Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, May 30, 2024
Shalom,
Today is the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer. There is a special Jewish tradition concerning the 33rd day. It’s called Lag B’Omer based on numerology. “L” (Hebrew letter Lamed) is the number 30, while “G” (Hebrew letter Gimel) is the number 3. Together “LaG” they add up to thirty-three.
The forty-nine days of counting (a week of weeks) culminating on Shavuot are somber days of reflection. In Jewish tradition, no joyous occasions take place during those days of thanksgiving and reflection, except on Lag B’Omer. That day is set aside for picnics, parties and other happy occasions.
This year, with the war ongoing and the captives yet to be freed, even a day of celebration is tamped down. How do you throw a party when your brothers and sisters are suffering day by day? Let’s pray… Ezekiel 34:27 The tree of the field will yield its fruit. The ground will yield its produce. They will be secure in their land. Then they will know that I am Adonai, when I have broken the bars of their yoke and have delivered them from the hand of those who enslaved them. Deliver Your people, Lord. Psalm 146:7 who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives bread to the hungry. Adonai, set the prisoners free. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
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Day 33 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 four 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 100:4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Praise Him, bless His Name.
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Psalms
Psalm 9:6,7(5,6) – Part 4
Psalm 9:6 You rebuked the nations, You destroyed the wicked—blotting out their name forever and ever. 7 The enemy is finished, in ruins forever. You overturned their cities—even the memory of them has perished.
The Hebrew word for “rebuke” is “Ga’ar” (Gimel-Ayin-Resh). Let me tell you about the first time it is used in Scripture.
Rabbi Trail: The first time a word is used in Scripture is important, due to what is called “the principle of first use.” Words have meaning. We can’t just invent meanings for words as we go along. The meaning of words is derived from the context of first use. After that, consistency requires that we take their meanings based on the meaning of the word when it is used for the first time. End RT.
Joseph’s brothers hated him because their father, Jacob, loved him more. This didn’t seem to phase Joseph, who was known as a dreamer of dreams. Genesis 37:5 Then Joseph dreamed a dream and told his brothers—and they hated him even more. After telling yet another dream in which his brothers, father and mother (appearing in the dream as the sun, moon, and eleven starts) all bowed down to Joseph… Genesis 37:10 He told it to his father as well as his brothers. Then his father rebuked him and said to him, “What’s this dream you dreamed? Will we really come—your mother and I with your brothers—to bow down to the ground to you?”
To rebuke is to correct, check or sharply reprimand. Our subject verse begins with God sharply reprimanding the “Goyim,” Hebrew for “nations.” In the Bible, there is Israel (with whom God makes covenant) and everyone else, (all the other nations are called Goyim). David is retelling the story of God being victorious over His enemies.
The enemy is rebuked, destroyed, blotted out eternally, finished, in ruins, had their cities overturned and even had their memory perish. The very thought of the enemies of God will be destroyed. Begs the question… on whose side would you want to be? You can choose to be grafted in to Israel or be part of the nations that come against Israel. Bless the Lord for options. Here is your invitation, make the obvious wise choice.
Romans 11:21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. 22 Notice then the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell; but God’s kindness toward you, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off! 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God is able to graft them in again.
Paul goes on to call it a mystery, Jews and non-Jews grafted into the same olive tree. No wonder David is singing praises to God. Psalm 9:2 I will praise Adonai with my whole heart. I will tell about all Your wonders. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
22 Iyar Thursday 30-May-24 33rd day of the Omer
Leviticus 27:16-21 Jeremiah 9 Job 19 Mark 1:1-20 Romans 16