Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, October 15, 2020
Shalom,
Reprinted with permission from Thursday, November 9, 2017.
In Exodus 15 we find a section of Scripture that makes its way into almost every Jewish liturgical worship service.
Hebrew Ex 15:11
יא מִֽי־כָמֹ֤כָה בָּֽאֵלִם֙ יְהֹוָ֔ה מִ֥י כָּמֹ֖כָה נֶאְדָּ֣ר בַּקֹּ֑דֶשׁ נוֹרָ֥א תְהִלֹּ֖ת עֹ֥שֵׂה פֶֽלֶא:
Transliteration:
Mi-Kamokha Ba’Aylim Adonai(YHVH), Mi-Kamokha Nedar BaKodesh Nora T’hilot Oseh Fele.
Translation:
Ex 15:11 Who is like You, Adonai, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, awesome in praises, doing wonders?
Drash:
“Who is like You” is a question. The question is answered with the first words of the Torah service on Shabbat morning. The preliminary verses of the Torah service prepare us to receive God’s Word (about to be read to us) by declaring His greatness. We quote from Ps 86:8 “There is none like You among the gods.”
In Exodus 15 the children of Israel are singing a song of praise unto the Lord after their deliverance through the Red Sea. This is the wonderful beginning to what turned into 40 years of desert wandering. After the first 7 weeks of life in the wilderness, these same children of Israel had come to the foot of Mt. Sinai where they made a golden calf and declared “This is your god.”
Before we go on, let’s look in the mirror and ask a simple question. Is that just them (the ancient children of Israel) or is it me too? Have I forgotten my deliverance and replaced the one true and living God in my life for a cheap substitute?
Let’s search our hearts. Soli Deo Gloria (one of the five “Sola’s” of the Protestant Revolution) “Worship God Alone.” Let’s do that. Shalom.
Week 42
Memory Verse: 1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has taken hold of you except what is common to mankind. But God is faithful—He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can handle. But with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape, so you will be able to endure it.
206 10/12 Monday: 1 Corinthians 5-6
207 10/13 Tuesday: 1 Corinthians 7-8
208 10/14 Wednesday: 1 Corinthians 9-10
* 209 10/15 Thursday: 1 Corinthians 10-12
210 10/16 Friday: 1 Corinthians 13-14
Reprinted from Thursday, October 18, 2018… Question of the day: Given this verse… 1 Corinthians 11:4 “Every man praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonors his head.” …why do we Jewish men wear (although some do and some don’t – it’s optional) kippahs – Hebrew (yarmulke – Yiddish or skull caps – English)?
Answer: Tradition! It is Jewish tradition for a man to wear a kippah. In some streams of Judaism (orthodox), men wear them at all times and in other streams (conservative), only when praying or in the synagogue and in still other streams (reform), not at all, ever or rarely. Even so, with the Biblical prohibition in the above verse, shouldn’t we observe the Bible, that a man should pray with his head uncovered?
The answer is in the preceding verse. 1 Corinthians 11:3b “…the head of every man is Messiah…” so we pray in the name of Yeshua (Yeshua, Who is the Head, “uncovered”). Therefore; this has nothing to do with wearing hats.
The truth for women is similar and found in the same Scriptures. The head of a woman is her husband. Women praying with their heads covered means women praying to God and not their husbands.
Another question: Why do we observe the Lord’s Supper (Se’udat Adonai) at every worship service at Shomair?
Answer: Read all about it at the end of 1 Corinthians 11 (20-34). Paul seems to emphasize it, and so do we at Shomair
Yet another question: How do we know we (each one of us with nobody left out) have spiritual gifts?
Answer: The entire chapter of 1 Corinthians 12. 1 Corinthians 12:7 “But to each person is given the manifestation of the Ruach for the benefit of all.” Is it possible when God was giving out gifts of the Spirit that you got left out? Not according to the Word of God which clearly states the opposite. May we all be blessed in our gifting.