Video Commentary of Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:
The individual suffering from tzarat can bear the affliction within the walls of their house, the clothing that they wear, or upon their own flesh. While the affliction causes a debilitating physical reaction, it is essentially a spiritual wake-up call. Acknowledging one’s shortcomings and approaching the attending kohen is the beginning of a spiritual recovery, which leads to its own reward…

Shabbat Shalom

Video commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman
(The Temple Insitute Jerusalem):
Liberalism is a phycological disorder, an if that’s the only way to correct them then so be it. Also I don’t believe that Pinchas is Elijah pre-carnate though it would be understandable (to me) if you claimed that he acted in the same righteous spirit. Peace be with you…

Shabbat Shalom

This parashat Naso tells us about to treat jealousy in a marriage, about tests between husbands and wives. Next theme is the Priestly Blessing saying (Birkat Kohanim – Numbers 6:24–26):
Yewarechecha Adonai we-yischmerecha.
Ya’er Adonai panaw elecha we-yechunekha.
Yissa Adonai panaw elecha we-yassem lecha Schalom!
May Adonai bless you and guard you
May Adonai make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you
May Adonai lift up his face onto you and give you peace

Watch the video commentary on this Shabbat Naso, also spelled Nasso, by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:

Shabbat Shalom

Briefly ahead in matter PURIM: Since we are in the Shmita-year and at the same time in a leap year, we have 13 months this year!! That is two Adar month (aleph and beth). In this case, the Feast of Esther, Purim, is always celebrated at the Second Adar (Adar Beth) – therefore it falls this year on the 21 March!!

Commentary:
This weekly portion (parasha) begins with ransom (kofer nefesh) and atonement money (kessef kippurim) in the value of “half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary” for every man over 20. “The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the LORD to make atonement for yourselves.” (30:15).

In chapter 31, we read about God’s Calling to Bezalel (in God’s shadow) from the tribe Judah. He was a man with the Spirit of God with wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Bezalel Ben-Uri was anointed by the Almighty to design His sanctuary – what a privilege! He was a skilled, inspired craftsman. (The art academy today in Jerusalem is named after him, Bezalel – and is located across the street where the ISRAEL TODAY offices are).

In chapter 32, we read about the building of the Golden Calf. That is what happens when spiritual leadership is missing! Moses, the mediator between man and God, was on Mount Sinai for 40 days. It is the same with us. We fall into danger when we lose sight of our mediator, the Son of God and Messiah, Yeshua (1 Tim. 2:5), and other “spiritual authority.” We can get swept away by this world and begin to worship modern idols. The Lord warns: “They have quickly turned aside from the way which I commanded them…” (32:8).

Here we have the true test of a man of God: The Lord said to Moses: “… I have seen this people, and behold, they are an obstinate people. Now then let Me alone, that My anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them; and I will make of you a great nation” (32:9-10). God wanted to destroy this rebellious people and bless Moses with a nation through him.

But Moses, a true leader, spoke to the heart of God and pled for his people. He asked God to reconsider, wondering what the nations, especially Egypt, would think of the mighty God of Israel who had delivered them from Egypt just “to kill them in the mountains and to destroy them from the face of the earth” (32:12)?
Second try: Moses reminded the Lord of His eternal Covenant with the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

After seeing the golden calf, Moses broke the two tablets of the 10 commandments and then the golden idol was burn. He said: “Whoever is for the LORD, come to me!” (32:26; which, by the way, is an election slogan for the ultra-Orthodox Shas party today). Following that, 3,000 people were killed in punishment.

After the punishment, Moses approached God for the third time to intercede for forgiveness on behalf of his people. Moses was ready to lay down his life for the sake of his people: “But now, if You will, forgive their sin–and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!” (32:32; also the first hint that there is a Book of Life in heaven) Moses acted as Yeshua would (and did. He went all the way, Halleluja!), and others like Paul, sacrificing their life for others. That’s exactly what God wanted to hear!

So God sent “His angel” who walked with the people (verse 34). Here many believers and Messianic Jews see Yeshua!

Moses wanted to see more of God: “I pray You, show me Your glory!”
But not all the Lord has shown Moses, saying: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show compassion on whom I will show compassion.” (cp. Romans 9:15-20) and “you shall see My back, but My face shall not be seen” (verse 23).

Then the LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth…” (34:6)

Moses fell on the ground to ask forgiveness for his people: “If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession.”
God renewed His covenant: “Behold, I am going to make a covenant before all your people I will perform miracles which have not been produced in all the earth nor among any of the nations…” (34:10)

And so it is until today! God has performed many miracles for His people before the eyes of all nations – just look at the rebirth of the State of Israel and the return of His people to their land after almost 2000 years!

Commentary:
The main lesson from this week’s reading is that GOD Himself wants to dwell in the midst of us! This is the parallel we draw from the role of the tabernacle and the High Priest. Secondly we learn from our portion out of the prophets that Obedience is greater than sacrifice. The Feast of Purim will be celebrated on February 20 and 21. During Purim, Jews read the Book of Esther.

Let us also come before “the King” as Queen Esther did, with courage to ask for the redemption of the Jewish people. These days we have another Haman who wants to annihilate the Jewish people, and he even comes from the same nation – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, formerly Persia.

Today let us pray that the ‘pur,’ the lots, will fall and rather than a planned day of destruction we will see the long awaited day of redemption of Israel as a nation! So let us continue to intercede, like Esther and Mordechai, in prayer and fasting for the welfare and safety of the Jewish people. Purim is the most joyous holiday, a day of victory!

Israelis commemorate God’s deliverance at Purim

The festival of Purim is a commemoration of Jewish deliverance from the Persian Empire, which sought their annihilation.

Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar as commanded in scripture. Jews will attend synagogues around the country on Tuesday evening and read the book of Esther.

The story of the miraculous deliverance of the Jews, scattered throughout the 127 provinces of the fifth century B.C. Persian Empire, which stretched from India to Ethiopia, is recounted in the book of Esther. God miraculously used the queen, a Jew, to intervene on behalf of her people so that the decree of the king to kill all the Jews would not be carried out. Haman the Agagite, chancellor, convinced Persian King Ahasuerus, to approve a plan to murder all the Jews in the kingdom. When the

In the end, God miraculously delivers the Jews from annihilation; Haman is hanged on the gallows he prepared for Queen Esther’s cousin Mordechai, who replaces him as the king’s chancellor.

The name of God doesn’t appear in the Book of Esther, but it is a story of His sovereign grace, orchestrating every detail as tragic events unfold and in the end the Jewish people are able to defend themselves and are delivered from death.

During the reading, it is customary to yell and make noise when Haman’s name is mentioned and cheer when Esther’s name is read. Jews also eat Hamantaschen or Haman’s ears, a pastry filled with a fruit, nut or chocolate mix. Children dress in costumes.

Throughout the centuries, there have been numerous attempts to destroy the Jewish people and today is no different. Today’s “Haman,” Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also of Persian descent, has openly declared his plans to wipe the State of Israel off the map.

Ahmadinejad funds Islamic terrorist groups such as Hizballah, Hamas and others, and supplies them with weapons and explosives to perpetrate suicide bombings and missile attacks against Israel. At times like this, the story of Esther remains a source of great encouragement, giving Jews a sense of God’s sovereignty, perfect timing and ultimate deliverance from those who seek their destruction.

Commentary:
Our Torah portion “Jethro” is one of the six readings named after a person. The others include Noah, Sarah, Korah, Balak and Pinchas (Phinneas). Our reading was named for the heathen and pagan priest of Midian who eventually became Moses’ father-in-law. It is here, we read in the heart of the Torah the most important scripture in the Jewish faith with the giving of the law and here it is named after a heathen (goy).
This shows us again that God’s Word was made available to all of mankind.

Moses described ‘all the hardship that had befallen them on the journey’ but never ceased to give honor and praise to God Almighty! This is not a story filled with complaints, but rather one that is encouraging. We can learn from this when we encounter the hardships of life – give praises to God!

The heathen priest recognized God for who he was: “The LORD is greater than all the gods; indeed” (18:11).

Jethro gave Moses advice in changing the justice system, as a loving father-in-law, from one judge (Moses) to 70 – with one rationale: “You will surely wear out (naval), both yourself and these people who are with you…” (18:18).

The verb ‘naval’ was given in the verse twice, emphasizing the weight of the word that means ‘to wither, to wilt and to dry-out’ like the leaves (Psalm 1:3). He meant that Moses’ antithesis could slowly dry-out. But, it also meant that naval is a vile person, a miscreant, scoundrel (see Nabal, the evil and harsh husband of Abigail in 1 Samuel 25). Therefore, it was the last thing that Jethro desires for his son-in-law.

God many times calls a person, blesses them, but with those abundants of blessings comes a need for help. A man of God, like Moses should humble himself and let go of the little things and allow others to administer the small ‘cases’. Believe me, it’s not always easy for them to do this.

“’Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;
and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (19:5-6).

The Receiving of the Torah (the Law; correct translation: guidance or teaching) three months after the exodus from Egypt, falls according to Jewish scholars during Hebrew year of 2448 (1312 BC).

When the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai to receive the Torah they practiced humility! Humility is the key to unity!

The Ten Commandments were engraved on two tablets. Both tablets were of equal size and contrary to popular belief, the two tablets were square and not rounded on top.

The right tablet contained the commandments about GOD and the left contained the commandments concerning man. The five commandments on the right contained 146 words and the five others on the left had only 26 words. Why? How the Jewish scholars explain this?

The left tablets, with mitzvot (commandments) for man, where written with bigger letters to add emphasis. Because one cannot claim piety by meticulously do mitzvot toward God and ignore the commandments of how to treat our neighbor (Jesus tells us the same in Matthew 5:23-24). Our relationship towards others plays a huge role in our relationship with God. Someone who is not faithful to people will not be faithful to God.

Why ten (commandments)? The Talmud tells us that the Ten Commandments correspond to the ten sayings God used to create the world. “So it teaches us that by keeping the ten Commandments, one preserves the universe!” – that’s why we need to be doers of the Word!