Rabbi’s Reflections – Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Shalom,
Quick announcement: I’m going to continue the series on the Hebrew alphabet for the next 2 weeks (and finish what I started last Shabbat). There was a good response to it (you can view part 1 on our YouTube Channel. Go to 1:35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTJx1DSpa5Q
Counting the Omer – Day 31
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 four weeks and three days of the counting of the Omer.
Psalm 50:2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. So today, we count the blessing of God’s perfection. What does that even mean? Let’s turn to the Hebrew, where we find only 5 words in this verse. Maybe that will give us a better understanding. “MiTzion Mich’lal Yofi Elohim Hofi’ya.
MiTzion: “from Zion” Zion is synonymous with Jerusalem. Time for a geography lesson. Mt. Zion is west of the Temple Mount. There are 3 valleys in Jerusalem they separate some mountains. From east to west, they are the Kidron valley (separating the Mount of Olives from the Temple Mount), the Tyropoeon Valley (also called the Valley of the Cheesemakers) (it separates the Temple Mount from Mount Zion). Today it is mostly filled in from earthquakes and man-made construction. Finally, to the west of Mt. Zion is the Hinnom Valley which was the city dump (where fires burned trash 24/7). This is why we refer to Hell as Gehenna, Gai (valley) Hinnom (of Hinnom). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna . Zion is where the perfection and beauty of God starts.
Mich’lal: “completeness or perfection” The “Mem” in front denotes a noun form of “Kaf-Lamed-Lamed.” This is the only place in the entire Hebrew Scriptures where this word appears in this form, but the Shoresh is ubiquitous. The original meaning is of an offering being entirely consumed. “All burned up” (see yesterday’s RR) is the description of a perfect offering. Yeshua is “Michlal,” whole, perfect, complete, lacking nothing.
Yofi: “beautiful” My family had a dog (toy poodle) we named Yofi. We named him that because in modern Hebrew, “Yofi” means “happy” or “oh joy.” Like we might use “yippee” in English. It can also mean beautiful in appearance.
Elohim: “the Lord” This is the first name God uses for Himself. (Genesis 1:1)
Hofi’ya: “shine forth” This bright shining is from the Shoresh “Yafa.” It looks like “Yofi” but it isn’t. Hofiya ends with an “Ayin” while “Yofi” ends with a “Yud,” making them totally different words.
Now let’s develop an amplified translation of this verse… Psalm 50:2 God shines forth in His perfection to bring light to the world from Zion. Now count the blessing of God’s perfection. He is complete in Himself. Every cult wants to add something to His perfect work. We add nothing to God’s perfect work, but He desires to share his work with us. 2 Corinthians 12:9a But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Receive it today and be renewed.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Tue 4 May-2021 22nd of Iyar, 5781
Le 25:29-38Jer 6Job 27(Mt 25)Ro 7
We (mankind) have never come to grips with the wisdom of God. Here, in the Aliyah for today, we find more details of the Jubilee. This is a great revelation of the wisdom of God. Some possessions that are sold must be returned to the original owner in the year of Jubilee. Think about that for a moment.
In God’s economy, everyone should know (or consider) how long it is until the next Jubilee. So you’re not buying anything (except a house inside a walled city, after a year during which it could be redeemed) but only buying the use of it until the next Jubilee when it must be returned to the original owner.
This is brilliant. Rather than appreciate in value, things become (the fraction of years until the next Jubilee) less valuable every year. For instance, if a field is worth $100,000 when the Jubilee is 50 years away, then it’s only worth $4,000 when the Jubilee is only 2 years away.
Why is this brilliant? Because there is a way to recover from bad economic times. A bad decision by your grandfather will not affect the family for eternity, but only until the next Jubilee. It is God’s plan for equality, much better and wiser than any plan our government had for equality. God has the “great reset” and it’s called Jubilee.
Week 19
Memory Verse: Psalm 139:15 My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw me when I was unformed, and in Your book were written the days that were formed— when not one of them had come to be.
91 5/7 Monday: Psalm 119:129-176; 139
* 92 5/8 Tuesday: Pslam 148 – 150
93 5/9 Wednesday: 1 Kings 2
94 5/10 Thursday: 1 Kings 3; 6
95 5/11 Friday: 1 Kings 8, 9:1-9
Question of the day: These 3 Psalms are all short. Which one do you like?
Answer: You know, I like them all. And they are all so similar. These Psalms are like the end of a 4th of July fireworks show. They are the “big bang” at the end of the book.
All 3 Psalms begin and end with the same Hebrew word, “Halleluyah!” “Hallel” is spelled with a Hey and 2 Lameds. The “Lamed” is the only Hebrew letter to go above the line. It’s like Halleluyah is written with both “hands” raised in praise to the Lord.
The “U” in Halleluyah is the plural possessive pronoun “our,” and “Yah” is God’s name. “Our praise to God” is a good translation for Halleluyah. Go ahead, shout it out, “Halleluyah!” If you’re in a library and just did that, look around and tell them, “Rabbi said to do it.” Shalom everyone.