Blessing of Torah.
Bar’chu
et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch
ata YHVHEloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu
eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”
(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the
blessed One for all eternity. 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.)
Parashat Naso seems to have a common theme of
“lifting up” a set apart priesthood. This priesthood includes the other Levites
who were not commissioned to take care of the most set apart matters;
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 –
see beginning of this parasha – Num 4:21.
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.
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 of being included in this set apart priesthood.
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!
We need YHVH to bless us, to really bless us in such a
way as to cause us not only to return but to remain in His Ways - the ancient
paths of our fathers – Avraham, Yitzchak and Yakov. To bring us to the eighth
day – shemeni atzaret, when the “lights are switched on” and we understand all
truth.
This week’s Torah portion teaches us about such a
blessing.
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.
The Aaronic blessing consists of three sections:
1.The first section is in vs 24.
Num 6:24 “יהוה bless you and guard you;
It is possible to blessed by YHVH and then to lose that
blessing.
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.