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Todays Parsha #47: Reeh (see)

PART 1: THE LAST AND CURRENT TORAH PORTIONS
ANSWERS TO LAST WEEKS STUDY QUESTIONS (Ekev):
1) In this part of Devarim, we see that Abba YHWH is commanding a kind of
scorched earth-no mercy approach to dealing with the Canaanites. Entire
populations are to be put to the sword, not just the male warriors. My question is
this: Why would Abba YHWH Who is so full of mercy do this?
There are certain junctures in Israelite/Hebrew/Jewish history that are
foundational. By that I mean that Abba YHWH has been unfolding His plans
for humanity, His Kingdom or Government. Along the way there are certain
milestones that, if not reached, will grind the whole process down to a halt and
prevent salvation.
Such is the case here in Devarim. If the Israelites simply become Semitic pagans,
nothing that Abba YHWH has done for them will matter. It is the specific
establishment of these 12 tribes Set-Apart to teach the world that matters here.
But instead of Israel being special and teaching the nations righteousness, Israel
instead wants to be like everyone else! The stakes here could not be higher. No
Set-Apart tribes means no King David and no King David means no Yshua.
And so, at these critical points, the penalties get EXTRA HARSH than they
otherwise would be.
2) Are these kinds of harsh warfare tactics permissible today?
It depends. Generally NO is the answer, because Israel has been restored and
Yshua was able to come and bring the Gospel and open the way to eternal life for
us. However, if Israel is put in physical jeopardy from her manifold enemies to
the point that another Holocaust could happen for the Jewish people, then Abba
YHWH will reign TOTAL WAR down on her enemies. This is what happened in
1948, 1967, 1973 and will more than likely happen again.
3) What are some other reasons why Abba YHWH is not driving the pagan nations
out immediately other than, for the wild beasts would be too numerous for you?
If Abba YHWH drives all the pagans out of Canaan, He cannot test Israel. Abba
YHWH had commanded that the Israelites make no treaties with nor intermarry
with these people. If all the pagans therefore are not there, neither is the test there
for Israel to see if they will obey.

In addition to that, Abba YHWH doesnt want Israel to simply take over estates
and vineyards and so on that they didnt earn or work for. Anything that is given
without serious effort or payment tends to be under-valued. And so, Israel must
FIGHT for her land and WORK at building it up. If not, there is no sense of
gratitude and the pagan influences in the land will also remain, encouraging
idolatry and perhaps also having Israel bring back these pagans into treaty and so
on even though they were supposed to drive them out.
4) Where do we see solid evidence in this Torah portion that the old fall to fall
calendar did not completely go away and that what we think of as a modern
rabbinic title for an important feast is actually strongly hinted at in the Torah?
MERESHIT HASHANA VEAD ACHARIT HA SHANA (11:12) = from
the beginning of the year to the end of the year. This is probably going
fall to fall, with the thinly veiled allusion to ROSH HASHANNA. This is
because of 11:13 also which reads If you will obey My commandments
that I command to you today to love YHWH with all your heart and soul
and strength. It was customary even by direct reference in the Torah for
the entire Torah to be read in the 7th month of Tishri. This was confirmed
by Ezra and others post captivity as well. The early and late rains (also
11:14) refer to a fall to fall cycle. Growing season in Israel was in the
winter months, first harvest in the spring. This is evidence that the old
Tishri to Tishri calendar didnt completely go away after Exodus 12:1-2
instituted the new system. The rabbis remember this and have kept that
old system in place as the civil year.
5) In this Haftorah portion, there is one thing that Yeshayahu (Isaiah) mentions that
would clearly cause him to oppose one of the most famous Rabbinic extrascriptural rulings. What does Yeshayahu demand that the Rabbis have disagreed
with him on?
Which of you fears Yahweh and listens to his servant's voice? Which of
you walks in darkness and sees no light? Let him trust in the name of
Yahweh and lean on his God! (Isaiah 50:10 NJB)
So Yeshayahu is telling people to trust in the NAME of Yahweh and RELY on it,
and the Rabbis are saying the opposite by banning the Name!
AND NOW FOR THIS WEEKS PORTION
1) Meaning of this weeks Torah portion and summary of contents:
Reeh means see, and it begins with that great summary of the covenantI set
aside two ways for you, blessing and cursing, life and death. Shortly afterwards, a
number of regulations about the place for Abba YHWHs NameJerusalem
though no one other than Abba YHWH knows that yetare given. Some kosher

regulations are restated or clarified and the law of the shemittah is given and
explained. The portion wraps up with a restatement of the Hebrew festivals.
2) Parsha (English-Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17). This week we will read the entire
portion.
3) Play by Play commentary where appropriate.
4) Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color Commentary:

Re'eh anochi noten lifneychem hayom berachah uklalah.

Et-haberachah asher tishme'u el-mitsvot Yahweh Eloheychem asher
anochi metsaveh etchem hayom.
Note on 11:27-28: In both 11:27 and 11:28 the phrase will come is implied but not
stated in the Hebrew with respect to what triggers the blessings and the curses.
which you have not known (11:28). Look up Deuteronomy 13:3, 13:7, 13:14. To
'know' Elohim is interpreted as knowing Him in a mystical sense, especially among the
Kabbalists. See 1 Chronicles 28:9. (cf. HaKethav VeHaKabbalah). This phraseology also
points to a new spiritual experience which is without precedent until this point in Tanakh.
VENATATAH ET-HABARACHA AL-HAR (11:29) = You must place those doing the
blessing on the mountain. The number, configuration and manner of placement is as
important as the blessing itself. Putting certain tribes in certain places is interpreted by
some Rabbis as a way to declare the blessing.
DEREK MAVOA HASHEMESH (11:30) = sunset highway. From context, this appears
to be the ancient highway running from north to south through the mountains. This
highway passed just to the east of Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, they were 'beyond
this mountain.' It may have been called 'Sunset Highway' (Derekh Mavo HaShemesh),
because from where the Israelites were, the sun appeared to set on the mountain through
which the road ran.
Special Section: The Astronomical Code of Gerizim and Ebal
1) The placement of 6 tribal representatives and their stone altars on Mount
Gerizim and an equal number of those things of Mount Ebal, both oriented eastwest, towards the setting of the sun (Deuteronomy 11:26-32) may be another
astronomical picture of the 6 eastern and 6 western gates for the rising and
setting of the sun. However, the orientation of the mountains is different in that they
sit almost directly on a north-south line from one another, with the west to their left
and the east to their right.

2) So whereas Psalm 19 and other places are giving an orientation winter solstice to
winter solstice, that is tracking the suns lowest rising point to its highest and back
down to lowest again, the Gerizim-Ebal template is tracking the sun east to west,
and orienting its first 6 months from spring to fall on Ebal at the top and its last
6 months from fall to spring from Gerizim on the bottom. In other words, this is
tracking the sun from Vernal Equinox to Vernal Equinox. It is also interesting to
note that from a spur at Gerizim just off to the east is Shechem, and shechem means
shoulder which brings us back to the stones with Israels names on them on
Aarons shoulders. Joshua will perform a similar exercise with the priests, and I will
detail that shortly.

3) The fact that Gerizim, the southernmost peak, is the mount of blessings is
because the ancient Hebrews associated the south with pure light, which is why
the menorah is placed in the southern end of the outer Tabernacle. That
association also brings us back to the Showbread Table in the north again, opposite
the menorah. This again draws a north-south line which, like the two mountains, puts
the west on the left and the east on the right.
4) Also those tribes, 6 to each mountain, each have their own altar stone
(Deuteronomy 27:1-26) which strongly points to the stones being 12 months and
the leaders being the 12 tribes, linking both to the year.

5) Twice (Deuteronomy 4:26; 30:19) Moshe says that the heavens and the earth are
witnesses. In context, it is a warning that heaven and earth will witness against Israel
if she sins and will perish from the land as a result of that sin. In a more general
context though the heavens and the earth are always witnesses, and following
their cycles for when to plant and harvest will lead to life whereas disregarding
their laws will lead to death.
6) Another important calendar rule is found in Deuteronomy 17:6 and 19:15, that out of
the mouths of two witnesses shall every matter be established. Most importantly this
relates to matters of life and death, so when the day, the week, the month or the
year dies we need at least two witnesses-and sometimes we get three or even
moreto certify the death of the old and the birth of the new cycle of time. The
two witness command holds to the following patterns:
a) So for the day, the two witnesses needed to certify its birth and death include two
sunsets (one to start the day and the next one to end it), the darkness that comes
after sunset and the stars that come out at night. If the night is cloudy and one
cant see the twilight stars or other stars, then darkness will certify the day has
died.
b) The same rules apply for the week, except that the last day starts Friday night and
ends Saturday night, and the same witnesses are involved in establishing its
birth and death.

c) For the month we also have several witnesses: 1) The last sighting of the old
crescent around day 28 or 29; 2) The disappearance or conjunction of the moon
after the last crescent of the old month appeared, i.e. when the moon doesnt rise
at its expected time about 50 minutes after it rose the previous day; 3) the
appearance of the waxing crescent attached to New Moon which is the last
witness telling us that the month has already begun at some point in the recent
past. In other words, the conjunction looks forward while the crescent looks
backwards. In between these is the sunset after conjunction, at which time the
crescent either will or will not be seen, but either way this is the start of the new
month.
d) For the year we also go back to the precepts in Genesis 1:14-19, of signs, seasons,
days and years, always in that order. The old year is called dead at Vernal
Equinox, when the position of the sunrise and sunset tell us spring has happened,
followed by the patterns of the Pleiades which anciently told the Hebrews spring
had arrived by setting late afternoon and not being seen that sunset.
11:30 another Gilgal. (cf. Sotah 33b). This is not Gilgal mentioned in Joshua 4:19, 5:9
(Ibn Ezra; HaKethav VeHaKabbalah), but a city some 20 miles west of Shechem, now
known as Jiljulieah, possibly in Joshua 12:23 (cf. Septuagint ad loc.), and perhaps also in,
2 Kings 2:1, Nehemiah 12:29. In ancient times, a road led from Shechem to this Gilgal.
VETACHAT KOL-ETZ RAANAN (12:2) = and under every luxuriant tree, is literally
many branched tree because the more branches the more fruit and the more lush the
tree is. In addition, this command may be one reason why Israel is commanded to wait 5
years when first entering Canaan before enjoying fruit from a tree there (Leviticus 19:2325). Perhaps it is assumed any such trees could have potentially become instruments in
pagan worship.
LO TAASUN KEN LYAHWEH ELOHEYCHEM (12:4) = You shall not worship
YHWH your Elohim in this way. However, the literal reading is fascinating, You will
not make this [thing] towards Yahweh your Elohim. ASAH is to make and KEN
LYAHWEH is thus towards YHWH. Worship is apparently something we make for
Abba YHWH and we can either build it kosher or unkosher, right or wrong. Also please
see a very similar wording in Deuteronomy 12:31.
This is also a very important clarification that chastens Israel for her past yet also carries
a heavy rebuke for our present. Some who worshipped the Golden Calf said, This be our
El, O Israel and Aaron proclaimed that day a feast to Abba YHWH. But neither of these
things was approved of by Abba YHWH. He says to NOT worship him through idols or
to syncretize pagan worship and adapt it for His honor. See also Deuteronomy 12:31 for
the confirmation of this interpretation.
Finally on this point: Remembering that the worship model was enshrined in the
Tabernacle and the priesthood, and that these things were earthly reflections or patterns
of that which is in heaven, it also suggests the worship model is that which is carried out
in heaven but also on earth.

It is also the case, just for the sake of completeness, that many Israelites worshipped the
Golden Calf not to syncretize with Yahwistic worship but to directly venerate the cow
goddess Hathor who was supposed to be a goddess both of bounteous harvests and
fertility.
But in terms of syncretism, both Christianity and Judaism to some degrees do just that.
This is why Yshua said to haSatan, Worship Elohim and Him only shall you serve.
Abba YHWH has no form, and He explicitly commands that statues and images
whether Nativity scenes or marble statuesnot be used in veneration even if He is the
object of the veneration. And by the way, the same thing holds with regards to angels
(Rev 19:1) And after these things, I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in
heaven, saying: "Hallelu-YAH: Deliverance, and strength, and glory, and honor to
our Elohim: (Rev 19:2) for, true and righteous are his judgments; for he has
judged that great harlot who corrupted the earth with her harlotry; and has
avenged the blood of his servants at her hand." (Rev 19:3) And again they said:
"Hallelu-YAH: and her smoke ascends up forever and ever."
(Rev 19:4) And the twenty-four Elders fell down, and the four Creatures, and
worshipped Elohim who sits on the throne, saying: "Amen: Hallelu-YAH!" (Rev
19:5) And a voice came forth from the throne, saying: "Praise our Elohim, all you
his servants; and such as fear Him, small and great."
(Rev 19:6) And I heard, as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice
of many waters, and as the voice of heavy thunders, saying: "Hallelu-YAH; for
our Master YHWH Elohim, Omnipotent, reigns. (Rev 19:7) Let us rejoice and
exult, and give glory to him: for the marriage supper of the Lamb has come, and
his bride has made herself ready. (Rev 19:8) And it was granted her to be clothed
in fine linen, bright and clean: for fine linen is the righteousness of the Set Apart
believers."
(Rev 19:9) And he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are they who are called to the
supper of the marriage feast of the Lamb.'" And he said to me, "These my
(sayings) are the true Words of Elohim."
(Rev 19:10) And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, "See that
you do not do this; I am your fellow-servant and of those your Brothers who have
the testimony of Y'shua. Worship you Elohim: for the testimony of Y'shua is the
Spirit of Prophecy."
(Rev 22:8) And moreover I am Yochanan, the hearer and the seer of these things.
And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the Messenger
who showed me these things. (Rev 22:9) And he said to me: "See, that you do not
do this: I am your fellow-servant and of your Brothers the prophets, and of them
that observe the words of this book. Worship Elohim."

EL HA-MAKOM ASHER YIVAKHAR YAHWEH (12:5) = The place that YHWH will
choose. Some rabbis posit that the place would not be identified until the ultimate king
was selected, meaning David. Other rabbis point out that the chosen king was always
going to come somewhere from Judah. However, the fact is, even if it was understood the
king could only come from Judah and her territory, his individual clan from that tribe was
not given at this early date and without that information we could not know the city
within Judah he was fromlike how David was from Bethlehem.
VEACHALTEM-SHAM LIFNEY YAHWEH ELOHEYCHA USMACHTEM BECHOL MISHLACH YEDCHEM ATEM UVATEYCHEM ASHER BERACHECHA
YAHWEH ELOHEYCHA (12:7) = You and your families will eat there before the face
of Yahweh your Elohim and you will rejoice in all your endeavors through which
Yahweh your Elohim shall bless you. The phrase to eat there before the Presence/Face
of YHWH means specifically to eat only in Jerusalem, which will become the only
proper place to sacrifice.
VISHAVTEM BETACH (12:10) = and you dwell in security. Here it seems Jerusalem
could not be selected as the Place for My Name until Abba YHWH promised this
security which He does here.
VE-HAYAH HA-MAKOM ASHER-YIVKAR YAHWEH ELOHEYCHEM BO LE
SHAKEN SHMO SHAM SHAMAH (12:11) = and it will come to pass that the place
that Yahweh your Elohim will choose will have His Name rest there. The word for
dwellSHAKANis where we get the term SHEKINAH. This is then where the
rabbis get the idea of the Shekinah resting on the Temple, that and the fact that the same
cloud filled both the Tabernacle and Solomons Temple (Exodus 40:34, 1 Kings 8:1011). The same is true of the Glory Cloud and Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:16).
Another interesting facet to this passage is the word MAKOM means place as opposed
to city/town although of course Jerusalem is also a place too. The use of MAKOM in
this context specifically points to a very small part of Jerusalem where Abba YHWHs
Ruach would SHAKAN (dwell). It seems then that the Temple and Shekinah give
sanctity to Jerusalem proper, not the other way around. MAKOM is actually gathering
place, referring first to the exact spot that Father Yah gathered the waters in Genesis 1:68, and giving birth to the term MIKVEH, where one is immersed in a gathering place of
water.
TERUMAH YADIKEM (12:11) = hand-delivered elevated gifts
Terumah in Hebrew. The reference is to the first fruits, which were hand-delivered
(Deuteronomy 26:4; Yevamoth 73b; Rashi). This might also be referring to the priestly
terumah, if there were no local priests to whom it could be given (Ramban). See
Deuteronomy 12:10.
AKALTA BASAR (12:15) = eat meat. But a deeper meaning is also there. We saw last
week that one of the names for Satan in Aramaic is AKEL QARTZA, figuratively the

accuser but literally devourer of flesh. Another linkage is in Numbers 11 where they
Israelites crave meat and Abba YHWH destroys them by stuffing them full of it so much
that they die. There are also different levels of clean and unclean because in this case
meat refers ONLY to kosher animals, but to be worthy of sacrificing they must not
have a blemish.
So unclean here refers to an otherwise kosher animal that is not worthy of the higher
restrictions for sacrifice. It most certainly does NOT mean you can eat bacon!!! Please
see the clarifying statement to this effect in Deuteronomy 14:21.
Another application of this same idea has to do with the deer and gazelle mentioned here.
Although these animals are kosher for regular consumption (Deuteronomy 14:5) they
cannot be otherwise offered on the altar regardless as to how blemish free they may be.
Such a case then validates the above assumption.
AL ADAMATECHA (12:19) = on your land. Kind of implies there is a future when you
might not be in your land. The rabbis ruled that for Jews in exile, there was no standing
regulation to support a Levite other than the general mitzvah to support any poor person.
HA-YASHAR BEYNEY YAHWEH (12:25) = morally upright in the eyes of Yahweh.
Highlighting the word YASHAR (morally upright) which is its proper use in Tanakh, as
an ADJECTIVE and not a proper name. The Book of Yashar as mentioned in
Scripture is NOT a book written by a man named Yashar, but The Book of the Upright;
none of the alleged versions of this book are this ancient original, since they comes from
the Middle Ages, if not later. Also, this statement shows that righteousness can be
intrinsically attached to ritual on occasion.
TOWEBAH (12:31) = abomination. This is as serious as a sin can get in Abba YHWHs
eyes. I believe there is a bit of mysticism going on in the word. The word for good
things, blessings is TOB. But interfering in the spelling of the good things is an AYIN.
The letter AYIN represents nothingness or desolation in mystical thought so you could
read this word as all good things are desolate/lacking as a decent working definition of
abomination. It is also interesting to note that abomination also frequently is linked
to desolation as a sign of the anti-Messiah.
ET-KOL HA-DAVAR ASHER ANOCHI METZAVEH ETCHEM OTO TISHMERU
LAASOT ALAV VELO TIGRA MIMENU (13:1) = Carefully guard/observe all the
Words I am laying a charge upon you (to do); neither add to them nor subtract from them.
Here we see a very clear arrangement that is against Rabbinic Oral Law. They cannot
add to nor take away from the Written Torah, either by modifying a document or
nullifying it in oral practice. The Hebrew here is very specific with the phrase ET-KOL
HA-DAVAR towards ALL my Words whether those words are merely instructions
passed down from Moshe just prior to his writing them down or written down fully is
irrelevant. The point is that people after Moshe cannot add to this instruction, but they
can clarify it or give revelations from the Ruach haKodesh on how to DO it.

Ironically, the people at Bible.ort.org see this reality but do not apply it across the board:
This is a commandment not to add or subtract from any observance prescribed by
the Torah (Rashi; Sifri; Sefer HaMitzvoth, Negative 313). There is also a
commandment not to try to increase or diminish the number of commandments
(Deuteronomy 4:2; Adereth Eliahu; HaKethav VeHaKabbalah). In simplest
terms, the Torah here is saying that we should not try to 'improve' the Torah by
borrowing gentile practices.
So why is it wrong to add to the Torah from Gentile tradition but okay to do so from
Jewish tradition?
SITH (13:7) = missionary from the verb SUTH, to entice or seduce, to lead Israel astray
to worship pagan gods. I hate to say it, but we really do have a Sith Lord who draws
people over to the dark side. I wonder how strong George Lucas Hebrew is. One who
does it can also be called MESITH. I remarked on another Hebrew word YADEA, one
who knows, which became YODA. For Hebrew is an ally and a powerful ally it is. It
surrounds us, penetrates us and binds Creation together. Learn more of it, you will. There
is no try.
6508

[ 6509] (Hebrew) (page 694) (Strong 5496)

[ ]vb. Hiph. incite, allure, instigate (NH Hiph., id.);Hiph. Pf. 3 ms. sf.
1 S
26:19,
Jb 36:16; 3 fs. 1 K 21:25 (Ges: 72 w K:i. 460); 3 pl. sf.

Je 38:22 (Ges: 72 ee); Impf. 3 ms. 2 K 18:32 + 2 t., but also 2 S 24:1, 1 Ch
21:1, sf.
Dt 13:7, Jb 36:18, etc.; Pt. Je 43:3, 2 Ch 32:11;
1. a. incite to make a request (c. acc. pers. + inf.) Ju 1:14 (on text v. GFM) = Jos 15:18.
b. allure

2 Ch 18:31 and God allured them away fr. him (si vera l.; del. cl.

as gloss Be Kit); so also Jb 36:16 acc. to De Hi Bu al.; he allureth thee out of the mouth
of distress, but Di Du freedom hath seduced thee; for meaning seduce, entice, cf. also
v:18. 2. instigate, in bad sense, c. acc. pers., + against, 1 S 26:19, 2 S 24:1, Je 43:3,
Jb 2:3; c. acc. pers. alone 1 K 21:25, 2 K 18:32 = Is 36:18, cf. 2 Ch 32:15, Dt 13:7 Je
38:22; + inf. 1 Ch 21:1, 2 Ch 18:2, 32:11.

VEET KOL SHALAH KALIL (13:17) = as (if it were) a whole burnt offering. By
leaving the city in ruins and never rebuilding it, the Israelites are denying themselves
future profit and securitythey are giving it up to Abba YHWH instead. However, it is
also a stark warning that if Israel does not perform proper sacrifices that Abba YHWH
requires of them they themselves will be sacrifice. A similar idea is given with respect to
the Korah Rebellion (Numbers 16:31-40).
Deuteronomy 14:1-2 and the commands about having beards or being clean shaven
we will discuss extemporaneously right now.

AM SEGULAH (14:2) = treasured people, meaning Torah obedient Israel. By extension

all those who are obedient to Father Yahs Torah are, as Yshua said, my sister, my
mother and my brother. Therefore Gentiles get to join in through obedience but are not
granted equivalency by continuing in paganism and simply adding Messianic ideology on
to that template. Keefa said it best I think:
But you are an elect race, officiating as priests of the Kingdom; a Set Apart
people, a redeemed congregation; that you should proclaim the praises of him
who called you out of darkness to his precious light: who formerly were not
counted as a people but now are the people of Elohim; and also, there were (once)
no mercies on you but now mercies are poured out upon you. (1 Peter 2:9-10
AENT)
Isnt it interesting then, with that association in mind, that the very next line in
Deuteronomy 14 begins dealing with what is kosher to eat and what is not?
Note on Deuteronomy 14:4-5: Some of the animals mentioned here (ox, sheep, goat) are
allowed for altar sacrifices as well as for general eating. Others however (gazelle, deer,
ibex, antelope) are banned from the altar no matter how clean they are but may be eaten
in every other situation.
This proves the overall point about how kosher foods are dealt with in the NT. There is
never a time when a pig or shrimp will be kosher; instead the discussions in Acts are
about what is fit for SACRIFICE.
When Peter for example is told in Acts 10:13, Arise, slaughter and eat, the Aramaic
word kos specifically denotes kosher preparation of an animal for sacrifice. It is the
Aramaic cognate of Hebrew shachath, which means the same thing, and both are in
contrast to the general words for kill (muth, harag) for people and animals (Exodus
17:3, Isaiah 27:1).
Peter understands very well the kosher process and is saying that no meat or flesh has
ever touched his mouth that was not properly SLAUGHTERED. By definition, that
would also include never eating kosher meat of any kind, however the specifics here
indicate that Peter is being told to regard Gentiles as worthy of sacrifice as much as the
Jews are, in that both have their lives ransomed through the sacrifice of Yshua the
Messiah!
In Greek too Peters real message is clear. He says he has never eaten anything koinos
which literally means COMMON or akharthos which is UNCLEAN. So even a sheep,
Peter says, he never ate one not properly slaughtered. The latter word is where we get the
name Katherineclean oneso A-karthos means there is no clean since A before a
Greek word means there is not.
The point of all of this is simply to show that Deuteronomy 14 is being followed by Peter,
and he understands from Deuteronomy 14 that some animals are clean for eating, but not

10

clean for sacrifice. Peter then claims that he has never had any animal that is either on the
prohibited list to avoid or one that is on the approved list but not cooked correctly. The
evidence is also clear Peter never ate pigs or other unclean food after meeting Cornelius,
getting back to the main idea that the Gentiles were to have equal status with the Jewish
believers if they obeyed Torah.
SNAPIR VE-KASKESET (14:10) = fins and scales. These simple words amaze me. It
wouldnt be until very recently that humans would be able to go to the very bottom of the
sea. In fact, we have only been to the deepest part of the oceanthe Mariannes Trench
twice on the extreme bottom from what I have heard. We now know what Abba YHWH
did 3500 years ago. All fish without scales and fins are unhealthy for humans and most
of them are bottom feeders like shrimp that feed on carcasses and toxins. But all the
Israelites had to know was to demand fins and scales and no problems would arise!
YANSHUF (14:16) = ibis. Many translations, including JPS, say great owl, but the
word has traces of eagle in it and probably relates to an Egyptian eagle-owl type bird.
Interestingly enough, Josephus tells us that Moshe used this exact species of bird to
defeat the Ethiopians by having them devour all the snakes that stood in the path of the
Egyptian army. Ibis is the Greek translation for YANSHUF and that bird is also
associated in Egyptian paganism as the symbol for the false god Thoth. No wonder Abba
YHWH said thats unkosherHe didnt want Israel eating a potential god they might go
astray and worship!
GER (14:21) = stranger. Rabbis make an interesting comment (Stone Chumash, p. 1013)
that in this context GER does not mean proselyte, because they perceive there could be
another class of GER that lives among the Jews but only observes the Noachide laws and
does not have to abstain from unkosher meat. They further point out that if
PROSELYTE was meant here, the unkosher meat would be prohibited to him as well as
any other Jew. While on the surface this appears to solve some problems, I maintain that
there is one Torah for the Jew and for the foreigner in their midst and that Noachide laws
are a rabbinic illusion. Its not that those rules arent in the Torahits their
misapplication that is at issue here. Rather, the regulation seems to be meant to not let
food go to waste that is unfit for the altar but that can in other ways extend human life.
14:21-extemperaneous discussion: You shall not boil a goat in its mothers milk vs.
current rabbinic kashrut.
LO TEVASHEL GEDI BACHALEV IMO (14:21) = Do not boil a goat in the milk of his
mother. There is nothing about any other meat being discussed here. Bible.ort.org has an
extremely irresponsible translationone of the worst I have ever seen:
Do not cook meat in milk, even that of its mother.
Seriously? What part of GEDI (goat) is not clear????

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ASER TEASER ET-KOL TVUAT ZARECHA HAYOTSE HASDEH SHANAH

SHANAH (14:22) = Take another tithe of all the seed crops that come forth in the field
year after year. When comparing the instruction to Numbers 18:4, this tithe was given in
addition to the priestly tithe in every year of the 7 year cycle except the 3rd and 6th
(Deuteronomy 14:28). This tells us at this early time the Israelites surely knew the exact
timing of Land Sabbaths and Jubilees, but they will forget this understanding corporately
within 200 years.
U-VE-CHOL ASHER TISHALCHA NAFSHEYCHA (14:26) = or anything that your
soul asks for. Most translations will say anything your heart desires or more
generically, anything you want, however it is really best to just look at what the
Hebrew literally says here. This verse tells us plainly that our desires for things that make
us feel goodlike food, and trust me, I speak from experience herederive from our
NEFESH or soul and not from our RUACH or spirit.
This is hugely important to understand. It is our SOUL that wants a lot of things either
outside of the bounds of moderation or just universally bad for us and it is our SPIRIT
that Abba YHWH talks through to us. So when the SOUL asks for something it is
usually bad, but when our SPIRIT receives something it is usually good.
As we have also seen many times together, Genesis 2:7 says that Adam IS a soul as
opposed to HAVING a soul. Adams life force is his soul and it is from that life force
that these desires come, but it is through our ruach communicating and received from
Father Yahs Ruach that saves our lives. Exact words really matter!
SHEMITTAH (15:1) = letting drop, or a temporary remission of debts.
Note on 15:4: Here we see Abba YHWHs promise that there will never be any poor
among the Israelites and yet future history tells us there is poverty with them. Messiah
Yshua also says, The poor you will always have with you but you will not always have
me (Yochanan 12:8). This is in no way a contradiction because the promise of avoiding
poverty was contingent on Torah observance and devotion to Abba YHWH (also
Deuteronomy 15:5), which did not happen universally in all the centuries that followed
and Yshua also knew there would be great apostasy and lawlessness from his day until
the End of Days.
TIKAPHETZ ET-YADKHA (15:7) = draw together or close your fist. This command
follows the phrase harden your hearta rebuke given against Pharaohto show that
bad mental attitudes lay the foundation for bad actions. Yshuas halacha though went
further than just opening ones hand to help the poor. Instead, he wanted an open hand
that was HIDDEN from public view, i.e. dont let your left hand know what your right is
doing.
QARA (15:9) = cry out against you. The word can also mean to proclaim publicly,
read, which has a sense that the poor man could embarrass you publicly if you bend the
shemittah law to avoid paying him back.

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EVED OLAM (15:17) = servant foreverthis may not actually mean forever. Some
interpreters believe even this slave will be set free at the time of the Yovel or Jubilee, or
at least he will have a chance to decide to be free if he chooses to leave.
Chapter 16Discussion on the Feasts.
From Stone Chumash, p. 1020:
Verse 16:1 speaks of Pesach as being in the month of SPRINGTIME and
admonishes the people that they must observe this month. From this, the Sages
derive one of the primary rules of the Jewish calendar: The month of Nisan must
fall in the spring and the Sanhedrin has the responsibility to add a thirteenth
month to the year from time to time to prevent Nisan from moving up to the
winter.
Now of course the rabbis also have extensive justifications about how this leads to the
Rabbinic calendar, but ultimately history proves that assertion wrong. The 19 year cycle
that is at the most ancient heart of their system was not discovered until 1000 years after
Moshe died. But we can figure out, based on what we know about the ancient Egyptian
civilization that Moshe grew up in for 40 years and other ancient testimonies that
harmonize with Scripture.
Another clue resides in the Dead Sea Scrolls. According to Geza Vermes and The
Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English, page 78, even in the 1st century BCE and
throughout Yshuas time in the first century CE, the rabbis were not using the 19 year
Metonic cycle but instead were simply adding a leap month of 2nd Adar at the end of
every 36th month, which actually works very well also.
SHESHET YAMIM (16:8) = Six days, but the context of the text demands it actually
means, six ADDITIONAL days because the 15th has already started (16:6-7). There are
actually three separate ways the Torah text chooses to count a total of 8 days, or rather a
feast that occurs across part or all of 8 days, inclusive of the late afternoon sacrifice on
the 14th. I find it therefore easiest to use the full 8 day reckoning, 14th to 21st inclusive.
CHAG HA-SUKOT TAASEH LECHA SHIVAT YAMIM BEOSPECHA
MIGORNECHA UMIYIKVAECHA (16:13) = The feast of Sukkot you will make for
yourselves. For seven days you will rejoice when you bring in the products of your
threshing floor and wine vat. This wording confirms what we saw last week. ETH
(season) is related to agriculture cycles. Since grapes ripen in the summer, it takes time
for them to ferment into new wine, proving this feast is aligned with the fall equinox
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And the sun, the ruler of the day, making two equinoxes every year, both in
spring and autumn. The spring equinox in the constellation of Aries, and the
autumnal one in Libra, gives the most evident demonstration possible of the
divine dignity of the number seven. For each of the equinoxes takes place in the

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seventh month, at which time men are expressly commanded by law to celebrate
the greatest and most popular and comprehensive festivals; since it is owing to
both these seasons, that all the fruits of the earth are engendered and brought to
perfection; the fruit of corn, and all other things which are sown, being owing to
the vernal equinox; and that of the vine, and of all the other plants which bear
hard berries, of which there are great numbers, to the autumnal one. (Philo, On
Creation, 1:116)
Torah Question of the Week:
How does the Shemittah cycle for setting a servant free every 7 years relate to the
Jubilee cycle?
END PART 1

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PART 2: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
How does the Shemittah cycle for setting a servant free every 7 years relate to the
Jubilee cycle?
The short answer is: it doesnt! The 7 year clock for the servants is tied to when they
are first indentured to their master and not to nearest land sabbath or Jubilee.
1) Haftorah portion (English- Isaiah 54:11-55:5) and discuss common themes with
the Torah portion.

Anyah soarah lo nuchamah hineh anochi marbits bapuch avanayich

visadetich basapirim.
Vesamti kadchod shimshotayich ushe'arayich le'avney ekedach
vechol-gevulech le'avney-chefets.
Vechol-banayich limudey Yahweh verav shelom banayich.
2) Our linguistic commentary
SARA LA NACHAMA (54:11) = storm tossed (and) not comforted. NACHAM
is the same as NOAH, the man whose name means comfort but who was also
tossed in a storm.
QUM (54:17) = translated here as accused but literally means no tongue that
STANDS UP against you. QUM is normatively stand or stands again, or
resurrection. Yshua commands the paralytic with QUM WHALACH (rise
and walk), in Yochanan 5:8.
ANEG/ONEG (55:2) = delight, dainty, to be soft and delicate. Same word is used
with respect to calling the Shabbat a delight and the Saturday afternoon meal as
well.
Bonus Teaching!
Haftorah Thought of the Week: Living Bread and Water
In the last words Yshua has for humanity, he reiterates some of his most important
concepts about using food and drink as a metaphor for eternal life:
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"I am Alap and the Taw, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the
Completion. 14 Blessed are they who do His (Master YHWH's) Mitzvot, that they
may have a right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city.
15
Without (will be) dogs and sorcerers, and sexual sinners and manslayers and

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idolaters, and everyone that loves and does falsehood. 16 I Y'shua have sent my
Messenger to testify to you these things before the assemblies. I am the root and
offspring of Dawid: like the splendid star of the morning. 17 And the Spirit and
the bride say, 'You come.' And let him that hears, say, 'You come.' And let him
who thirsts, come; and he that is inclined, let him take the living water freely."
(Revelation 22:13-17 AENT)
But what many may not realize is that Yshua is, in an indirect way, quoting from the
Prophet Yeshayahu which we just read:
Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come!
Buy and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money, free! 2 Why spend money
on what cannot nourish and your wages on what fails to satisfy? Listen carefully
to me, and you will have good things to eat and rich food to enjoy. 3 Pay attention,
come to me; listen, and you will live. I shall make an everlasting covenant with you in
fulfilment of the favors promised to David. 4 Look, I have made him a witness to
peoples, a leader and lawgiver to peoples. 5 Look, you will summon a nation
unknown to you, a nation unknown to you will hurry to you for the sake of Yahweh
your Elohim, because the Holy One of Israel has glorified you. 6 Seek out Yahweh
while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near. (Isaiah 55:1-6 NJB)
This food of course is from obeying Abba YHWH and His Torah. In his Aramaic
dialect, Yshua often used this metaphor as well. In Yochanans Gospel, he favored the
relatively rare term for food MAKULTHA because it sounded close to the word for
kingdom MALKUTHA, and he often made the point that My FOOD is to do the will
of my Father and that definition also held to the kingdom word it sounded like, i.e.
that to get into the kingdom we also had to do the will of his Father! I also think this line
from Ezekiel that I quoted from recently also bears repeating here:
He then said, 'Son of man, eat what you see; eat this scroll, then go and speak to the
House of Israel.' 2 I opened my mouth; he gave me the scroll to eat 3 and then said,
'Son of man, feed on this scroll which I am giving you and eat your fill.' So I ate it,
and it tasted sweet as honey. (Ezekiel 3:1-3 NJB)
As we saw last time when I quoted the above, this is the meaning behind this is my
body, this is my blood for the matzah and wine Yshua blessed at his Passover Seder on
the last night of his life. The meaning: Take my teaching in like good food and drink
and make it a part of you.
Similarly though, evil also has a feast of food and drink. Paul talks about eating from the
table of the Messiah OR from the table of demons. Proverbs 4:17 also talks about an evil
feast where people, eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence, again,
they have taken the EVIL ways into their inner hearts, as if they consumed them. Such is
the case on the dark side, but the Torah, as we just saw, tasted like honey in the mouth of
the prophet.
The metaphor though even extends to some unexpected places:

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(Mar 2:18) Now the disciples of Yochanan and the Pharisees would fast, and they
came and said to him, "Why do the disciples of Yochanan and the Pharisees fast,
and your disciples do not fast?"
(Mar 2:19) Y'shua said to them, "As long as the bridegroom is among them, the
sons of the wedding feast are able not to fast. (Mar 2:20) But the days will come
when the bridegroom will be taken from them. In that day they will then fast.
(Mar 2:21) No man places a new patch onto an old garment and sews it, or else
the new patch be taken away from the old and the tear becomes larger. (Mar 2:22)
And no man puts new wine into old wineskins or else the wine bursts the
wineskins, and the wineskins are destroyed and the wine is poured out. Rather,
they put new wine into new wineskins." (AENT)
First, I should point out that the Pharisees are probably WRONGLY assuming that
Yochanans disciples are friendlier to the Oral Laws rules on fasting more than Yshua
and his followers are. It may simply be that Yochanans disciples decided to fast
voluntarily on the same occasion or day of the week that the Pharisees did. For example,
in one of Yshuas parables, the Pharisee and the tax collector, the Pharisee brags about
fasting twice a week, and that is not in the Written Torah at all, but doing it for a special
reason or voluntarily is allowed.
Having said that and understanding that this really is a debate about Oral Law, Yshuas
food-drink metaphor is very powerful. The Torah is the old wine, the SWEET wine
fermented over time and as Yshua also says, and no one after drinking the old wine
wants the new, for the old is better. So the Torah is BETTER, as the old wine, but what
is the new wine?
To answer this properly, first we know that the ancients fermented wine in wineskins
rather than glass bottles as we do now. Like our own rare and precious wine, it is
important to keep those wineskins SEALED until it is ready to be enjoyed. NO ONE
and to any wine lover like myself or my father this is a huge sinshould ever
prematurely open the wineskin, ADD new wine, re-seal it and act as if the wine had
always been that way.
This is a perfect metaphor for Oral Law. The Pharisees tried to fill up the wineskins that
were already perfect, already brimming with the sweet old wine, with their new wine
and the result is the skins burst and ruined everything! If that isnt a shot against the
bough of Oral Law, I dont know what is.
I should also point out that both Yeshayahu and Yshua are saying that the
wine/water/bread of Abba YHWH comes from obeying His Torah. Yeshayahu in fact
confirms this again:
7

Let the wicked abandon his way and the evil one his thoughts. Let him turn back to
Yahweh who will take pity on him, to our Elohim, for he is rich in forgiveness; 8 for
my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways, declares Yahweh.

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For the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways, my
thoughts above your thoughts. 10 For, as the rain and the snow come down from the
sky and do not return before having watered the earth, fertilizing it and making it
germinate to provide seed for the sower and food to eat, 11 so it is with the word that
goes from my mouth: it will not return to me unfulfilled or before having carried out
my good pleasure and having achieved what it was sent to do. (Isaiah 55:7-11 NJB)
And so, in the end, you really are what you eat!
3) Renewed Covenant portion: (English) 1 Yochanan 4:1-6; 2:18-25 (all the way
through with applicable footnotes.)
4) Highlight common themes in Aramaic (terms in footnotes which I will read):
Extended extemporaneous commentary on 1 Yochanan 4:1-6, what it means
and what it doesnt mean.
1 John 4:2
14) The Spirit of Mashiyach dwells inside a person. This does not refer to Y'shua coming
in his flesh to Earth; even the demons know that much (see Luk_4:41). This refers to the
neshama (spirit of man) being born from the beginning into the Image of Elohim, which
is evidenced by living a Set Apart life unto YHWH, having Torah written upon the heart
and growing in the Attributes of Mashiyach as revealed in Isa_11:2 and elsewhere.

1 John 2:18
As before, "false Messiahs" is used deliberately rather than the proper title of the genuine
one, Y'shua the Mashiyach.

5) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith. (The tongue is a
deadly poison as Yaakov says. In this Haftorah portion the tongue literally
RISES to accuse falsely, and therefore takes on a name similar to Satan, the
Accuser. But righteousness leads to the real meaning of QUM, to rise from the
dead as Yshua did.)
6) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion of AENT or footnotes from a portion
(Twelve Tribes p. 1005).
STUDY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK FOR THIS
PORTION:

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1) In this Torah portion there is, at least in my opinion, the number one lie told by
anti-missionaries to discourage Jews from following Yshua. What do you think
that lie is and how do we discredit it?
2) What title is here exclusive to Israel but is later extended to the Gentiles in the NT
under certain circumstances?
3) This week we saw a classic example of a Rabbinic fence where the command to
not boil a goat in its mothers milk was excessively and unjustifiably extended to
apply to not ever having any milk with any meat products. But what was the very
first Rabbinic fence in history and who did it?
4) If you know the answer to #3, tell me what the result of this fence was
according to the Torah.
5) What is yet another example of a major instruction being altered for the sake of a
different audience/situation yet not contradicting the original rules?
Torah Thought for the Week:
Did Yshuas Executioners Think They were Fulfilling Deuteronomy 13?
Sometimes, in our zeal to proclaim our Messiah Yshua, we forget that the bad guys in
the Gospel story may have also had honorablethough misplacedintentions.
Take, for example, the Sanhedrin that condemned Yshua to death. Nazarene studies
have often focused on how various court procedures were bent and others outright
broken. Others will no doubt point outrightly of coursethat technically speaking
only Romans could put Jewish countrymen to death. All these paths are correct in their
own sense, but each one is missing another piece: There was Scripture (perhaps) behind
the decision to put Yshua to death, and it is found in this weeks Torah portion:
'If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you, offering you some sign or
wonder, and the sign or wonder comes about; and if he then says to you, "Let us
follow other gods (hitherto unknown to you) and serve them," you must not listen
to that prophet's words or to that dreamer's dreams. Yahweh your Elohim is
testing you to know if you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and all your
soul.
Yahweh your Elohim is the one whom you must follow, him you must fear, his
commandments you must keep, his voice you must obey, him you must serve, to
him you must hold fast. That prophet or that dreamer of dreams must be put to
death, since he has preached apostasy from Yahweh your Elohim who brought
you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the place of slave-labor; and he would
have diverted you from the way in which Yahweh your Elohim has commanded
you to walk. You must banish this evil from among you.

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'If your brother, the son of your father or of your mother, or your son or daughter,
or the spouse whom you embrace, or your most intimate friend, tries secretly to
seduce you, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," unknown to you or your
ancestors before you, gods of the peoples surrounding you, whether near you or
far away, anywhere throughout the world, you must not consent, you must not
listen to him; you must show him no pity, you must not spare him or conceal his
guilt. No, you must kill him, your hand must strike the first blow in putting him to
death and the hands of the rest of the people following.
You must stone him to death, since he has tried to divert you from Yahweh your
Elohim who brought you out of Egypt, from the place of slave-labor. All Israel,
hearing of this, will be afraid, and none of you will do such a wicked thing again.
'If you hear that in one of the towns which Yahweh your Elohim has given you
for a home, there are men, scoundrels from your own stock, who have led their
fellow-citizens astray, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," hitherto unknown
to you, it is your duty to look into the matter, examine it, and enquire most
carefully. If it is proved and confirmed that such a hateful thing has taken place
among you, you must put the inhabitants of that town to the sword; you must lay
it under the curse of destruction -- the town and everything in it. You must pile
up all its loot in the public square and burn the town and all its loot, offering it all
to Yahweh your Elohim. It is to be a ruin for all time, and never rebuilt.
From what is thus put under the curse of destruction you must keep nothing back,
so that Yahweh may turn from the ferocity of his anger and show you mercy, and
have pity on you and increase your numbers, as he swore he would to your
ancestors, on condition that you listen to the voice of Yahweh your Elohim by
keeping all his commandments which I am enjoining on you today, and by doing
what is right in the eyes of Yahweh your Elohim.' (Deuteronomy 13:2-19 NJB)
So here we have three situations that all have the same pattern: Someone says for you to
go after other gods, kill them. The most startling line in that is even if the sign or word
they said comes true, and this brings us right to the heart of the debate about Yshua
because in other cases miracles are signs of YHWHs favora fact that is well attested to
even in the Talmud!
In effect, Yshua says, Believe me because of the miracles that I am from my Father,
and here is proof from the Scripture. Are the Pharisees then dumb to that Scripture?
No. They know it very wellbut they may have been applying Deuteronomy 13 here
and thought (this is never recorded outright in the NT) that the miracles are YHWH
testing them to see if they will condemn a false prophet to death!
Obviously, as the Gospels show us, there was no overwhelming consensus. Sanhedrin
members like Joseph of Arimathea took a different opinion. They knew that Yshua did
NOT go after other gods nor persuade others to do so. Instead, he sought to reform the
Judaism of his time away from the manmade Oral Law and back to the written Torah of

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Moshe. As a result, they might have thought Deuteronomy 13 was on point, but if their
main assumption was wrongand it definitely wasthen the entire process after that
was also wrong.
Im Andrew Gabriel Roth and thats your Torah Thought for the Week!
Next week we will be exploring Shoftim, or Deuteronomy16:18-21:9. Our Haftorah
portion will be Isaiah 9:1-6:, 49:1-6 and our Renewed Covenant portion will be Acts
7:35-60. Stay tuned!

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