Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, May 11, 2021

Shalom,

Counting the Omer – Day 38

Here is the proper blessing to be said each day.  This is how Jewish people fulfill the command to count.

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 counting the counting of the Omer.  Today is five weeks and three days of the counting of the Omer.

Rabbi Trail:  This RR has 3 parts, the counting of the Omer, the Daily Bread, and the F-260.  Today they all fit together very well, so when you finish them, you’ll get a gift at the end. End RT.

We are counting our blessings by studying God’s attributes.  Today, we examine God’s attribute of His spiritual nature.  Science and scientists struggle to accept God, but all science has is based on theories.  The old saying, “Seeing is believing,” was not spoken concerning the invisible God.   People of faith believe what they don’t see.  Yeshua spoke this to the woman at the well.  John 4:24 “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”  Because God is Spirit, He is not subject to the laws of physics, but what we experience in the physical world (phenomena) is.  

In atheist societies (such as the communist FSU), people of faith are ridiculed or thought to be feeble minded for relying on the “crutch” of religion to explain the unexplainable.  The truth is that God is at work in the world, overcoming evil, sickness and death with good, health and life.

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the worldly forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.  

This is why we study this verse at the end of “the love chapter,” 1 Corinthians 13, with understanding… 1 Corinthians 13:13 But now these three remain— faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love.  The greatest is love because after Yeshua returns, we will no longer need faith, because everything for which we had faith will be our reality.  And we will no longer need hope, for everything for which we hoped will be our reality.  But Love!  Ahhh, love!!  There will always be love.  Love of Yeshua will overrule everything else in the world, and His command for us to love one another will reign in our hearts.

Don’t struggle with the invisible world, embrace it.  Give thanks that the ruler of all (the physical and the spiritual) is our Father, Who is the greatest of all.

Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)

Tue11 May-202129th of Iyar, 5781

Nu 2:1-34 Jer 13 Job 33 (Mk 1) Ro 13

The Aliyah today ends with this… Numbers 2:34 So Bnei-Yisrael acted in accordance with all that Adonai had commanded Moses. Thus they camped by their standards and set out, each man according to their families and their ancestral houses.  Everyone knew his place and everyone fulfilled his assignment.  Each one was in proper alignment according to God’s instruction.  The world today is nothing like that, and there is much trouble today because people lack identity and purpose.

Rabbi Trail:  I’ll deal with that statement in more detail in just a minute.  But first, I want to make this observation.  Today we are reading the 3rd portion of our weekly “Parasha.”  The “Parasha” is also called the “Sedra.”  It is the part of the Torah (5 Books of Moses) we read each week.  This week’s portion (Parasha or Sedra) is called “Bamidbar,” meaning “in the wilderness.”  These first few chapters are dedicated to explaining how the tribes camped around the Tabernacle and when they moved, how they marched behind the pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night.

Each weekly Parasha is broken down into 7 portions.  Today (on Tuesday) we are reading the 3rd portion of the week (the first is Sunday and the second is Monday).  The first portion is reserved for any Cohanim (men who trace their lineage to the priesthood).  The second portion is reserved for any Levyim (men who trace their lineage to the Levites).  The last 5 portions are open and available to everyone.  My point is that in Judaism, everyone knows which role they fill and what is the proper order or alignment.  End RT.  

Why is this verse in the Bible?  1 Corinthians 12:20 But now there are many parts, yet one body.  The lesson, if we read the context, is that we are to find satisfaction (complete wholeness and shalom) in walking in our God-given calling.  Lost people can’t do that.  (Interesting that they’re called “lost.”)  So, what I’m saying seems a little empirical… the problems we are experiencing in the world today are because people don’t know who they are in Messiah Yeshua.  Duh-uh. 

Week 20
Memory Verse: 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.

96   5/14 Monday:        Proverbs 1-2

* 97 5/15 Tuesday:       Proverbs 3-4
98   5/16 Wednesday:  Proverbs 16-18
99   5/17 Thursday:      Proverbs 31
100 5/18 Friday:          1 Kings 11-12

Question of the day:  Proverbs 4:5a Get wisdom! Get understanding!  Why are these words important enough to be the basis of the question of the day?

Answer:  The command is to “buy” “Chachma” (wisdom) and to “buy” “Binah” (understanding).  But what currency would we use to acquire such riches of wisdom and understanding?  Wisdom and understanding are acquired spiritually, so the currency must be spiritual.  Yes, once again, “it’s a heart thang.”   We give our hearts to God and He gives us wisdom and understanding.  Our memory verse (also from today’s reading) comes to mind.

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.

“Straight paths” also could be a reference to marching in proper alignment (as mentioned above).  Don’t miss the connection between all 3 parts today.  God is spirit and we must relate to Him spiritually.  It it essential for us to walk in His calling, and to do that we must get wisdom and understanding.  There is the RR for today, all wrapped and tied up for you neatly with a bow.