Rabbi’s Reflections – Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Shalom,
Before we jump into the devotional for today, let’s pause to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Psalm 122:6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem— “May those who love you be at peace! 7 May there be shalom within your walls— quietness within your palaces.”
Before we move on, I want to register a complaint. Truth is, I don’t know where or how to complain, so I’m just venting to you, my readers. “The Wall Street Journal” just proved it is a liberal rag, similar to all the other “drive by” media. In reporting today on the riots taking place on the Temple Mount (which threaten Jewish worshippers at the Western Wall), they simply referred to those fighting with police, rioting, burning and throwing stones (not pebbles) as “worshippers.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Israeli police are injuring muslim “worshippers” as they end the holy month of Ramadan. Such a mischaracterization of what is happening on the ground in Jerusalem can’t just be ignored. If I hadn’t already cancelled my subscription to the WSJ, I would now. My one-word response to the WSJ, “Chutzpa.”
Rabbi Trail: If said right, “Chutzpa” is spoken in two syllables and it hurts when you say it. “Chutz” is the “get ready” part. Work it up with lots of moisture. From deep in the back of the throat it comes up “Chuuuutz.” Then you hit them with the “pa,” but only after your lips are moist from the “chutz.”
So, chutzpa on the WSJ and their editorial staff. Oops, I repent. God tells us to love our enemies. Okay, let’s take the emotion out. Part of loving the staff of the WSJ must be to lovingly tell them how wrong they are and give them the opportunity to repent. I love you, WSJ staff. Now, would you like to repent for your gross misrepresentation of the truth. They weren’t worshippers being hurt by police, but rioters. What do you think this is, Portland?
Counting the Omer – Day 39
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 four days of the counting of the Omer.
We continue counting the Omer by counting our blessings. And our blessings are wrapped up in the character of God from Whom all blessings flow. (Remember the Doxology?) Jacob 1:17a Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights. Today we want to appreciate God’s character, that He is an awesome God.
Awe is wonder and amazement. Awe is being amazed and struck (awestruck) at how marvelous He is. Psalm 68:36(35) O God, You are awesome from Your holy places. The God of Israel gives strength and power to the people. Blessed be God! The Hebrew word for “awesome” is “Norah” which is taken from “Yara” meaning “fear.” Sometimes we pray without fear. That is to say, we treat God casually. Our prayers should be full of awe, for our God is an awesome God.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Wed 12 May-2021 1st of Sivan, 5781 Rosh Chodesh Sivan
Nu 3:1-13 Jer 14 Job 34 (Mk 2) Ro 14
Why does Yeshua heal the sick? The answer is in our reading today from Mark 2… Mark 2:10 But so you may know that the Son of Man has authority to pardon sins on earth….” He tells the paralyzed man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home!”
Yeshua wants us to know that He alone is able to heal our spiritual brokenness. That is invisible to our physical sight. Yeshua heals what we can see, our physical illness, so that we will believe He can heal what we cannot see,. Matthew 14:14 As Yeshua came ashore, He saw a large crowd and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. What He did then, He is still doing today.
Psalm 103:2 Bless Adonai, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: 3 He forgives all your iniquity. He heals all your diseases. 4 He redeems your life from the Pit. He crowns you with lovingkindness and compassions.
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: Three chapters of Proverbs today. Oh my!!! Which verse will it be today?
Answer: Proverbs 18:10 The Name of Adonai is a strong tower. The righteous one runs into it and is set safely up high. The name of the eternal God is our strong tower (Migdal) of strength.
Rabbi Trail: Mary Magdalen probably means she was from Migdal, a town in Yeshua’s day that was near Capernaum on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. But it could also be a play on words. A “Migdal” is a tower. It could be that Mary Magdalen was also a tower of strength. End RT.
But what is a name? It is a reputation. The strength of a reputation (a good one at least) is reliability, which is integrity, which is keeping your word. God keeps His word. That’s what makes Him a “strong tower.” We are safe when we run into God’s power.
Psalms 91:1 He who dwells in the shelter of Elyon, will abide in the shadow of Shaddai. 2 I will say of Adonai, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.
Until tomorrow, stay strong in the Lord, my friends.