11/15/2014

Parashat 35 Portion 104 B’Midbar 6:22- 7:89 Yer 31:21-34 1 Cor 6:18-20


Blessing of Torah.

Hebrew: Baruch atah YHVH eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kideshanu b'mitzvotav, v'tzivanu la'asok b'divrei Torah. V'ha'arev na YHVH eloheinu et divrei toratecha befinu uvfi amecha beit Yisrael. V'niyeh anachnu v'tze'etze'einu v'tze'etza'ei amecha beit Yisrael kullanu yodei sh'mecha v'lomdei toratecha lishmah. Baruch atah YHVH hamelamed Torah le'amo Yisrael. Baruch atah YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim venatan lanu et torato. Baruch atah YHVH, notein haTorah.

English translation: Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, who has made us set apart through His commandments and commanded us to actively study Torah. Please YHVH, our Elohim, sweeten the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of all Your people Israel. May we and our offspring, and the offspring of Your people, the House of Israel, may we all, together, know Your Name and study Your Torah for the sake of fulfilling Your desire. Blessed are You, YHVH, Who teaches Torah to His people Israel. Blessed are You, YHVH our Elohim, King of the universe, , Who chose us from all the nations and gave us the Torah. Blessed are You, YHVH, Giver of the Torah.

Parashat Nasso seems to have a common theme of “lifting up” a set apart priesthood. This priesthood includes the Levites; individual men and woman who undergo the Nazarite vow and even the nation of Yisrael, who bring set apart offerings for the functioning of the priesthood.

   The apostolic scriptures confirm this priesthood.

   1Pe 2:9  But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light,
    1Pe 2:10  who once were not a people, but now the people of Elohim; who had not obtained compassion, but now obtained compassion.

     Sadly the priesthood has not been faithful.

      Jer 3:12  “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, O backsliding Yisra’ĕl,’ declares יהוה, ‘I shall not look on you in displeasure, for I am kind,’ declares יהוה, ‘and I do not bear a grudge forever.
      Jer 3:13  ‘Only, acknowledge your crookedness, because you have transgressed against יהוה your Elohim, and have scattered your ways to strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice,’ declares יהוה.
      Jer 3:14  “Return, O backsliding children,” declares יהוה, “for I shall rule over you, and shall take you, one from a city and two from a clan1, and shall bring you to Tsiyon. Footnote: 1See Isa. 27:12.
      Jer 3:15  “And I shall give you shepherds according to My heart, and they shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

      Yahshua stated that only a few would be faithful to this calling.

      Luk 13:23  and someone said to Him, “Master, are there few who are being saved?” And He said to them,
      Luk 13:24  “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, because many, I say to you, shall seek to enter in and shall not be able.
      Luk 13:25  “When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Master, Master, open for us,’ and He shall answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’
Luk 13:26  then you shall begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’
Luk 13:27  “But He shall say, ‘I say to you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness.’ (teaching disobedience to Torah is unrighteous)
Luk 13:28  “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Aḇraham and Yitsḥaq and Yaʽaqoḇ and all the prophets in the reign of Elohim, and yourselves thrown outside.

Mat 7:13  “Enter in through the narrow gate! Because the gate is wide – and the way is broad – that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter in through it.
Mat 7:14  “Because the gate is narrow and the way is hard pressed1 which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Footnote: 1Or the way is afflicted.
Mat 7:15  “But beware of the false prophets,1 who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are savage wolves. Footnote: 1See v. 23

Believers have been robbed and plundered.

Isa 42:19  “Who is blind but My servant, or deaf as My messenger whom I send? Who is blind as he who is at peace, and blind as servant of יהוה?
Isa 42:20  “You see much, but do not observe; ears are open, but do not hear.”
Isa 42:21  It has delighted יהוה, for the sake of His
       righteousness, to make the Torah great and esteemed.
Isa 42:22  But this is a people robbed and plundered, all of them are snared in holes, and they are hidden in prison houses. They have become a prey, with no one to deliver – for plunder, and no one to say, “Restore!” (“ha shav” or return)
Isa 42:23  Who among you gives ear to this, pays attention and hears for the time to come?
Isa 42:24  Who gave Yaʽaqoḇ for plunder, and Yisra’ĕl to the robbers? Was it not יהוה, He against whom we sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, and they did not obey His Torah!
Isa 42:25  So He has poured on him His burning displeasure and the strength of battle, and it set him on fire all around, yet he did not understand. And it burned against him, yet he did not take it to heart!

Before YHVH can bless us we need to return to the Torah and the ancient paths of our fathers – Avraham, Yitzchak and Yakov.

So we see in this week’s Torah portion how the blessing of YHVH alone brings increase into our lives.

Num 6:22  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 6:23  “Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying, ‘This is how you bless the children of Yisra’ĕl. Say to them:

The Hebrew word for “bless” comes from the Hebrew verb “barach.” This verb means to kneel. The image is created of YHVH “kneeling” down to reach mankind on their level of need. This reminds us of a parent kneeling down to the level of their child to connect with them in their need.

Psa 18:35  …Your right hand supports(embraces) me, And Your lowliness(humility) makes me great (increases to me).
This is a clear image of how Yahshua brings all the reality of the Torah of YHVH to us – on a level that we can understand and receive – Halleluyah.

The Aaronic blessing consists of three sections:

1.The first section is in vs 24.

Num 6:24  “יהוה bless you and guard you;

May YHVH bless you with a heart to follow Torah because this will bring every blessing we need into our lives. WE CANNOT SEPARATE BLESSING FROM OBEDIENCE.

Deu 28:1  “And it shall be, if you diligently obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard to do all His commands which I command you today, that יהוה your Elohim shall set you high above all nations of the earth.
Deu 28:2  “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim:

Deu 30:9  “And יהוה your Elohim shall make you have excess in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground for good. For יהוה turns back to rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers,
Deu 30:10  if you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard His commands and His laws which are written in this Book of the Torah, if you turn back to יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being.
Deu 30:11  “For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off.

For YHVH’s blessing to remain a blessing for us we need Him to protect us in our blessings.
Our blessings need to be protected from being stolen, corrupted or lost.  We too may need protection that our blessings don’t bring harm to us.
Yahshua came to teach us the Torah in the proper way that it would be a blessing to us. If we try to receive the Torah in a different way the Torah can become a curse to us.
The greatest threat to man’s well- being is when man decides to ignore the Torah as Yahshua taught .

Act 3:22  “For Mosheh truly said to the fathers, ‘יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brothers. Him you shall hear according to all matters, whatever He says to you.
Act 3:23  ‘And it shall be that every being who does not hear that Prophet1 shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Footnote: 1Deut. 18:18-20.

Deu 29:19  “And it shall be, when he hears the words of this curse, that he should bless himself in his heart, saying, ‘I have peace though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,’ in order to add drunkenness to thirst. Deu 29:20  “יהוה would not forgive him, but rather, the displeasure of יהוה and His jealousy shall burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book shall settle on him, and יהוה shall blot out his name from under the heavens.

Yahshua came to teach us the Torah in such a way that it would bring blessing if we followed the Torah the way he and his talmidim lived and taught the Torah.

2. The second section of the blessing is in vs 25.

Num 6:25  יהוה make His face shine upon you, and show favour to you;

When YHVH’s face shines upon us we become deeply aware of an increasing and wonderful knowledge and understanding of YHVH and His Ways.

Pro 6:23  For the command is a lamp, And the Torah a light.

Psa 119:130  The opening up of Your words gives light, Giving understanding to the simple.

Something wonderful is happening in your life and you know it comes from your Heavenly Father. This causes “vichuneka” “and to be gracious to you.”
You begin to recognize increasing undeserved favour on your life.

The third section of blessing is in vs 26.

Num 6:26  יהוה lift up His face upon(to) you, and give you peace.” ’ Footnote: Verses 24 to 26 is the Priestly Blessing.

When YHVH lifts up His Face towards you – it gives a sense that YHVH is staring at you.

This is when His blessings starts becoming very personal to you. YHVH intense gaze upon you establishes wholeness (shalom) into your life.  This is taking His blessing to whole new level.

When YHVH lifts up His Face towards you (singular) it is like the blessings were especially created for your own individual needs. This brings the deepest kind of contentment that we can know. YHVH focuses His gaze upon you for good and not for harm.

Num 6:27  “Thus they shall put My Name on the children of Yisra’ĕl, and I Myself shall bless them.”

כז  וְשָׂמוּ אֶת-שְׁמִי, עַל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַאֲנִי, אֲבָרְכֵם. 

When YHVH’s Name is put on someone, He is declaring that this person and people BELONG TO HIM. They are His exclusive property. We can be assured YHVH takes very good care of His property.

Let’s look at the Hebrew of this prayer and the number of letters and the gematria of those letters.
כד  יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה, וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ.  {ס}
24 YHVH bless thee, and keep thee; {S}
כה  יָאֵר יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וִיחֻנֶּךָּ.  {ס}
25 YHVH make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; {S}
כו  יִשָּׂא יְהוָה פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ, וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם.  {ס}
26 YHVH lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. {S}

Vs 24- 15 letters  = Yud Heh = 15 = Yah or YHVH
Vs 25 - 20 letters =  Heh yud hey  = haya or “to be”
Vs 26 - 25 letters =  yud hey yud = Yihi or “will be”

Combined means YHVH is and will be.
The Aaronic prayer wants us to focus on the present and future reality of YHVH. Some commentators suggest that this reminds us that we are living in two realms, now and the age to come. Both of these ages are connected for us as the way we live in the present age depends how we live in the age to come.

The gifts of the tribal leaders:
On the day when the Tabernacle was inaugurated, the tribal leaders wished to bring inauguration gifts. Collectively they brought six covered wagons and twelve oxen to assist in transporting the Tabernacle when the Yisraelites travelled. In addition, as representative of their respective tribes, they wished to offer individual gifts and offering. YHVH instructed Moshe to accept these gifts, and that on each the following twelve days one of the leaders should bring his individual gifts. Although each leader brought identical gifts, the Torah describes each one individually.

Num 7:1  And it came to be, when Mosheh finished setting up the Dwelling Place, that he anointed it and set it apart and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and all its utensils. Thus he anointed them and set them apart. Num 7:2  And the leaders of Yisra’ĕl, heads of their fathers’ houses who were the leaders of the tribes and over the ones registered, drew near, Num 7:3  and they brought their offering before יהוה: six covered wagons and twelve cattle, a wagon for every two of the leaders, and for each one a bull. And they brought them near before the Dwelling Place. Num 7:4  And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,  Num 7:5  “Accept these from them, and they shall be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting. And you shall give them to the Lĕwites, each one according to his service.” Num 7:6  And Mosheh took the wagons and the cattle, and gave them to the Lĕwites. Num 7:7  He gave two wagons and four cattle to the sons of Gĕreshon, according to their service. Num 7:8  And he gave four wagons and eight cattle to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the hand of Ithamar, son of Aharon the priest. Num 7:9  But to the sons of Qehath he gave none, because theirs was the service of the set-apart objects, which they bore on their shoulders. Num 7:10  And the leaders brought the dedication offering of the altar in the day it was anointed. So the leaders brought their offering before the altar. Num 7:11  And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Let them bring their offering, one leader each day, for the dedication of the altar.” Num 7:12  And the one who brought his offering on the first day was Naḥshon, son of Amminaḏaḇ, from the tribe of Yehuḏah.
Num 7:13  And his offering was one silver dish, the weight of which was one hundred and thirty sheqels, one silver bowl of seventy sheqels, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place, both of them filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering;Num 7:14  one gold ladle of ten sheqels, filled with incense; Num 7:15  one young bull, one ram, one male lamb a year old, as a burnt offering; Num 7:16  one male goat as a sin offering; Num 7:17  and as a peace offering: two cattle, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs a year old. This was the offering of Naḥshon, son of Amminaḏaḇ. Num 7:18  On the second day Nethanĕ’l, son of Tsuʽar, leader of Yissasḵar, brought near.
Num 7:24  On the third day Eliyaḇ, son of Ḥĕlon, leader of the children of Zeḇulun:

Num 7:30  On the fourth day Elitsur, son of Sheḏĕy’ur, leader of the children of Re’uḇĕn:

Num 7:36  On the fifth day Shelumi’ĕl, son of Tsurishaddai, leader of the children of Shimʽon:

Num 7:42  On the sixth day Elyasaph, son of Deu’ĕl, leader of the children of Gaḏ

Num 7:48  On the seventh day Elishama, son of Ammihuḏ, leader of the children of Ephrayim:

Num 7:54  On the eighth day Gamli’ĕl, son of Peḏahtsur, leader of the children of Menashsheh:

Num 7:60  On the ninth day Aḇiḏan, son of Giḏʽoni, leader of the children of Binyamin:

Num 7:66  On the tenth day Aḥiʽezer, son of Ammishaddai, leader of the children of Dan:

Num 7:72  On the eleventh day Paḡʽi’ĕl, son of Oḵran, leader of the children of Ashĕr:

Num 7:78  On the twelfth day Aḥira, son of Ěnan, leader of the children of Naphtali:

Num 7:84  This was the dedication of the altar from the
leaders of Yisra’ĕl, when it was anointed: twelve silver
dishes, twelve silver bowls, twelve gold ladles. Num 7:85  Each silver dish was one hundred and thirty sheqels and each bowl seventy sheqels. All the silver of the vessels was two thousand four hundred sheqels, according to the sheqel of the set-apart place. Num 7:86  The twelve gold ladles filled with incense was ten sheqels each, according to the sheqel of the set apart place. All the gold of the ladles was one hundred and twenty sheqels. Num 7:87  All the cattle for the burnt offering were twelve young bulls, the rams twelve, the male lambs a year old twelve, with their grain offering, and the male goats as a sin offering twelve. Num 7:88  And all the cattle for the peace offerings were twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the lambs a year old sixty. This was the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.

What do we learn from this continual repetition of the gifts and offerings the sons of Yisrael brought to the place of YHVH’s presence?

We are encouraged to be faithful in our service towards YHVH. We have the following patterns in the Torah to consider and follow: The daily tamid offerings should encourage us to pray at different times during the day; keeping of Sabbaths; keeping the appointments, teaching our children to commit to memory portions of the Torah.

Miracles and blessings will somehow find their way into our lives when we are faithfully doing what YHVH expects us to do. Sadly today many who call themselves believers obsess themselves with seeking blessings and prophecies.

Num 7:89  And when Mosheh went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice of One speaking to him from above the lid of atonement that was on the ark of the Witness, from between the two keruḇim. Thus He spoke to him.

The secret of true obedience is being aware of the voice of YHVH, recognizing His Hand in the daily routine of our lives. It is the awareness of who our Heavenly Father is as revealed to us through Yahshua Moshiach, that keeps us from disobeying Him.

YHVH sent His Son to heal and restore us and bring us into the presence of his Father and our Father.


Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Blessed are you Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn.