Parasha Yitro

The more I study and prepare Parashas the more I realise that the depth of hidden gems within each of the them is beyond comprehension.  Your has so much from the reason why it is named Yitro to the last sentence in the parasha.  Exodus 20:23 - You should most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves.  This verse alone could d have us writing and discussion for quite some time, the subject gods alone is substantial.

Let us address something entirely different though, and if you come to this shabbat service I will even go deeper talking about pottery, vessels and kilns.  However what I want to address here is something very important, and they point I want to focus on is on the subject of covenant.  It is in this Torah portion that HaShem enters into covenant with B’nei Israel, traditionally translated as children of Israel.  First of all it cannot be children as we know as children are under the control and authority of their parents and are too small to make decision for themselves.  However B’nei should be better translated as “sons of," HaShem specifically instructed to count B’nei from 20 years and above, men that can judge for themselves and can be men of war, part of the tribes.  

That’s just for starters, and contrary to popular belief the covenant that HaShem made with the sons of Israel, is not the law, actually that is also a badly translated word, Torah is not Law.  No, the Torah and the mitzvots are not the covenant, not even the ten commandments.  Ask anyone to name the covenant and they will probably say the ten commandments.  What the actual covenant that B’eni Yisrael entered into was the following , Exodus 19:8 And all the people answered together, and said, All that the YHVH hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the YHVH. That is it that is the covenant, to do all that HaShem commands and instruct, the Torah describes the conditions and terms, it is the contract, sort of speak, but the covenant is obedience, pure simple and unadulterated. Obedience is the covenant, no frills, no bells and no whistles.  

Then as Yeshua said the core of the Torah is Sh’ma Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad and love your neighbour as yourself. So keeping the covenant we were given a table of contents, the ten commandments, these in turn encapsulates 613 mitzvoth, 245 +ve (positive) and 365 -Ve (negative).  The most interesting part of all this is that even the ten words, can be further condensed to love your neighbour as yourself! That is the whole Torah the rest is commentary go and learn it, these were wise words from our sages.

One point to ponder on this parasha, when we surrendered to, and came into covenant with Yeshua, did the covenantal requirements changed from that of Mt Sinai?

Parasha Beshalach

As I was reading this weeks parasha we are remembering the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, a generation that no longer is with us.  This event is very pertinent because it is tied to many events described in the Torah, Pharaoh tried to destroy Israel, Amelek tried to destroy Israel, so many other villains have tried. This puts me at a place where I saw myself in front of the sea of reeds, literally I have been there it is a nice place, it was warm full of tourists, just like most resorts.   However in life we come face to face wit a situation where we are faced with an insurmountable situation a sea in front of us we cannot cross nor overcome.  Additionally we have a pursuing enemy in our backs and every time we turn back to look we see our impending doom.  So far the picture is bleak and not very encouraging, your mind must be saying, where are you going with this rabbi?

Follow me for a second and I will try and explain my thoughts, you see I am aware that many of us are almost willing to give up.  I’ll just sounder and let it be, but sometimes our enemy is way too cruel, and its not death that it wants from us but extreme suffering.  What comes to mind is that today I was reading about a prominent Christian rock leader that did just that look around and gave up, now he decries the existence of HaShem, all because he looked around and looked at what others were doing.  He gave up on G-d and it sounds absurd and even obtuse, its like saying  I give up on air and renouncing its existence therefore there is no wind.   You see this individual stood at the edge of his sea and looked back and gave up, better a slave in Egypt that a free man in the wilderness.

You see perception is everything, in the case of this individual that gave up on G-d and looked to science to reject G-d, I look at science and I see G-d everywhere.  Its about perception, we perceive according to our circumstances, if we are alone and our vision of the world is dim then our perception is small and dim. n However if we stand on the foundation of HaShem and Torah, then our perception is limitless.  The Sons of Israel were looking from a dim perception, even though they had seen miracles, however, they were miracles at a distance and not yet at a personal level.  

As you stand like Israel did in front of a sea, do not look at the sea from your perspective but try your hardest to look at it from HaShem’s perspective, then your perception is limitless.  Then you will see, the sea part open and you will walk in dry land and your enemies will drown in the sea that was trapping you.  Not only that as we cross over the sea we enter the wilderness, where the bitter waters become sweet, mana is given and even quail, but above all Torah is given, Instruction for eternal life, the living torah is given and comes to live in you.

What is my sea in front of me?

Who is my enemy perusing me?

What is my perception based on?

Am I ready to enter the wilderness?