Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, February 27, 2025
Shalom,
Psalms
Psalm 25:11 – Part 15
Psalm 25:11 For Your Name’s sake, Adonai, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
On Yom Kippur we sing, “S’lach Lanu,” meaning “pardon us.” In Israel we regularly use the word “S’licha” to express “excuse me.”
Rabbi Trail: There is a story of the Israeli who took his two friends, an Ethiopian and an American to dinner. Shortly after they were seated the waiter timidly approached the table to say, “Excuse me, but I must tell you we have a shortage of meat.”
The American asked, “What is a shortage?”
The Ethiopian asked, “What is meat?”
The Israeli asked, “What is excuse me?”
Israelis have an appropriate description of themselves. They call themselves “Sabras” after the cactus by that name indigenous to the land. It produces fruit that is prickly on the outside, but tender and sweet on the inside. End RT.
The exact Hebrew word used for “pardon” in Psalm 25:11 is “V’Salach’ta” which uses the “Vav Consecutive,” a convention in Biblical Hebrew that changes complete action into not yet complete – or incomplete – action. In other words, the way this is written by King David, God is not yet done loving us by forgiving or pardoning our guilt.
The Hebrew word used for “guilt” is from “Avon” (Ayin-Vav-Nun) meaning “iniquity, guilt, perversity, or evil.” It is taken from a word meaning “to bend, twist or distort.” What a clear contrast. John the Immerser declared the message of Elijah the day before he mikvah’d Yeshua. (John 1:23 quoting Isaiah) Isaiah 40:3 A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Adonai, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” All of God’s paths are straight.
Solomon had this revelation as well. Proverbs 3:5 Trust in Adonai with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
The contrast is with Satan, whose ways are “twisted” or crooked. (Evildoers)… Proverbs 2:14 who rejoice in doing wrong and delight in the perversity of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and are devious in their ways.
What is the best advice? Jer 6:16a,b Thus says Adonai: “Stand in the roads and look. Ask for the ancient paths—where the good way is—and walk in it. Then you will find rest for your souls. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 27-Feb-2025 29th of Sh’vat, 5785
Ex 26:31-37 2 Ki 15-16 Ps 140 Jn 13 (Tit 2)