Parashat 3 Portion 14 – Beresheet/Gen 17:1-27

 Haftorah: – Yesh/Is 63:10-19 – Second Writings: Rom 4:10-25

         Isa 63:17  O יהוה, why do You make us stray from Your ways, and harden our heart from Your fear? Turn back, for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your inheritance.

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,

you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.

Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)

Sinai was not the beginning of the covenant relationship with Yisrael, it was a continuation of a covenant already established. If one comes to Sinai without first participating in the faith of Abraham, the Sinai experience inevitably produces slavery.

Only those who have been circumcised in their hearts will understand and embrace the circumcision of the flesh. The true evidence of those who follow in the footsteps of the faith of Abraham is willingly and lovingly taking on the entire yoke of Torah.

The tragic testimony among both Jew and Gentile is that they have created their own Torah’s (ways of following YHVH) according to their own understanding and the traditions and doctrines handed down to them from generation to generation. We do this because deep in our hearts we all struggle to trust YHVH completely to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Gen 17:1  And it came to be when Aḇram was ninety-nine years old, that יהוה appeared to Aḇram and said to him, “I am Ěl Shaddai – walk before Me and be perfect¹. Footnote: ¹Messiah gives the same command in Mt. 5:48.

Why El Shaddai?

Abram is 99 years old, his wife Sarai is 90 years old. Couples of this age simply do not give birth to children. The birth of a child would be a miraculous event, an event that would no doubt have been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The name that YHVH chooses to reveal Himself here “El Shaddai” comes from the Hebrew word “shadad” which means “breast” and implies “One who nurses” or “the One who gives the ability to nurse.” This reminds us Who the source of the wonderful miracle of childbirth which is about to take place, was.

This also reminds us of the miraculous conception and virgin birth of Yahshua.

“walk before Me..” the verb “walk” is a “hitpael imperative” (reflexive) verb and implies walking backwards and forwards or a continuous walk of obedience we are to walk here on earth.

“and be” is another imperative (command) verb. These two imperative verbs may be consequential ie if you walk (halacha) according to YHVH’s will, you will be blameless or perfect AND HE WILL COMMAND THE BLESSING OF PERFECTION UPON YOUR LIFE.

We can also understand “be perfect” (vav, hey, yud, hey – vaheye) as a command that YHVH proclaims. In other words YHVH speaks our perfection into being by uttering this command. YHVH will bring about our perfection which is in progress even in the present. He does this by conforming us into the image of His son Yahshua.

This reminds us of the definition of faith found in Hebrews.

Heb 11:1  And belief is the substance of what is expected, the proof of what is not seen. (This is YHVH’s definition of faith or belief because this is how He operates)

LET US TAKE CAREFUL NOTE ABOUT HOW YHVH COMMANDS OUR PERFECTION AND ONLY SPEAKS CREATION INTO EXISTENCE.

If we look at the verb “to be” in the creation account we see that it is a normal “pa al” verb but when the verb “to be” is used in our Parasha concerning our becoming perfect, complete and whole an imperative or command “pa al” verb is used. This is our spiritual foundation, if it is not sound our lives will not be sound.

YHVH commands that we will become perfect.

Parashat 3 Portion 13 – Beresheet/Genesis 16:1-16

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,

you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.

Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)

This Torah section has been graphically explained by our great sage the Apostle Paul:

      Gal 4:21  Say to me, you who wish to be under Torah, do you not hear the Torah?

     “Under the Torah” as it is used in several other places in Paul’s writings refers to the “oral Torah.” The prevailing teaching of the early Jewish believers was that you first needed to be converted to become Jewish before you could be “saved” or become righteous before YHVH.

This was in contrast with what Paul was teaching the Galations. Paul clearly taught that you could not enter into the covenant with YHVH through the observance of the “oral Torah” which was a list of additional teachings and instructions given by the Jewish religious leaders.

This is not such a far fetched idea if one notes the prevailing tendency of modern Judaism. There remains an extremely large emphasis on the additional teaching and instructions of the Rabbi’s as has been passed on from generation to generation.

Yahshua addresses this problem during his ministry.

Mat 23:1  Then יהושע spoke to the crowds and to His taught ones,

Mat 23:2  saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Mosheh.

Mat 23:3  “Therefore, whatever they say to you to guard, guard and do. But do not do according to their works, for they say, and do not do.

Mat 23:4  “For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders, but with their finger they do not wish to move them.

Additional comment on vs 3:

“According to the Hebrew text of the gospel of Matthew preserved by a 14^th Century Spanish Jew named Shem-Tov Ibn Shaprut. Textual investigation of this copy demonstrates that it faithfully retains the wording of an original Hebrew gospel of Matthew. That conclusion is further substantiated by remarks of the early Christian church fathers and considerable analysis of the Hebrew syntax and grammar of Matthew’s account. When we sort through all the scholarly examination, we discover that the Hebrew text of this verse doesn’t read “all that they tell you.” The verse in Hebrew says, “Therefore, all that he says to you, do and observe, but according to their reforms and their precedents do not do, because they talk but they do not do.” In other words, Yeshua is telling His disciples to stick with Moses. Do what the Torah tells you to do, but don’t follow the opinions, additions, reforms or patterns established by the rabbis.”

This statement supports the latter part of Gal 4:21 “ … do you not hear the Torah?” in other words Paul states that what the leaders are saying and teaching is NOT according to the Torah of Moshe.

Gal 4:22  For it has been written that Aḇraham had two sons, one by a female servant, the other by a free woman.

Paul sets up a midrash by focusing on Avraham’s two sons Yishmael/Ishmael and Yitschaq/Isaac and their two respective mothers Hagar and Sarah. Sarah is described as a “free woman,” while Hagar is described as a “bondwoman.” The son of Hagar is produced in the flesh or Avraham’s own efforts, while Yitschaq/Isaac comes according to the promise (Beresheet 15:16 and 21:2). In this way the “flesh” corresponds to the works of the Torah and bondage while freedom and the promise correspond to our faith in the “promised son.”

Parashat 3 Portion 12 – Beresheet/Genesis 15:1-21 – Haftorah – Zeph 3:8-20

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,
you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah.
Blessed are you, YHVH, giver of the Torah. Ameyn.)

The “church” did not invent the “Good News.” The Good News was preached and taught to Abram long before the “church” ever existed. If we want to understand the message and the impact of this “Good News” (also called the gospel by churchman) we need to go to the source of its first proclamation and note the record of how it was received and acted upon. This Torah portion takes us back to the source of our redemption and instructs us from the life of Abram on how to receive and respond to this “Good News.”