Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, August 14, 2019 

Shalom,

1 Corinthians 4:15 For though you may have ten thousand guardians in Messiah, yet you do not have many fathers.

We don’t have many fathers, but we do have a father in our dear friend, Don Finto.  Don speaks around the world many times at large gatherings.  We are so blessed that he has loved us so well through his connection to Tikkun.  

Don has authored several books.  His first book “Your People Shall Be My People” is still required reading for everyone before going with us to Israel.  Additionally, Don is still active (as he approaches his 90th birthday) in the ministry “Caleb Company” that he founded more than 20 years ago.  https://calebcompany.org/  

A N N O U N C E M E N T S

Next Saturday morning… Don is coming to Shomair to celebrate the anniversary of his Bar Mitzvah, not this week, but next week, on Saturday, August 24th.  Please plan to attend this service and invite your family and friends to join us too.

But first, this week… Our monthly Erev Shabbat service for August is this Friday night, August 16th.  Dinner (Italian night) will begin at 6:00pm with the Bench Licht, Kiddush, HaMotzi, and Ayshet Chayil.  A one hour “Kabbalat Shabbat” worship service will begin at 7:00pm.  All are welcome to come and welcome the Sabbath with us.

Do you recognize the four parts of welcoming the Shabbat mentioned by their Hebrew names?

Bench Licht (https://jel.jewish-languages.org/words/308) is to bless the candles.  This is one of our greatest Jewish traditions.  I say tradition, because it is actually not commanded anywhere is Scripture.  This is our traditional way of making a separation between the relative darkness of the rest of the week and the light of the Shabbat.  

Kiddush (https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/kiddush/) is the second sanctification (following candle lighting) or setting apart of the Shabbat.  As we bless the fruit of the vine, we remember the grapes brought back to Moses by the spies from Canaan.  You may remember one cluster of grapes was all 2 men could carry on a pole.  God provides the fruitful increase.

HaMotzi (https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/278542/jewish/Hamotzi-Blessing-on-Bread.htm) HaMotzi means the bringing forth or exit.  The bread is from a harvest of grain that was “brought forth” or “exited” from the earth.  It represents the harvest of the week just concluded.  Psalm 67:7(6) The earth has yielded its harvest— God, our God will bless us. 

Ayshet Chayil (https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Shabbat_Blessings/Eshet_Chayil/eshet_chayil.html) means “a woman of valor.”  This is the last 22 verses of Proverbs (31:10-31) which extols the value of women.  The Sabbath is spoken of a “Queen of the Days” in Hebrew liturgy, so we honor women as royalty on Shabbat by praying the Ayshet Chayil.

Week 33
Memory Verse: Luke 14:33 So in the same way, whoever does not renounce all that he has, cannot be My disciple.

161   8/12  Monday:       Luke 9:10-62

162   8/13  Tuesday:      Mark 9-10

* 163 8/14  Wednesday: Luke 12

164   8/15  Thursday:     John 3-4

165   8/16  Friday:          Luke 14

The question of the day:  Read these 2 verses.  Yeshua is speaking… Luke 12:2 There is nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. 3 Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.  

Here’s the question.  Did Yeshua mean that?

Answer:  Yes He did, and we better take it to heart.  How does the children’s song go?  Oh, be careful little mouth what you speak.  Let’s do that and only say what we want shouted from the rooftop.  

The reading (what I wrote) is short.  The meditation (on what I wrote) should be very long.  Blessings.  R. Michael.