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WEEKLY PARSHA
Parsha #52: Deuteronomy [D'varim] Vayelekh (He went) 31:1-30
Haftarah: Hoshea (Hosea)14:2-10; Mikhah (Micah) 7:18-20; Yo'el (Joel) 2:15-27
B’rit Chadasha: Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 13:5-8
This week in the Parsha we see Moshe who is now 120 years old transferring leadership to Yehoshua. Moshe prophesized of someone coming that would be like unto himself, but greater than he in the future. Yehoshua, Yahshua's namesake was a shadow and forerunner of that person the Messiah. We are told that though we esteem Moshe we have to look forward to a greater than him. In Christianity I see many Christians who promote Paul (Sha'ul) to a greater prominence than Yahshua. Many supposing Paul's misunderstood words (2 Peter 3:16) to have greater import and substance than our L-rd's, the Messiah, leading to contradictions of Scripture. Traditional Judaism on the other hand has yet to recognize Yahshua as the Messiah and still holds Moshe as the greatest prophet and lawgiver. True Believers as described by the seven-fold witness of Revelations know that this dichotomy will soon cease and Jew and Gentile will be joined into Israel in a vital covenantal relationship with YHVH Elohim.
We see also that Moshe writes the Torah and give it to the Levites and to the elders of B'nai Yisrael. He further instructs them to read the Torah at a place chosen by YHVH to the people every seven year Shmita during the Sukkot festival. This is the Hak'kayl ceremony performed "so B'nai Yisrael will learn to fear YHVH, and be careful to fulfill all the Torah." Now to those that interpret Yahshua's words about coming to fulfill the Torah as having abrogated it please take note here of YHVH's words above. Every seven year Shmita the leaders were to read the Torah and B'nai Yisrael were to be careful to FULFILL all the Torah. A reoccurring process and not one that abrogated the Torah.
We now see that Moshe writes a poem identified to us as the "Song of Moshe," which will be part of next week's Parsha. However I want to bring to your attention that in Revelations the Saints of Heaven are reported to have sung the "Song of Moshe" and the "Song of the Lamb." There is a significance to this we should all know, and that is a true believer as identified by Yahshua in the book seven times as one who sings the "Song of Moshe," representing Torah, and sings the "Song of the Lamb" representing Trust and Grace. In other words a True Believer is one who "carries the testimony of Yahshua" and "guards the commandments of YHVH Elohim." Nothing could be plainer to those who have been given the ears to hear.
B'rit Chadasha: Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 13:5-8
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, "I will never leave you or forsake you."
6 So we can say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?"
7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of YHVH to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
8 Yahshua HaMashaiach is the same yesterday and today and forever.
9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings; for it is well for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by regulations about food, which have not benefited those who observe them.
10 We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent have no right to eat.
11 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.
12 Therefore Yahshua also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.
13 Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. (NRSV)
Let's consider Verse 9: Many people would interpret this to mean that YHVH's Dietary Law is invalid. Let me show you another approach in keeping with all of the Bible and not something taken out of context to bolster an individual's private agenda. First, we are addressing "strange teachings" here. Should we refer to any of YHVH's (Torah) Instructions as strange? This passage has nothing to do with whether Messianic Jews should keep kosher, which is not even an issue in this book. Moreover, scholars agree early believers did keep Kosher and that the only question was how a Jewish believer should behave at the dining table with Gentile believers (Gal 2:11-16). The probable reason for employing "food" here is that some members of the community thought that eating certain foods would enhance their spirituality. This is a common concept even today regarding certain activities within the Christian Church: tongues, laughing in the Spirit, slain in the Spirit, etc.. Whatever your position on this it is a shame that so many people seek after signs instead of YHVH's gifts, which would prepare them to become viable witnesses to the Glory of YHVH Elohim. Even in Messianic Judaism we see many who seek enhancement of spirituality by dancing to the extent that they relegate the Word of YHVH to a secondary position. It may also refer to "special days" when certain foods were forbidden like "meat on Friday," or to eating food offered to idols. In any case eating YHVH's forbidden foods was not an issue for it would have contradicted the Torah, which was vibrant and alive to the early Jewish believers, and even to Gentile believers who had been G-d-fearers and had long been associated with Judaism and the Torah. I think there is a two prong teaching here. One, we are not to depend on our adherence to Torah, (in this case the dietary laws) apart from our dependence on Yahshua's sacrificial death as evidenced by verse 8 where we are told "If Yahshua the Messiah is the same yesterday, today, and forever," if His sacrificial death remains the only way for atonement and reconciliation to YHVH Elohim then you should not seek other paths to reconciliation to YHVH. This has nothing to do with our obedience to Torah after reconciliation, which is our reasonable service. The second is that we are not to be dependant upon somatopsychic phenomena in which one's thoughts and emotions are influenced and affected by flesh activity as THE means to enhance our spirituality. If we give these commonplace facts any great spiritual importance we replace unyielding priorities such as YHVH's grace is appropriated by trusting and not by foods or any other activity in our lives that displaces this trust. People who have made these the focus of their lives have not benefited thereby. Faithfulness to YHVH and Yahshua should be the focus of everyone life for this provides eternal benefit. Obedience to Torah is the viable sign of that Trust.
Halftarah: Hoshea 14:2-10, Micha 7:18-20, Yo'el 2:15-27
This is Shabbat known as Shabbat Shuva, "The Shabbat of Repentance," since our Halftarah begins with the phrase Shuva Yisrael, "Return people of Yisrael." The prophet Hoshea asks B'nai Yisrael (Children of Israel) to return to YHVH, since they have sinned so much. This Halftarah is also read on the Shabbat between Rosh Hashanah (New Year/Feast of Trumpets) and Yom Kippur (Day of Covering) in order to emphasize the importance of repentance during these days.
Things to think about:
1. Why does the mitzvah of reading the Torah every seven years fall out on the holiday of Sukkot?
2. After Moshe tells Yehoshua to be strong for he is now going to lead the nation, Moshe says: "And I will be with you." What is Moshe referring to? After all, didn't YHVH just tell him that he is going to die before the nation ever stepped foot in the land?
Sages Wisdom:
"And Moshe went and spoke these words…" (31:1)
Why doesn't the Torah tell us where Moshe went? The Toldot Yitzak tells us that the Torah omitted Moshe's destination because wherever he went, be it to work, to do business, or to eat, he always had the same purpose. He was always preaching YHVH's commandments, and conduction himself in a suitable manner
"I am 120 years old today."(31:2)
From the word "today," our Sages tell us tht Moshe died on his birthday, the seventh of Adar.
"And I will hide my face from you." (31:18)
A story is told of Rabbi Dov of Mezrich. One day he went for a walk in the marketplace and saw a little girl crying. When he asked her why she told him that she and her friends were playing "hide and seek," and since no one was able to find her, they stopped looking. Upon hearing this, the Rabbi started crying. His followers were stunned. The Rabbi explained that this must be how YHVH Elohim feels, since we too have stopped looking for Him. No matter how well YHVH hides, He expects us never to stop searching for Him!
Gematria:
Mitzauni ha'raot ha'ayleh, "These evil things have found me." (31:17)
As a result of not listening to YHVH, evil things will happen. The words ha'raot ha'ayleh, "these evil things," have the numeric value of 722. This is the same numeric value as the words Arba galuyot, "the four exiles" that B'nai Yisrael went through. YHVH was hinting that if B'nai Yisrael didn't listen to Him, they would be repeatedly exiled and evil things would find them. Should we also take this hint are now evil things finding us?
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Davis
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