RR Psalm 51:11 Part 9
Rabbi’s Reflections - Thursday, April 23, 2026
Shalom {{firstName}},
I have been asked by the family to officiate the memorial service (celebration of life) for our dear friend, Dr. Raymond Finney. It will take place this coming Sunday, April 26th at 3PM (receiving of friends begins at 2) Smith Funeral and Cremation Service, 1402 Tuckaleechee Pike, Maryville, TN 37803. Raymond wrote the Sunday RRs for many years and we miss him. Here is a link to his obituary where you will see how he was used to further the kingdom of God during his lifetime. https://www.smithfuneralandcremation.com/obituaries/raymond-finney-jr Everyone is invited to attend.
_______
Day 19 of counting the Omer
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר
Baruch Atah Adonai Elohenu Melech Ha-Olam, Asher Kid’shanu B’mitzvotav, Vitzivanu Al Sefirat Ha-Omer.
Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by his commandments and commanded us about the counting of the Omer. Today is two weeks and five days of the counting of the Omer.
Follow up that prayer by remembering a blessing from the Lord and give Him thanks. Psalm 30:5(4) Sing praise to Adonai, His faithful ones, and praise His holy name.
_______
Psalms
Psalm 51:11(9) – Part 9
Psalm 51:11 Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Sins (Chatah) and iniquities (Pesha) are again the objects of concern as we bring this first part of Psalm 51 to a close. First, David calls upon God to “hide Your face.” The Hebrew word for “face” is “Panim” which can also mean “presence.” We, like Adam and Eve are ashamed of our sins. We would like them to be hidden from God’s presence. But there is a problem, God is everywhere.
Then this first part of Psalm 51 ends like it began with a call for God to “blot out” first sins and then transgressions. There are (literally) hundreds of such prayers in the Machzor (High Holiday prayer book) for Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah) and Yom Kippur. However; all those prayers are nothing more than pious hopes. Our sins (and they are many) require the atoning blood of Messiah Yeshua to be blotted out. Nothing else will do.
1Peter 1:18 You know that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors—not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with precious blood like that of a lamb without defect or spot, the blood of Messiah.
One more thought (keeping this short for today)… some of us may be tempted to spiritualize the cleansing of the blood of Yeshua as “out of this world,” meaning beyond our ability to grasp hold of it. However; it isn’t that at all. We manifest the power of the cross through our love, both for Yeshua and for one another.
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
1Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth, leading to sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from a pure heart.
So we manifest God’s love for us as we love Him back AND love one another. We must have faith in order to love. Anything less is fear. 1John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love…. 11 Loved ones, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Shalom shalom.
Day 19 of the Omer
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu23-Apr-20266th of Iyar, 5786
Le 19:15-32Isa 54Job 112 Pet 3 (Mt 12: 22-50)
Shalom {{firstName}},
I have been asked by the family to officiate the memorial service (celebration of life) for our dear friend, Dr. Raymond Finney. It will take place this coming Sunday, April 26th at 3PM (receiving of friends begins at 2) Smith Funeral and Cremation Service, 1402 Tuckaleechee Pike, Maryville, TN 37803. Raymond wrote the Sunday RRs for many years and we miss him. Here is a link to his obituary where you will see how he was used to further the kingdom of God during his lifetime. https://www.smithfuneralandcremation.com/obituaries/raymond-finney-jr Everyone is invited to attend.
_______
Day 19 of counting the Omer
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָֽׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו, וְצִוָּֽנוּ עַל סְפִירַת הָעֹֽמֶר
Baruch Atah Adonai Elohenu Melech Ha-Olam, Asher Kid’shanu B’mitzvotav, Vitzivanu Al Sefirat Ha-Omer.
Blessed are You O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by his commandments and commanded us about the counting of the Omer. Today is two weeks and five days of the counting of the Omer.
Follow up that prayer by remembering a blessing from the Lord and give Him thanks. Psalm 30:5(4) Sing praise to Adonai, His faithful ones, and praise His holy name.
_______
Psalms
Psalm 51:11(9) – Part 9
Psalm 51:11 Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
Sins (Chatah) and iniquities (Pesha) are again the objects of concern as we bring this first part of Psalm 51 to a close. First, David calls upon God to “hide Your face.” The Hebrew word for “face” is “Panim” which can also mean “presence.” We, like Adam and Eve are ashamed of our sins. We would like them to be hidden from God’s presence. But there is a problem, God is everywhere.
Then this first part of Psalm 51 ends like it began with a call for God to “blot out” first sins and then transgressions. There are (literally) hundreds of such prayers in the Machzor (High Holiday prayer book) for Rosh Hashanah (Yom Teruah) and Yom Kippur. However; all those prayers are nothing more than pious hopes. Our sins (and they are many) require the atoning blood of Messiah Yeshua to be blotted out. Nothing else will do.
1Peter 1:18 You know that you were redeemed from the futile way of life handed down from your ancestors—not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with precious blood like that of a lamb without defect or spot, the blood of Messiah.
One more thought (keeping this short for today)… some of us may be tempted to spiritualize the cleansing of the blood of Yeshua as “out of this world,” meaning beyond our ability to grasp hold of it. However; it isn’t that at all. We manifest the power of the cross through our love, both for Yeshua and for one another.
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
1Peter 1:22 Now that you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth, leading to sincere brotherly love, love one another fervently from a pure heart.
So we manifest God’s love for us as we love Him back AND love one another. We must have faith in order to love. Anything less is fear. 1John 4:8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love…. 11 Loved ones, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. Shalom shalom.
Day 19 of the Omer
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu23-Apr-20266th of Iyar, 5786
Le 19:15-32Isa 54Job 112 Pet 3 (Mt 12: 22-50)
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February
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March
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