sukkah which does give you the sense of protection and shelter! I cannot explain or describe it other than I would recommend people who have not erected a Sukkah before, do so at this time and you will see for yourself and be instantly hooked and will from this point on look forward to Sukkot each year! HaShem wants us to literally experience Him and we certainly can do so on His Feasts along with all the outstanding food He commands we prepare and enjoy, but it is here on Sukkot where we are literally in His Presence in the Sukkah, shielded from the world outside…what could be more important to each of us today especially in light of 2023? The Sukkah is the embodiment of our fullest faith and trust in HaShem that only He provides greater protection than “Battlements and armies. We have experienced the days of joy that stem from awareness that only HaShem cares for us and provides us our sustenance. Such feelings and experiences produce love for HaShem. And in the long run, love and joy accomplish far more than fear. So we move immediately to channel this love and joy into a celebration of the Torah, a celebration which is simultaneously a covenant between ourselves and HaShem to remain loyal to Him and His teachings.”
It is here at Sukkot we are commanded by HaShem in Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:33-34 says “HaShem spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘Speak to the Children of Israel, saying: ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month (Month of Tishrei) is the Festival of Sukkot, a seven day period for HaShem. On the first day is a holy convocation, you shall not do any laborious work. For a seven day period you shall offer a fire offering (Olah/Burnt Offering) to HaShem; on the eighth (Eighth day of the Feast) there shall be a holy convocation as an assembly, you shall not do any laborious work.'” So the first day of Sukkot is a Shabbat as is the eighth day of the Feast is a Shabbat. In the days in between, we are to rejoice, celebrate and experience HaShem and His Presence! What King do you know of in history that actually commands His people to rejoice, experience and celebrate His mercy, kindness and goodness?
This is why when we read in His Word where various scriptures discuss ‘The Feast’ or ‘The Festival’ it is a Hebrew idiom pointing to Sukkot, THE Great Feast of celebration and rejoicing which has very strong prophetic implications connected to the return of Yeshua to Jerusalem at the end of the seven year Birth Pains. It will be on that Yom Kippur, Yeshua will march into Jerusalem and defeat the False Messiah and all of his followers once and for all. Then He will gather all of Israel to Jerusalem and we will embark on the greatest celebration in human history five days later on that Sukkot!
On a side note, this is precisely why the doctrine of Replacement Theology and its Torah hating theology is so infuriating to me because it accuses HaShem of being a liar and a cruel despotic monster Who has deceived Israel into accepting His Torah and then in turn creates a brand new group of people completely devoid of the Torah and then claims this new group is exactly what He wanted from the very beginning…..its not only very confusing but it is the height of blasphemy and idolatry. I digress.
Per Bamidbar (Numbers) 29:12-34, seventy bulls were offered as Olah (Burnt) Korbonot on Sukkot in the Temple. These korbonot were to protect the seventy nations of the world from suffering, to seek atonement for them and to seek peace for all peoples. These seventy bulls were offered in a diminishing fashion i.e. thirteen bulls offered on the first day, twelve the second day, and so on until there were only seven bulls offered on Hoshana Rabbah i.e. the last day of Sukkot.
On the Eighth Day of the Feast of Sukkot is ‘Simchat Torah’, it is the completion of the Torah reading cycle for that year. In other words a day of celebration and rejoicing over the Torah of HaShem! Why is His Torah something to rejoice and celebrate when we have Replacement Theology constantly going on about how the Torah is the epitome of bondage, death, destruction and enslavement? The following excerpt from the Book ‘Simchat Torah – Its Significance, Laws and Prayers’ it says “The deeper significance of Rabbi Hillel’s famous teaching that the primary commandment of the Torah is ‘Love your fellow as yourself, the rest is commentary; now go and study!’ per Tractate Shabbat 32a from the Talmud Bavli. Hillel meant to say that the Torah and its commandments are the means to bring Jews together as one, and when there is the proper kind of unity among Jews, then the Torah can achieve its purpose of bringing about unity between Israel and HaShem. So it was that the Torah could be given at Sinai only when Israel had banished strife from itself and gathered at Sinai which is based upon the verse ‘Like one person with one heart’ in Shemot (Exodus) 19:2.”
This is another reason why Yeshua MUST come in the likeness of Moshe because it was Moshe, who was HaShem’s Agent i.e His Sheliach/Sent One, who brought the Torah to Israel. Remember as we have discussed in previous Op’s, an agent is likened to the one who sent him in the first place, therefore when read the words of Yeshua where He says “When you see Me, you have seen the Father” per John 14:9, now it makes much more sense in that Yeshua is re-affirming He is the AGENT of HaShem i.e. the Sheliach of HaShem and NOT literally HaShem in the flesh as that is just not possible for so many, many reasons.
The following is from the article ‘The Law of Agency’ from the Jewish Encylopedia and it states: “The Law of Agency deals with the status of a person (known as the agent) acting by direction of another (the principal), and thereby legally binding the principal in his connection with a third person. The person who binds a principal in this manner is his agent, known in Jewish law as sheluaḥ or sheliaḥ (one that is sent): the relation of the former to the latter is known as agency (sheliḥut). The general principle is enunciated thus: A man’s agent is like himself (Ḳid. 41b).”
How does this fit into our discussion here in this Op? It fits because it is a reminder of Who is and who the Messiah cannot be in light of the Word of HaShem! Yeshua is the embodiment of the Word of HaShem and as such can only teach the Torah of HaShem! Any message devoid of the Torah and Yeshua has been disqualified as being the Messiah! Very, very serious topic but I digress.
I could keep going on and on with this Op, but for the sake of time, I will sum it up here in that Sukkot is the time we are to rejoice and celebrate HaShem and His Torah! Especially in light of all the terrible news and experiences people are enduring this very troubled year, now more than ever we need to be reminded and encouraged to draw near to HaShem for He is good, He is kind, He is compassionate and His mercies endure forever. Further, when we are suffering, I truly believe HaShem is right there right next to us suffering with each of us! And think about it, right now our Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) is preparing to officiate the Sukkot Temple Services in the Heavenly Domain i.e. Yeshua, so while we are unable to fully experience Sukkot via the Temple in Jerusalem, our Messiah and Kohen HaGadol in the order of Melchizedek Yeshua, will be officiating on our behalf before HaShem! Baruch HaShem!
With this said, let me quickly input that during the morning daily Tamid services, i.e. the (Burnt) korbonot offerings, it is during the days of the Sukkot Feast in the Temple of HaShem in Jerusalem is the Water Libation Ceremony where the Kohanim go down to the Shiloach Pools, a fresh water spring in the City of David and draw water to bring up to the Altar and offer the water before HaShem. They sounded a ‘Tekiah, Teruah and Tekiah’ Shofar blasts as the Kohanim reached the Water Gate. Isaiah 12:3 says “And with joy, shall you draw water!” which is in reference to this ceremony. There is a very well known saying in the Mishnah Tractate Sukkah 5.1 discussing the Water Libation Ceremony in which it says “Whoever had not seen the rejoicing of the Bet Ha-Sho’eva (Rejoicing of the House of Drawing) had never seen rejoicing in his life.”
Why is this important? Because there is a famous event recorded in the Book of John chapter 7 verses 37-39 in which Yeshua is in the Temple and He suddenly and loudly calls out to the people “And on the last day, the great day of the Festival, Yeshua stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and let him who believes in Me drink. As the Scripture said, ‘Out of His innermost shall flow rivers of living water. And this He said concerning the Ruach (Spirit), which those believing in Him were about to receive, for the Set-apart Spirit was not yet given, because Yeshua was not yet esteemed.” Can you see the significance of what Yeshua is saying here? He is likening Himself to the water of HaShem i.e. another famous idiom describing His Torah! Another reason why we need to know everything about HaShem’s Feasts because those same idioms are used in the Apostolic Writings!!
Consider the prophecy in Zechariah 14:16 about Sukkot which says “It shall be that all who are left over from all the nations (At the end of the seven year Birth Pains and destruction wrought by the False Messiah), who had invaded Jerusalem will come up every year to worship the King HaShem, Master of Legions, and to celebrate the Festival of Sukkot. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the land does not go up to Jerusalem to bow down before the King, HaShem, Master of Legions, there will be no rain upon them.” Very interesting, so after Yeshua returns, destroys the False Messiah, then all those nations which remain who invaded Jerusalem, as part of their formal surrender agreement, MUST agree to come up to Jerusalem each Sukkot to bow before HaShem the Great King. Those who refuse, He will withhold the rain and they will go into drought until they do surrender. Interesting connection between the rain and the water ceremony on Sukkot, not a coincidence!
So again in summary, now more than ever before, we need to understand, study and learn all there is about Sukkot because these principles He is teaching us are what will strengthen, encourage and fill us with the fortitude, courage and drive to press forward in this very difficult year. Remember He says His Torah is a tree of life to those who take hold of it!! He either really means it or was just making a statement for effect. Each of us will have to decide how to apply this to our own lives.
Be encouraged and enjoy HaShem this Sukkot and dwell in His Presence in His ‘Shelter of Faith!’ Even if you have crushing health, financial or other problems and or received crushing health news recently, HaShem is not defeated by any of this! We have much to fear from this vile, wicked, cruel world, but Baruch HaShem, He is far above this world and nothing is impossible with Him! May our Final Redemption be so VERY soon in our days!
I will close with this reminder from Psalms 9:10 “HaShem will be a tower of strength for the oppressed, a tower of strength in times of distress.” Draw near to Him today!
Shalom
SOURCE MATERIALS:
The Scriptures by the Institute for Scriptures Research
The Stone Edition Chumash by Artscroll
The Rubin Edition The Prophets by Artscroll
Tehillim by Artscroll
The Schottenstein Edition Sukkot Machzor by Artscroll
, but also His bride i.e. Israel is compared to a blossoming rose 
per Isaiah 35 1-2 which says “The wilderness and the wasteland will rejoice over them (Israel); the desert will be glad and blossom like a rose. It will blossom abundantly and will rejoice, with joyousness and glad song; the glory of Lebanon has been given to her; the majesty of the Carmel and the Sharon; they will see the glory of HaShem, the majesty of our Elohim.”
The Bible names it per Exodus 28:20 as one of the stones set into the fourth row of the Choshen, the Breastplate of Judgment worn by the Kohen HaGadol. According to others, the verse allegorizes the expanse of the heavens i.e. the product of His Hands per Psalms 8:4 ‘The heavens, work of Your fingers’, which glow abright like gold and are studded with jewel like stars.” 
