Rabbi’s Reflections -Thursday, September 9, 2021 

Shalom,

You may notice below that Lars has properly designated the 3rd of Tishrei as the Fast of Gedaliah, also known as Tzom Gedaliah.  It is a special dawn to dusk fast (considered a minor fast).  

After the destruction of the First Temple, Nebuchadnezzar II appointed Gedaliah (whose name means “God is great”) as the Jewish ruler over the Yehud Province.  He formed the Yehud Province from the defeated Kingdom of Judah and appointed Gedaliah as the Jewish ruler.  According to Jeremiah 41 (pretty much the whole chapter) a commander named Ishmael murdered Gedaliah and his supporters.  

This is a really ugly tale of treachery and deceit.  The fast of Gedaliah is to lament his death.  It left Jerusalem devoid of Jews and marked the end of the destruction of the First Temple.  

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O Foolish Galatians – part 3:  Here we go, jumping right into the middle of a challenging verse.  Galatians 3:13 Messiah liberated us from Torah’s curse, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)— 14 in order that through Messiah Yeshua the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so we might receive the promise of the Ruach through trusting faith.

There it is… of course we want the blessing and not the curse.  If the Torah is a curse, let’s get rid of the Torah, right?  WRONG!  Have you ever heard the phrase, “Throwing the baby out with the bathwater?”  It seems to apply here.  In this analogy, the “baby” is the Torah.  The “bathwater” is the idea that obedience can replace faith, or doing can take the place of believing.  

May it never be so.  We absolutely do need to grow beyond any imagination that we can work our way into God’s good graces by just being obedient.  Obedience is a fruit of having faith, not a replacement for it.  Jacob 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works…. 20 But do you want to know, you empty person, that faith without works is dead?

God revealed His path to a long happy and healthy life through His word.  Hear Moses speaking… Deuteronomy 4:40 “You must keep His statutes and His mitzvot, which I am commanding you today, so that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and so that you may prolong your days in the land that Adonai your God is giving you for all time.”

Yeshua is the Word made flesh…  John 10:10b I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!  How can we follow “the Word” while ignoring its practical application?  

Lastly (for today) there is what Scripture says about Scripture… 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness, 17 so that the person belonging to God may be capable, fully equipped for every good deed.  

When Paul wrote those words to Timothy, there was no New Testament.  The “Scripture” to which Paul is referring has to be the Hebrew Scriptures.  It’s all useful!  Every “good deed” is a reference to every “Mitzvah” (commandment).  Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

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

Thu 9 Sep 2021 3rd of Tishrei, 5782 Fast of Gedaliah

De 31:7-9Zep 32 Ch 24(Ac 16)Rev 10

Ex 32:11-14; 34:1-10

Week 37
Memory Verse: Acts 1:31 When they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken. And they were all filled with the Ruach ha-Kodesh and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

181   9/6    Monday:       Mark 16

182   9/7   Tuesday:      Luke 14

183   9/8   Wednesday: John 20-21

184   9/9  Thursday:     Matthew 28

185   9/10  Friday:          Acts 1