Blessing for the Torah: Bar’chu et
YHVH ha-m’vorach,
Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch ata YHVH Eloheinu
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.)
Introduction to Parashat
42: –Stones Chumash.
“Vows and oaths – The Torah introduces a chapter which
upon reflection, gives a person the right to do something heretofore could only
be done by YHVH: to create a new halachic status. By pronouncing a sort of vow
or oath set forth in the passage, a person is given the power to invoke a
“neder” a vow or oath, thereby placing upon himself or others, or upon objects
of his choice, a status equivalent to that of a commandment of the Torah. It must be understood that there is no
English equivalent for the word “neder”; for lack of anything closer, it is
translated a “vow”
The title of this parasha “mattot” implies that YHVH
has given us in the Messiah an opportunity to be part of a greater family –
“Restored Yisrael”- a new halachic status. The members of this family come from
both houses of Yisrael, Yahudah and Ephraim as well as gentiles from the
nations. YHVH is NO respecter of persons and in Messiah Yahshua those who are
“called out” of the nations and respond in obedience to the calling of the
Ruach Ha Kodesh and walk in a manner pleasing to the Master in obedience to His
Torah may be included in this restored house of Israel. In other words only through our accepting and entering into the one
faith through the shed blood of Messiah as an atoning offering for our sins and
His intercessory ministry towards us, to include us into the restored Yisrael,
are we able to enter into His kingdom. This restored house of Yisrael will
serve as a “halachic guide” to all nations. It will serve as a guiding light to
the gentiles. (“mattot” is also the Hebrew word for a branch of a vine or a rod
or staff)
Wikipedia adds an
important dimension to the meaning of the word “neder”-
“ Moshe told the heads of the Israelite tribes YHVH’s commands about “nedarim.” The word “nedarim” is commonly translated, or perhaps mistranslated, as "vows." Perhaps more correctly translated as “commitments.”
Most
commentaries on this parashah emphasize the power and the consequences of our
words.
Speech and words,
whether in spoken or written form can create and they can destroy. Life and
death are in the power of the tongue – Prov 18:21
כא מָוֶת וְחַיִּים,
בְּיַד-לָשׁוֹן; וְאֹהֲבֶיהָ, יֹאכַל פִּרְיָהּ.
Pro 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those loving it
eat its fruit.
Unknown to most the word “Abracadabra” is actually a Hebrew phrase,
which means “I create (A’bra) what (ca) I speak (dab’ra).”
This word is used
by so called magicians to deceive their audiences. Sadly many religious leaders
use the same kind of deception to deceive their audiences. When we hear words
we need to test and discern the spirit behind these words – 1 John 4:1.
In the study of this Torah portion let us consider alternative Midrashim:
Mat 5:33 “Again, you heard that it was said to those
of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to יהוה.’
Mat 5:34 “But I
say to you, do not swear at all, neither by the heaven, because it is Elohim’s
throne;
Mat 5:35 nor by
the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Yerushalayim, for it is the city of
the great Sovereign;
Mat 5:36 nor swear
by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.
Mat 5:37 “But let
your word ‘Yea’ be ‘Yea,’ and your ‘No’ be ‘No.’ And what goes beyond these is
from the wicked one.
Aliyah
Rishon 30:1-31:12
Num 30:1 And Mosheh spoke to the heads of the tribes
concerning the children of Yisra’ĕl,
saying, “This is the word which יהוה has commanded:
Num 30:2 “When
a man vows a vow to יהוה, or swears an
oath to bind himself by some agreement, he does not break his word, he does
according to all that comes out of his mouth.
A vow or “neder” can mean a promise or a commitment.
An oath or “shavuah” is an oath or a determination to
make your promise or commitment come to pass. The Hebrew word for “shavuah”
comes from the word “seven” which is a number of completion and perfection.
Sadly
the Jewish liturgy has introduced a mechanism called the Kol Nidrei to cancel
out vows that one could not keep. This practice has been frowned upon in times
past by various Jewish leaders.
''Kol Nidrei has had an eventful history, both in itself and in its influence on the legal status of the Jews. Introduced into the liturgy despite the opposition of some rabbinic authorities, it was attacked in the course of time by some rabbis and in the 19th century expunged from the prayer book by many communities of western Europe.The term Kol Nidrei refers not only to the actual declaration, but is also popularly used as a name for the entire Yom Kippur evening service. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kol_Nidre
Kol Nidrei – ‘All vows’, it begins, and goes on to nullify the vows each person
will make and not keep from this Yom Kippur to the next, and by implication those
made and unkept during the past year. The vows annulled are not those
contracted with another person; in Jewish law, abrogating such oaths requires
the consent of both parties. These are the vows people make to themselves
or to YHVH, ethical obligations undertaken unwittingly or personal promises an
individual may be unable to carry out."
Num 30:3 “Or if a woman vows a vow to יהוה, and binds herself by some agreement while in her father’s house in her youth, (see Tim Hegg’s comments about woman in this week’s parasha -page 4 - https://www.torahresource.com/pdf-weekly-parashah/parashah-121.pdf )
We need to consider however a deeper implication to the
above verse and possibly the key to understanding YHVH’s purpose for vows and
this entire parasha.
Lets first look into the matter of covenant – “brit” in Hebrew:
Covenant = an elected, as opposed to natural, relationship of obligation under oath.
A covenant is elected because it is always entered into by choice rather than necessity. Hence “בְּרִית is nowhere employed of naturally occurring relationships and the ordinary obligations which attend them, such as those which exist between parents and a child”.[18] A covenant is relational because it always involves two parties.[19] This explains the common use of familial terminology to describe a covenant, even though the parties previously had no kinship bond.[20] But a covenant is not just any type of relationship; it is specifically a relationship of obligation, because it always binds one or both of the parties to certain specified duties.[21] Finally, a covenant is always solemnified by an oath or oath-sign (e.g. a solemn rite).[22] In fact, בְּרִית may be used as a shorthand for אוֹת בְּרִית, “covenantal sign” (e.g. circumcision, Gen 17:9–14).[23]
http://www.lionelwindsor.net/2010/01/26/whats-the-precise-meaning-of-the-word-covenant-in-the-old-testament/
Herein lies the problem – man was never able to keep his side of the covenant with YHVH – his Maker. So YHVH chose His Son Messiah to enter into a covenant with Himself on our behalf – see Gen/Ber 15 –
YHVH put Avraham to sleep when He was about to make a covenant with him and symbolically made a covenant with the future coming Messiah (burning oven – vs 17) that He knew would be able to keep the terms and conditions of that covenant and so secure an eternal relationship between Himself and His Creation.
Maybe the Bride of Messiah is the “woman” spoken of in vs 3 of this parasha.
Num 30:4 and her
father hears her vow and the agreement by which she has bound herself, and her
father has kept silent towards her, then all her vows shall stand, and every
agreement with which she has bound herself stands.
Num 30:5 “But if
her father forbids her on the day that he hears, then none of her vows nor her
agreements by which she has bound herself stand. And יהוה pardons her,
because her father has forbidden her
Num 30:6 “But if
she at all belongs to a husband, while bound by her vows or by a rash utterance
from her lips by which she bound herself,
Num 30:7 and her
husband hears it, and he has kept silent towards her on the day that he hears,
then her vows shall stand, and her agreements by which she bound herself do
stand.
Num 30:8 “But if
her husband forbids her on the day that he hears it, then he has nullified her
vow which she vowed, and the rash utterance of her lips by which she bound
herself, and יהוה pardons her.
Isa 28:16 Therefore thus said the Master יהוה, “See, I am
laying in Tsiyon a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious
corner-stone, a settled foundation. He who trusts shall not hasten away.
Isa 28:17 And I
shall make right-ruling the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet. And
the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lying, and the waters overflow the
hiding place.
Isa 28:18 And your
covenant with death shall be annulled, and your vision with the grave not
stand. When an overflowing scourge passes through, then you shall be trampled
down by it.
Num 30:9 “But any
vow of a widow or a divorced woman, by which she has bound herself, stands
against her.
(She doesn’t have protection)
Num 30:10 “And if
she vowed in her husband’s house, or bound herself by an agreement with an
oath,
Num 30:11 and her
husband heard it, and has kept silent towards her and did not forbid her, then
all her vows shall stand, and every agreement by which she bound herself
stands.
Num 30:12 “But if
her husband clearly nullified them on the day he heard them, then whatever came
from her lips concerning her vows or concerning the agreement binding her, it
does not stand – her husband has nullified them, and יהוה pardons her.
Num 30:13 “Every
vow and every binding oath to afflict her being, let her husband confirm it, or
let her husband nullify it.
Num 30:14 “But if
her husband is altogether silent at her from day to day, then he confirms all
her vows or all the agreements that bind her – he confirms them, because he
kept silent towards her on the day that he heard.
Num 30:15 “But if
he nullifies them after he has heard, then he shall bear her crookedness.”
Num 30:16 These
are the laws which יהוה commanded Mosheh, between a man and his wife, and between a
father and his daughter in her youth in her father’s house.
YHVH’s “Silence” could possibly be one the greatest acts
of judgment that can come upon His people. YHVH knows the end from the
beginning and probably hands many over to do what is improper because He knows
that they have little desire to repent from wrong or do what is right. Maybe
YHVH also allows certain forbidden commitments to take place so that we may
come to our senses as did the prodigal son, with the hope that we will return
home with weeping and repenting.
Jer 3:8 “And I saw that for all the causes for which
backsliding Yisra’ĕl had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a
certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Yehuḏah did not fear, but
went and committed whoring too.
If YHVH “divorces” you because of covenantal
unfaithfulness and you then get “married” to your false doctrines and ideas –
there may be no possible way of return –
Deu 24:1 “When a man takes a wife and shall marry her,
then it shall be, if she finds no favour in his eyes because he has found a
matter of uncoveredness in her, and he shall write her a certificate of
divorce, and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house,
Deu 24:2 and if she left his house and went and became
another man’s wife,
Deu 24:3 and the latter husband shall hate her and
write her a certificate of divorce, and put it in her hand, and send her out of
his house, or when the latter husband dies who took her to be his wife,
Deu 24:4 then her former husband who sent her away is
not allowed to take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled, for
that would be an abomination before יהוה. And do not
bring sin on the land which יהוה your Elohim is
giving you as an inheritance.
When Yahshua unites himself to His Bride – He will
destroy all those who oppose this union and present His Bride with gifts so
large that they are unimaginable.
Num 31:1 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 31:2 “Take
vengeance for the children of Yisra’ĕl on the Miḏyanites. After that you are
to be gathered to your people.”
Num 31:3 And
Mosheh spoke to the people, saying, “Arm some of yourselves for the campaign,
and let them go against the Miḏyanites to take vengeance for יהוה on Miḏyan.
Num 31:4 “Send a
thousand from each tribe of all the tribes of Yisra’ĕl for the campaign.”
Num 31:5 So there
were supplied from the tribes of Yisra’ĕl one thousand from each tribe, twelve
thousand armed ones for the campaign.
Num 31:6 And
Mosheh sent them on the campaign, one thousand from each tribe, them and
Pineḥas son of Elʽazar the priest on the campaign, with the set-apart utensils
and the trumpets for sounding in his hand.
Num 31:7 And they
fought against the Miḏyanites, as יהוה commanded
Mosheh, and slew all the males.
Num 31:8 And they
slew the sovereigns of Miḏyan with the rest of those who were pierced: Ewi,
and Reqem, and Tsur, and Ḥur, and Reḇa, the five sovereigns of Miḏyan. And they slew Bilʽam son of Beʽor with the
sword.
Num 31:9 And the
sons of Yisra’ĕl took all the women of Miḏyan captive, with their little ones,
and took as spoil all their livestock, and all their possessions.
Num 31:10 And they
burned with fire all the cities where they dwelt, and all their settlements.
Num 31:11 And they
took all the spoil and all the booty, both of man and beast.
Num 31:12 And they
brought the captives, and the booty, and the spoil to Mosheh, and to Elʽazar
the priest, and to the congregation of the children of Yisra’ĕl, to the camp in
the desert plains of Mo’aḇ by the Yardĕn of Yeriḥo.
This was the last commandment YHVH gave to Moshe. Perhaps
the destruction of all those who cause strife will be the last event that
happens before Messiah returns.
Note how Yisrael had to be absolutely ruthless in dealing with this
problem. Everything had to be destroyed that could lead them astray again. (see
next aliyah)
Aliyah
Sheni 31:13-54
Num 31:13 And Mosheh, and Elʽazar the priest, and
all the leaders of the congregation, went to meet them outside the camp.
Num 31:14
But Mosheh was wroth with the officers of the army, with the commanders
of thousands and commanders of hundreds, who had come from the campaign.
Num 31:15
And Mosheh said to them, “Have
you kept all the women alive?
Num 31:16
“Look, they are the ones who caused the children of Yisra’ĕl, through
the word of Bilʽam, to trespass against יהוה in the matter of Peʽor, and there was a
plague among the congregation of יהוה.
Num 31:17 “And
now, slay every male among the little ones. And every woman who has known a man
by lying with a man you shall slay.
Num 31:18 “But
keep alive for yourselves all the female children who have not known a man by
lying with a man.
Num 31:19 “And
you, camp outside the camp seven days. Whoever has slain any being, and whoever
has touched any slain, cleanse yourselves and your captives on the third day
and on the seventh day.
Num 31:20 “And
cleanse every garment, and every object of leather and all the work of goats’ hair,
and every object of wood.”
Num 31:21 And Elʽazar the priest said to the
men of the campaign who went to the battle, “This is the law of the Torah which יהוה commanded Mosheh:
Somehow this sums up all of Torah. How? One of the
central issues of Torah is to separate ourselves from all that can defile us
and be wholly set apart unto YHVH. (term used only twice in Torah)
Num 31:22 “Only
the gold, and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
Num 31:23 every
object that passes through fire, you put through the fire, and it shall be
clean; only, let it be cleansed with the water for uncleanness. And whatever
does not pass through fire you pass through water.
Num 31:24 “And you
shall wash your garments on the seventh day and be clean, and afterwards come
into the camp.”
Num 31:25 And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, saying,
Num 31:26 “Count
up the plunder that was taken, of man and of beast, you and Elʽazar the priest
and the heads of the fathers of the congregation.
Num 31:27 “And you
shall divide the plunder into two parts, between those who took part in the
battle, who went out on the campaign, and all the congregation.
Num 31:28 “And set
aside a levy for יהוה on the men of battle who went out on the campaign: one out of
every five hundred, of man, and of the cattle, and of the donkeys, and of the
sheep.
Num 31:29 “Take it
from their half, and give it to Elʽazar the priest as a contribution to יהוה.
Num 31:30 “And
from the children of Yisra’ĕl’s half you shall take one of every fifty, of man,
of the cattle, of the donkeys, and of the sheep, of all the livestock, and give
them to the Lĕwites guarding the duty of the Dwelling Place of יהוה.”
Num 31:31 And
Mosheh and Elʽazar the priest did as יהוה commanded Mosheh.
Num 31:32 And the
booty remaining from the plunder, which the people of the campaign had taken,
was six hundred and seventy-five thousand sheep,
Num 31:33 and
seventy-two thousand cattle,
Num 31:34 and
sixty-one thousand donkeys,
Num 31:35 and
thirty-two thousand human beings in all, of women who had not known a man by
lying with a man.
Num 31:36 And the
half, the portion for those who went out on the campaign, was in number three
hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
Num 31:37 and the
levy unto יהוה of the sheep
was six hundred and seventy-five.
Num 31:38 And the
cattle were thirty-six thousand, of which the levy unto יהוה was
seventy-two.
Num 31:39 And the
donkeys were thirty thousand five hundred, of which the levy unto יהוה was sixty-one.
Num 31:40 And the
human beings were sixteen thousand, of which the levy unto יהוה was thirty-two
beings.
Num 31:41 So
Mosheh gave the levy which was the contribution unto יהוה to Elʽazar the
priest, as יהוה commanded
Mosheh.
Num 31:42 And from the children of Yisra’ĕl’s half,
which Mosheh divided from the men who campaigned:
Num 31:43 now the half belonging to the congregation
was three hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred sheep,
Num 31:44 and thirty-six thousand cattle,
Num 31:45 and thirty thousand five hundred donkeys,
Num 31:46 and sixteen thousand human beings.
Num 31:47 Then Mosheh took from the children of
Yisra’ĕl’s half: one out of every fifty, drawn from man and beast, and gave
them to the Lĕwites, who guarded the duty of the Dwelling Place of יהוה, as יהוה commanded
Mosheh.
Num 31:48 And the
officers who were over thousands of the campaign, the commanders of thousands
and commanders of hundreds, came near to Mosheh,
Num 31:49 and they
said to Mosheh, “Your servants have taken a count of the fighting men under our
command, and not a man of us is missing.
In the natural this seems impossible, therefore it is
could also possibly be an allegorical description of life in the millennium
where the bride of Messiah will not only be immortal but will accumulate great
wealth from the nations.
Isa 60:11 “And your gates shall
be open continually, they are not shut day or night, to bring to you the wealth
of the gentiles, and their sovereigns in procession.
Isa 60:12 “For the nation and the
reign that do not serve you shall perish, and those gentiles shall be utterly
laid waste.
Num 31:50 “So we
have brought an offering for יהוה, what every man found of ornaments of gold: armlets and
bracelets and signet rings and earrings and necklaces, to make atonement for
ourselves before יהוה.”
Num 31:51 And
Mosheh and Elʽazar the priest received the gold from them, all the fashioned
ornaments.
Num 31:52 And all
the gold of the offering that they presented to יהוה, from the
commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven
hundred and fifty sheqels.
Num 31:53 The men
of the campaign had taken spoil, every man for himself.
Num 31:54 And
Mosheh and Elʽazar the priest received the gold from the commanders of
thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the Tent of Meeting as a
remembrance for the children of Yisra’ĕl before יהוה.
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
Please
note these notes are under construction and are subject to correction and are
in no way a final authority on any subject