Devarim/Deut 16:18 -21:9
Yirmeyahu/Jer 1:12 And יהוה said to me, “You have seen well, for I am watching over My word
to do it.”
Perhaps
a fitting word after last week’s Parasha – Re eh – See!
This
Torah portion points us clearly to a time when YHVH will once again appoint
“shoftim and shotrim” – “Appoint judges and officers within all your
gates” to guide the lives of His Covenant people. In the “olam ha ba” – the age
to come - no one will be permitted to do what is ‘right in their own eyes’.
Even in this age – “olam ha ze” there is a growing remnant – His Bride
- that have a passion to walk as our Messiah walked and do what is right in the
Eyes of YHVH by observing and walking according to His Covenant – The Torah.
Many believers today are preparing for “heaven” – the Torah teaches us
to prepare for the coming Messianic kingdom on earth, where the citizens of the
Kingdom will be living and following the practical instruction of the Torah day
by day for 1000 years. (Is 2:2-4)
So it is during this time of our Hebrew year that the “Bride to be”
once again prepares herself for the second coming of her Messiah.
This past week the “Bride to be” once again observed the appointment
of “Rosh Chodesh Elul” -The first day of the sixth Hebrew month also called
“Elul” (aleph,lamed,vav,lamed) since Babylonian exile, forms the well -known
acronym “ani ledodi ve dodi li” ” I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.
(Song of Songs 6:3)
Blessing for the Torah:
Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-O’lam, asher
bachar banu m’kol ha-amim,
v’natan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn
ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
(Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim , King of the Universe,
you have selected us from among all the peoples, and
have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Torah Readings:
- 16:18 – 17:13
- 17:14-20
- 18:1-5
- 18:6-13
- 18:14 – 19:13
- 19:14 – 20:9
- 20:10 – 21:9
- Maftir: 21:7-9
Haftarah: Yeshayahu/Isaiah 51:12 – 53:12
Aliyah
Rishon 16:18-17:13
Devarim/Deu 16:18
“Appoint judges and officers within all your gates, which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, according to your tribes. And they
shall judge the people with righteous right-ruling”.
There is an interesting connection between the
openings of last week and this week’s parasha.
Last week began –Deu 11:26 ‘See, I am setting before
you today a blessing and a curse:
The Hebrew word for “setting” is “notein” or giving.
This week begins with - Deu 16:18 “Appoint judges
(shoftim) and officers (policeman) within all your gates… these “shotriem”
carried out the decisions of the court. They circulated around the market
places and the city to make sure there were no violations of the instructions
of Torah.
The Hebrew word once again in the opening words of our
parasha comes from the root word “natan” which means “to give” in other words we could say YHVH “GIVES” blessings and curses therefore GIVE yourselves judges
and officers.
In
Modern Hebrew a magistrate is called a “shofet shalom” and a policeman is
called a “shoter.” We can therefore translate the first phrase of this Torah
portion as “appoint magistrates and policemen”
Even
in the kingdom of YHVH people will not always do what you expect but what you
inspect.
This also points us clearly as to how YHVH intends His
Kingdom to function - “The
Rabbis speak of Israel as crowned with three crowns—the crown of kingship, the
crown of Torah and the crown of priesthood. In early Jewish history these three
crowns were, for the most part, kept distinct as rival centres of power in
Hebrew society. Most democracies today have echoed this model. Religious,
judicial and governing bodies are kept separate from each other and each
saddled with limits so that their exploitative and oppressive potentials are
restricted, while their productive and progressive possibilities are
cultivated. For the Jews, to not limit these institutions would have been to
exchange the foreign slavery of Egypt for the internal slavery of fellow
Israelite domination. This week's parshah outlines the original
separation of powers.
The Torah explicitly
limits exploitative possibilities by separating the centers of power and
placing constraints that keep these institutions functioning appropriately.” Rabbi James
Jacobson-Maisels
Deu
16:19 “Do not distort right-ruling. Do
not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise
and twists the words of the righteous.
Deu
16:20 “Follow (pursue aggressively) righteousness, righteousness alone,
so that you live and inherit the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you.
Deu
16:21 “Do not plant for yourself any
tree as an Ashĕrah near the altar of יהוה your Elohim that you make for yourself.
Deu
16:22 “And do not set up a pillar, which יהוה your Elohim hates.
These
“pillars” are phallic symbols which are associated with the worship of the
“queen of heaven” – modern day examples include church towers, obelisks set up
over graves and monuments. This is also often the evidence of the presence of
Free Masonry.
Deu 17:1 “Do not slaughter to יהוה your Elohim a
bull or sheep which has any blemish, any evil matter, for that is an
abomination to יהוה your Elohim.
We
should always bring the first and the best to YHVH.
Death
penalty for idolatry:
Deu
17:2 “When there is found in your midst,
in any of your cities which יהוה your Elohim is
giving you, a man or a woman who does what is evil in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim, in transgressing His
covenant,
Deu
17:3 and has gone and served other
mighty ones and bowed down to them, or to the sun or to the moon or to any of
the host of the heavens, which I have not commanded, (Sunday worship????)
Deu
17:4 and it has been made known to you
and you have heard, and has searched diligently. Then see, if true: the matter
is confirmed that such an abomination has been done in Yisra’ĕl,
Deu
17:5 then you shall bring out to your
gates that man or woman who has done this evil matter, and you shall stone to
death that man or woman with stones.
Deu
17:6 “At the mouth of two or three
witnesses shall he that is to die be put to death. He is not put to death by
the mouth of one witness.
Deu
17:7 “The hand of the witnesses shall be
first against him to put him to death, and the hand of all the people last. So
you shall purge the evil from your midst.
Deu
17:8 “When any matter arises which is
too hard for you to judge, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, or
between stroke and stroke – matters of strife within your gates – then you
shall rise and go up to the place which יהוה your Elohim chooses,
Deu
17:9 and shall come to the priests, the
Lĕwites, and to the judge who is in those days, and shall inquire. And they
shall declare to you the word of right-ruling,
Deu
17:10 and you shall do according to the
word which they declare to you from that place which יהוה chooses. And you shall guard to do according to all that they
instruct you.
Deu
17:11 “Do according to the Torah in
which they teach you, according to the right-ruling which they say to you. You
do not turn to the right or to the left from the word which they declare to
you.
Deu
17:12 “And the man who acts arrogantly,
so as not to listen to the priest who stands to serve there before יהוה your Elohim, or to the judge, that man
shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Yisra’ĕl.
Deu
17:13 “And let all the people hear and
fear, and no longer do arrogantly.
Refusal
to accept the Sanhedrin's authority is a capital offense.
Idolatry is any kind
of thought or activity that diminishes the esteem of YHVH. Idolatry comes from
a Greek word which implies worship or payment to an image or form. The most
famous practice of idolatry in Christianity is the teaching and concept of the
so called Trinity. This doctrine deifies Yahshua, who himself is a created
being. We do well to remember that is us who need a mediator not YHVH and we
are to worship the Giver of the mediator and not the mediator himself.
In true Hebraic
restoration it is intolerable to imagine any interference that obscures the
absolute supremacy and worship of Yahveh.
Aliyah
Sheni 17:14-20 - Kings
Deu 17:14
“When you come to the land which יהוה your Elohim is
giving you, and shall possess it and shall dwell in it, and you shall say, ‘Let
me set a sovereign over me like all the gentiles that are around me,’
Deu
17:15 you shall certainly set a sovereign over you whom יהוה your Elohim shall choose.
Set a sovereign over you from among your brothers, you are not allowed to set a
foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
Deu
17:16 “Only, he is not to increase
horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Mitsrayim to increase
horses, for יהוה has said to you, ‘Do not return that way
again.’
Deu
17:17 “And he is not to increase wives
for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor is he to greatly increase silver and
gold for himself. (The sages say not more than 18)
Deu
17:18 “And it shall be, when he sits on
the throne of his reign, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah
in a book, from the one before the priests, the Lĕwites.
Deu
17:19 “And it shall be with him, and he
shall read it all the days of his life, so that he learns to fear יהוה his Elohim and guard all the Words of this
Torah and these laws, to do them,
Deu
17:20 so that his heart is not lifted up
above his brothers, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or
left, so that he prolongs his days in his reign, he and his children, in the
midst of Yisra’ĕl.
Aliyah
Shlishi 18:1-5 - Levites
Deu 18:1 “The priests, the Lĕwites, all the tribe of
Lĕwi, have no part nor inheritance with Yisra’ĕl. They are to eat the offerings
of יהוה made by fire, and His inheritance.
Deu
18:2 “But among his brothers Lĕwi
has no inheritance. יהוה is his inheritance,
as He has spoken to him.
Deu
18:3 “And this is the priest’s right
from the people, from those who bring an offering, whether it is bull or sheep:
they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the
stomach;
Deu
18:4 the first-fruits of your grain and
your new wine and your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, you give
to him.
Deu
18:5 “For יהוה your Elohim has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand to
serve in the Name of יהוה, him and his
sons forever.
The
livelihood of the priesthood will depend on our obedience to give to them.
Aliyah
Reviee 18:6-13
Deu 18:6
“And when the Lĕwite comes from one of your gates, from where he has
sojourned among all Yisra’ĕl, and shall come with all the desire of his being
to the place which יהוה chooses,
The
Levites could move freely around the cities of Yisrael, this was also the
custom of some rabbis. There were itinerant Levites who would gather disciples
who would volunteer their time to be taught the Torah and minister with the
Levite or a rabbi. These disciples were taught by example.
Yahshua
commanded us to make “disciples” not converts. – Mat
28:19 “Therefore, go and make taught
ones of all the nations, immersing them in the Name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Set-apart Spirit,
(“set apart Spirit” is added and not found in the orginal Hebrew Shem -Tov
text)
Deu
18:7 then he shall serve in the Name of יהוה his Elohim, like all his brothers the
Lĕwites, who are standing there before יהוה.
Deu
18:8 “They are to have portion for
portion to eat, besides what comes from the sale of his inheritance.
Deu
18:9 “When you come into the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, do not learn to
do according to the abominations of those gentiles.
Deu
18:10 “Let no one be found among you who
makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, (aborted babies are
incinerated in our day) or one who practises divination, or a user of magic, or
one who interprets omens or a sorcerer,
Deu
18:11 or one who conjures spells, or a
medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
Deu
18:12 “For whoever does these are an
abomination to יהוה, and because of these abominations יהוה your Elohim drives them out from before
you.
Deu
18:13 “Be perfect before יהוה your Elohim,
Be
perfect or “tamim tehiye” means “without
spot or blemish YOU SHALL BECOME” - imperfect verb that describes a “work” in
progress.
So
we see in these above aliyiot a clear directive given to leaders – kings
priests and a judiciary – we see that their role was to make sure that an
atmosphere was to be created and
maintained in society that would protect the covenant life of a covenant
people.
Aliyah
Chamishi 18:14-19:13
Cities of refuge are
mentioned again in this portion – always read in the month of Elul and so the
Sages tell us that this is a month of sanctuary and repentance, a protected
time in which a man can turn from the shortcomings of his past and dedicate
himself to a new and set apart way unto YHVH. This protection is extended into
the Messianic era with the addition of three extra cities of refuge. This gives
us some valuable insight into the coming millennial reign of Messiah. There
will be a real world with real people who still need to be guided because of
the danger of falling into error.
The bride of Messiah will experience a unique
relationship with Messiah that no other group of people on earth will experience.
They will enjoy a special guidance by the Ruach of YHVH to walk in an ever
increasing perfection during the Messianic Kingdom.
Isa 30:20 Though יהוה gave you bread of adversity and water of
affliction, your Teacher1 shall no longer be hidden. But your eyes
shall see your Teacher1, Footnote: 1Or teachers.
See also Joel 2:23.
Isa 30:21 and your
ears hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the Way, walk in it,” whenever
you turn to the right, or whenever you turn to the left.
Deu 18:14
for these nations whom you are possessing do listen to those using magic
and to diviners. But as for you, יהוה your Elohim has not appointed such for
you.
Deu
18:15 “יהוה your Elohim shall raise up for you a
Prophet like me from your midst, from your brothers. Listen to Him,
Deu
18:16 according to all you asked of יהוה your Elohim in Ḥorĕḇ in the day of the
assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of יהוה my Elohim, nor let me see this great fire any more, lest I
die.’
Deu
18:17 “And יהוה said to me, ‘What they have spoken is good.
Deu
18:18 ‘I shall raise up for them a
Prophet like you out of the midst of their brothers. And I shall put My Words
in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.
Deu
18:19 ‘And it shall be, the man who does
not listen to My Words which He speaks in My Name, I require it of him.
In
the Second Writings this is quoted in
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.
“A Prophet like Moshe”
- Both Moshe and Yahshua were born in the midst
of life threatening circumstances.
- Moshe like Yahshua chose to associate with the
humble and the oppressed.
- Both Moshe and Yahshua were first rejected by
their people.
- YHVH empowered both Moshe and Yahshua to
destroy the power of the enemy.
- YHVH sent both Moshe and Yahshua to bring His
people out of slavery.
- Both Moshe and Yahshua revealed the Name and
the nature of YHVH to the people.
- Both did unusual miracles.
- Both will return to bring the Bride of Messiah
into the Promised Land.
Deu
18:20 ‘But the prophet who presumes to
speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks
in the name of other mighty ones, even that prophet shall die.’
Deu
18:21 “And when you say in your heart,
‘How do we know the word which יהוה has not
spoken?’ –
Deu
18:22 when the prophet speaks in the
Name of יהוה and the word is not, or comes not, that is
the word which יהוה has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it
presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
Deu 19:1 “When יהוה your Elohim
cuts off the nations whose land יהוה your Elohim is
giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their
houses,
Deu
19:2 separate three cities for yourself
in the midst of your land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess. (Future
tense referring to the Messianic age)
Deu
19:3 “Prepare a way for yourself, and
divide into three parts the border of your land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to inherit, that anyone who killed
someone shall flee there.
Deu
19:4 “And this is the matter of the one
who killed someone who flees there and live: He who smites his neighbour
unintentionally, not having hated him in time past,
Deu
19:5 even he who goes to the forest with
his neighbour to cut timber, and his hand swings a stroke with the axe to cut
down the tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbour so
that he dies – let him flee to one of these cities and live,
Deu
19:6 lest the revenger of blood, while
his displeasure is hot, pursue the one who killed someone and overtake him,
because the way is long, and shall smite him, though he was not worthy of
death, since he had not hated him before.
Deu
19:7 “Therefore I am commanding you,
saying, ‘Separate three cities for yourself.’
Deu
19:8 “And if יהוה your Elohim enlarges your border, as He swore to your fathers,
and has given you the land which He promised to give to your fathers –
Deu
19:9 when you guard all this command to
do it, which I am commanding you today, to love יהוה your Elohim and to walk in His ways all
the days – then you shall add three more cities for yourself besides these
three, (note the conditional aspect of
this instruction – Yisrael has not yet obeyed but soon will)
Deu
19:10 so that innocent blood is not shed
in the midst of your land which יהוה your Elohim is
giving you as an inheritance, or blood-guilt shall be upon you.
Deu
19:11 “But when anyone hates his
neighbour, and shall lie in wait for him and rise against him and smite the
life from him so that he dies, then he shall flee to one of these cities,
Deu
19:12 and the elders of his city shall
send and bring him from there, and give him into the hand of the revenger of
blood, and he shall die.
Deu
19:13 “Your eye shall not pardon him,
but you shall purge the blood of innocent blood from Yisra’ĕl, so that it might
be well with you.
Aliyah
Shishi 19:14-20:9
A
minimum of two witnesses are required to secure a conviction in a capital or
corporal punishment case. Individuals who testify falsely are liable to receive
the punishment which they sought to have imposed upon their innocent victim.
The procedure for battle is outlined in this section. When approaching the
battlefield, a Kohen addresses the troops, admonishing them not to fear
the enemy, and listing the various individuals who are exempt from military
duty, such as one who has recently betrothed a woman or built a new home, or a
fainthearted and fearful person.
Deu 19:14
“Do not remove your neighbour’s boundary, which those in the past have
set, in your inheritance which you inherit in the land that יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess.
Deu
19:15 “One witness does not rise up
against a man concerning any crookedness or any sin that he commits. At the
mouth of two witnesses or at the mouth of three witnesses a matter is
established.
Deu
19:16 “When a malicious witness rises up
against any man to accuse him of turning aside,
Deu
19:17 then both men who have the dispute
shall stand before יהוה, before the
priests and the judges who serve in those days.
Deu
19:18 “And the judges shall diligently
search and see if the witness is a false witness, who has falsely accused his
brother,
Deu
19:19 then you shall do to him as he
thought to have done to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from your
midst.
Deu
19:20 “And let the rest hear and fear,
and never again do this evil matter in your midst.
Deu
19:21 “And let your eye not pardon, life
for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. (In other words a just compensation must be
sought for a loss incurred by one party)
Deu 20:1 “When you go out to battle against your
enemies, and shall see horses and chariots and people more numerous than you,
do not be afraid of them, for יהוה your Elohim, who brought you up from the
land of Mitsrayim, is with you.
Deu
20:2 “And it shall be, when you draw
near to the battle, that the priest shall come and speak to the people,
Deu
20:3 and shall say to them, ‘Hear, O
Yisra’ĕl: You are drawing near today to battle with your enemies. Do not let
your heart faint, do not fear, or tremble, or be afraid before them,
Deu
20:4 for יהוה your Elohim is He who goes with you, to fight for you against
your enemies, to save you.’
Deu
20:5 “And the officers shall speak to
the people, saying, ‘Who is the man who has built a new house and has not
dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and
another man dedicate it.
Deu
20:6 ‘And who is the man who has planted
a vineyard and has not begun to use it? Let him also go and return to his
house, lest he die in the battle and another man should begin to use it.
Deu
20:7 ‘And who is the man who is engaged
to a woman and has not taken her? Let him go and return to his house, lest he
die in the battle and another man take her.’
Deu
20:8 “And the officers shall speak
further to the people, and say, ‘Who is the man who is afraid and tender of
heart? Let him go and return to his house, lest the heart of his brothers faint
like his heart.’
Deu
20:9 “And it shall be, when the officers
have finished speaking to the people, that they shall appoint commanders of the
divisions to lead the people.
Aliyah
Sheviee 20:10-21:9
Deu 20:10
“When you draw near to a city to fight against it, then you shall make a
call for peace to it.
Deu 20:11
“And it shall be that if it accepts your call for peace, and shall open
to you, then all the people found in it are to be your compulsory labour, and
serve you.
Deu 20:12
“But if it does not make peace with you, and shall fight against you,
then you shall besiege it,
IDF still
employ this method today; first distribute pamphlets by helicopter before
bombing or shelling terrorist strongholds.
Deu 20:13
and יהוה your Elohim shall give it into your hands,
and you shall smite every male in it with the edge of the sword.
Deu
20:14 “Only the women, and the little
ones, and the livestock, and all that is in the city, all its spoil, you take
as plunder for yourself. And you shall eat the enemies’ plunder which יהוה your Elohim gives you.
Deu
20:15 “Do so to all the cities which are
very far from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
Deu
20:16 “Only, of the cities of these
peoples which יהוה your Elohim gives you as an inheritance,
you do not keep alive any that breathe,
Deu
20:17 but you shall certainly put them
under the ban: the Ḥittite and the Amorite and the Kena’anite and the
Perizzite and the Ḥiwwite and the Yeḇusite, as יהוה your Elohim has commanded you,
Deu
20:18 lest they teach you to do
according to all their abominations which they have done for their mighty ones,
and you sin against יהוה your Elohim.
Deu
20:19 “When you besiege a city for a
long time by fighting against it to take it, you do not destroy its trees by
wielding an axe against them. If you do eat of them, do not cut them down. For
is the tree of the field a man to be besieged by you?
Deu
20:20 “Only the trees which you know are
not trees for food you do destroy and cut down, to build siege-works against
the city that is fighting against you, until it falls. (This compares with the
usage of modern day neutron bombs which destroy human flesh but not property)
Deu 21:1 “When anyone is found slain, lying in the
field in the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you to possess, and
it is not known who smote him,
Deu
21:2 then your elders and your judges
shall go out, and they shall measure the distance from the slain man to the
cities round about.
Deu
21:3 “And it shall be that the elders of
the city nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer which has not been worked
and which has not pulled with a yoke,
Deu
21:4 and the elders of that city shall
bring the heifer down to a wadi with flowing water, which is neither ploughed
nor sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the wadi.
Deu
21:5 “And the priests, the sons of Lĕwi,
shall come near, for יהוה your Elohim
has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the Name of יהוה, and by their mouth every strife and every stroke is tried.
Deu
21:6 “And let all the elders of that
city nearest to the slain man wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was
broken in the wadi.
Deu
21:7 “And they shall answer and say,
‘Our hands have not shed this blood, nor have our eyes seen it.
Deu
21:8 ‘O יהוה, forgive Your people Yisra’ĕl, whom You have redeemed, and do
not allow innocent blood in the midst of Your people Yisra’ĕl.’ And the
blood-guilt shall be pardoned to them.
Deu
21:9 “Thus you purge the guilt of
innocent blood from your midst when you do what is right in the eyes of יהוה.
Innocent
blood that falls on the ground calls out to YHVH – Beresheet/Genesis 4:10 – During the
millennial reign all blood guilt will be redeemed so that we may enjoy the
continued favour and blessing of YHVH.
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 YHVH, 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, Yahweh giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)
Please
note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction
and are in no way a final authority on any
subject.