11/26/2021

Parashat 48 Portion 161 Deut 18:14-20:9

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

It is helpful to understand this parasha in the light of a greatly expanded Kingdom of believers.

Gen 26:4  “And I shall increase your seed like the stars of the heavens, and I shall give all these lands to your seed. And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 

Gen 26:5  because Aḇraham obeyed My voice and guarded My Charge: My commands, My laws, and My Torot.”[a] Footnote: aTorot - plural of Torah, teaching. 

 


Hos 1:10  “Yet the number of the children of Yisra’ěl shall be as the sand of the sea, which is not measured nor counted.

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

Mat 13:31  Another parable He put before them, saying, “The reign of the heavens is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 

Mat 13:32  which indeed is less than all the seeds, but when it is grown it is greater than the plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the heaven come and dwell in its branches.”

Mat 13:33  Another parable He spoke to them, “The reign of the heavens is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until all was leavened.” 

Righteous government and order will be required In the light of extremely large numbers of people in the coming age.

Laws Concerning Cities of Refuge

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. 

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 any man-slayer shall flee there. 

Deu 19:4  “And this matter of the man-slayer who flees there and lives: he who strikes his neighbour unknowingly, 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 man-slayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and shall strike his being, 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, 

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 strike his being 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’ěl, so that it might be well with you. 

Property Boundaries

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. 

Laws Concerning Witnesses

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. 

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’ěl: 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. 

 

One of the greatest victories in Yisrael’s wars against her enemies is recorded in parashat 42 – Matot – Num 31.

 

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’ěl for the campaign.” 

Num 31:5  So there were supplied from the tribes of Yisra’ěl one thousand from each tribe, twelve thousand armed ones for the campaign. 

 

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 31:49  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. 

Rev 7:2  And I saw another messenger coming up from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living Elohim. And he cried with a loud voice to the four messengers to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, 

Rev 7:3  saying, “Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees until we have sealed the servants of our Elohim upon their foreheads.”a Footnote: aSee Rev_9:4, Rev_14:1, Rev_22:4

Rev 7:4  And I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of all the tribes of the children of Yisra’ěl: 

Eze 9:4  and יהוה said to him, “Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Yerushalayim, and you shall put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” Eze 9:6  “Kill to destruction old, young men, maidens and children and women, but do not come near anyone upon whom is the mark, and begin at My set-apart place.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the House. 

Rev 14:1  And I looked and saw a Lamb standing on Mount Tsiyon, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s Namea written upon their foreheads. Footnote: aSome texts read: having His Name and His Father’s Name

Rev 14:4  They are those who were not defiled with women, for they are maidens. They are those following the Lamb wherever He leads them on. They were redeemed from among men, being first-fruits to Elohim and to the Lamb. 

Rev 14:5  And in their mouth was found no falsehood, for they are blameless before the throne of Elohim. 

Who are the 144 000?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TByIL2M4v8o

 

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

Parashat 48 Portion 160 Dev 17:14-18:19- Is 33:22 + 57:19, Acts 3;22-26, Heb 12:25-29

 

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

We continue with parashat ‘’shoftim’’

Laws Concerning Yisrael's 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 nations 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.’ (1Kings 10)

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. 

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 Lěwites. 

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’ěl. 

Midrash:

It is believed that Solomon died at an early age – 60 years old.

He was the last sovereign (king) to rule over a unified Yisrael.

One of the wisest men who ever lived – disobeyed the Torah and was seduced by his wives into a life of idolatry.

His disobedience may have spawned the Luciferian doctrines that have been ruling the world for centuries and will most probably usher in the New world order and the short reign of the anti-messiah.

When the true Messiah returns – He will be the Sovereign (King) above all Sovereigns (kings) and YHVH has given Him a Name above all names –

Php 2:9  Elohim, therefore, has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name which is above every name, 

Php 2:10  that at the Name of יהושע every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 

Php 2:11  and every tongue should confess Isa_45:23 that יהושע Messiah is Master, to the esteem of Elohim the Father. 

Act 4:12  “And there is no deliverance in anyone else, for there is no other Name under the heaven given among men by which we need to be saved.” 

Joh 3:36  “He who believes in the Son possesses everlasting life, but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of Elohim remains on him.” 

King Yahshua will teach all the nations the Torah from Yerushalayim when He returns to rule the word for a thousand years

Isa 2:2  And it shall be in the latter days that the mountain of the House of יהוה is established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills. And all nations shall flow to it. 

Isa 2:3  And many peoples shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of יהוה, to the House of the Elohim of Ya‛aqoḇ, and let Him teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths, for out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah, and the Word of יהוה from Yerushalayim.” 

Isa 2:4  And He shall judge between the nations, and shall reprove many peoples. And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither teach battle any more. 

For the most part wicked men and woman rule the earth.

Pro 28:28  When the wrong rise up, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase. 

Pro 28:12  When the righteous exult, there is great comeliness; But when the wrong arise, a man is searched for. 

Pro 29:2  When the righteous increase, the people rejoice; But when a wrong one rules, the people sigh. (there appears to be much groaning in the world today)

Provision for Priests and Levites

The downfall of societies all over the earth is caused when the ‘’secular and the sacred’’ are separated. YHVH’’s intention is that there should be no such separation.

Eze 38:23  “And I shall exalt Myself and set Myself apart, and I shall be known in the eyes of many nations. And they shall know that I am יהוה.” ’ 

1Pe 1:15  instead, as the One who called you is set-apart, so you also should become set-apart in all behaviour, 

1Pe 1:16  because it has been written, “Be set-apart, for I am set-apart.” Lev_11:44Lev_19:2

Heb 12:14  Pursue peace with all, and pursue apartness without which no one shall see the Master. 

Psa 119:9  Bět How would a young man cleanse his path? To guard it according to Your word. 

2Ti 1:9  who has saved us and called us with a set-apart calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and favour which was given to us in Messiah יהושע before times of old, 

Php 2:13  for it is Elohim who is working in you both to desire and to work for His good pleasure. 

Php 2:14  Do all matters without grumblings and disputings, 

Parashat 48 Portion 159 Dev 16:18 – 17:17 – Is 56:1-9;57:19


 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

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. 

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 righteousness, righteousness alone, so that you live and inherit the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you. 

The pursuit of righteousness must always follow the path He has prescribed, and none other.

 In modern Hebrew a magistrate is called a “shofet shalom” and a policeman is called a “shoter.” We can therefore understand the first phrase of this Torah portion as “appoint magistrates and policemen”

“Even in the kingdom of YHVH people will need guidance and correction and not always do what you expect but what you inspect.” (we need to be cautious of modern day self-appointed “Torah sheriffs some call Torah terrorists, kosher patrol and sabbath police’’)

Forbidden Forms of Worship

Deu 16:21  “Do not plant for yourself any tree as an Ashěrah near the slaughter-place of יהוה your Elohim that you make for yourself. 

Deu 16:22  “And do not set up a pillar, which יהוה your Elohim hates.

The rabbis believe corrupt judges and police can be compared to ‘’Asherah or phallic symbols.

‘’An Asherah pole was a sacred tree or pole that stood near Canaanite religious locations to honor the pagan goddess Asherah, also known as Astarte (easter). While the exact appearance of an Asherah pole is somewhat obscure, it is clear that the ancient Israelites, after entering the land of Canaan, were influenced by the pagan religion it represented.’’ 

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. 

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, 

Deu 17:4  and it has been made known to you and you have heard, and have searched diligently. Then see, if true: the matter is confirmed that such an abomination has been done in Yisra’ěl, 

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. 

Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges

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 Lěwites, 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’ěl. 

Deu 17:13  “And let all the people hear and fear, and no longer do arrogantly. 

Laws Concerning Israel's 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 nations 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. 

Deu 4:1  “And now, O Yisra’ěl, listen to the laws and the right-rulings which I am teaching you to do, so that you live, and shall go in and possess the land which יהוה Elohim of your fathers is giving you. 

Deu 4:2  “Do not add to the Word which I command you, and do not take away from it,[a] so as to guard the commands of יהוה your Elohim which I am commanding you. Footnote: a See also Deu_12:32, Pro_30:6, Rev_22:18-19

Deu 4:3  “Your eyes have seen what יהוה did at Ba‛al Pe‛or, for יהוה your Elohim has destroyed from your midst all the men who followed Ba‛al Pe‛or. 

Deu 4:4  “But you who are clinging to יהוה your Elohim are alive today, every one of you. 

Deu 4:5  “See, I have taught you laws and right-rulings, as יהוה my Elohim commanded me, to do thus in the land which you go to possess. 

Moshe Commands Obedience

Deu 4:6  “And you shall guard and do them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding before the eyes of the peoples who hear all these laws, and they shall say, ‘Only a wise and understanding people is this great nation!’ 

Deu 4:7  “For what great nation is there which has Elohim so near to it, as יהוה our Elohim is to us, whenever we call on Him? 

Deu 4:8  “And what great nation is there that has such laws and righteous right-rulings like all this Torah which I set before you this day? 

Deu 4:9  “Only, guard yourself, and guard your life diligently, lest you forget the Words your eyes have seen, and lest they turn aside from your heart all the days of your life. And you shall make them known to your children and your grandchildren. 

Deu 4:27  “And יהוה shall scatter you among the peoples, and you shall be left few in number among the nations where יהוה drives you. 

Deu 4:30  “In your distress, when all these words shall come upon you in the latter days, then you shall return to יהוה your Elohim and shall obey His voice. 

Second saying of Yahshua -  the good news according to Thomas – Yahshua said, "Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. 2When they find, they will be disturbed. 3When they are disturbed, they will marvel, 4 and will rule over all."

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 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.)