Genesis 25:19 – 28:9 || Malachi 1:1 – 2:7

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«The struggle between Yaakov and Esav, which began whilst still in the womb, is an eternal struggle between two nations, between goodness and evil, between light and darkness, between a nation that is open to G-d’s truth and lives by and teaches that truth, and a nation willing to stoop to whatever subterranean level necessary to deny that truth and prevent its recognition in this world. The festival of Chanukah, which occurs later in this new month of Kislev, celebrates an essential victory of good over evil in this generational struggle. Even within our own selves this battle is fought, and material temptations constantly arise, attempting to deter us from assuming our responsibility as the children of G-d.»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

GSI Reminder: only 1 day left until Luther’s 80th birthday party KRISTALLNACHT?

Genesis 23:1 – 25:18 || 1 Kings 1:1-31

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«Old age, the blessing of wisdom conferred upon one who has lived his life with love and kindness towards others, a true recognition of G-d’s presence in the world, is a gift for all of us to acquire, thanks to Avraham, who beseeched G-d to grant him old age and the wisdom to recognize the sublime beauty with which his beloved wife Sara lived her life»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

GSI Reminder: only 1 week left until Luther’s 80th birthday party KRISTALLNACHT?

Genesis 18:1 – 22:24 || 2 Kings 4:1-37

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«Avraham dedicated his entire life to sharing the good news that there is One G-d in the world, and that all we have comes from Him. Avraham sought out wayfarers and passers-by, invited them in, showered them with kindness and insisted that his guests give thanks only to G-d, Creator of the world»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

GSI Reminder: only 2 weeks left until Luther’s 80th birthday party KRISTALLNACHT?

Genesis 12:1 – 17:27 || Isaiah 40:27 – 41:16

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«Trying to explain away creation without fully comprehending the purpose of creation is a lesson in futility which ultimately ends in idolatry. Man, from the earliest generations to our present day has fallen repeatedly into this trap. Avraham understood that purpose and intent were the guiding principles and the enduring forces which created and maintain creation, and that the ultimate and only purpose of creation was for man to know the Creator, the One G-d, blessed be He, Master of the universe»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

GSI Reminder: only 3 weeks left until Luther’s birthday party KRISTALLNACHT?

Genesis 1:1 – 6:8 || Isaiah 42:5 – 43:10

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman for The Temple Institute, Jerusalem, Israel:
«The world is created anew each day by G-d as an expression of G-d’s love for His creation. Live each day anew for each day comes but once and each day holds a world of potential never before fulfilled, just waiting for you, today, to make the most of G-d’s creation»…more:

Shabbat Shalom

GSI Reminder: only 1 month left until Luther’s birthday party KRISTALLNACHT?

Considered scientifically → see „Social Market Economy: The case of Germany“ page 42 para 4:
„The question to be asked here is of political nature and is whether the reason for the Reichskristallnacht of November 9/10, 1938, is in any way connected to Martin Luther’s birthday which is November 10. Critics of Luther‘ antisemitism state that the attacks, destructions and burnings of Jewish shops and synagogues by the Nazis were seen as an opportunity to honour Luther on his anniversary by doing what he had said in his teachings on Jews: destroy their shops, burn their synagogues, etc.“

Luther literally:

„Firstly, that their synagogues or schools be set on fire and, what may not burn, be heaped over with earth, so that no human being could see a stone or cinder for ever. And such should be done to honour our Lord and Christianity, so that God may see that we are Christians.“ ————————————————————————————–
In Old-German-Wording: „Erstlich, das man jre Synagoga oder Schule mit feur anstecke und, was nicht verbrennen will, mit erden überheufe und beschütte, das kein Mensch ein stein oder schlacke davon sehe ewiglich. Und solches sol man thun, unserm Herrn und der Christenheit zu ehren damit Gott sehe, das wir Christen seien.“

What one can hardly dare to pronounce about Martin Luther and his Lutherans, the Germans, the Kristallnacht (also „Night of Broken Glass“, „Reichskristallnacht“, „Pogromnacht“, „Novemberpogrome“), and the world against Israel and the jews nowadays, the following video will, at least, try:

In deep mourning (German: KRISTALLNACHT – Feierte man in Luthers Geburtstag?)
Eric C. Martienssen

[Card »» download and print]

Genesis 37:1 – 40:23; Amos 2:6 – 3:8

Abstract of the Commentary byMichael Schneider, Jerusalem:
In our Torah portion, ‘Va‘Yeshev,’ last year, we discussed Joseph as a prototype of the Messiah. We saw the parallels between Messiah Ben-Joseph and the Joseph’s life. Through Joseph’s brother’s rejection, he was sent to Egypt where he attained status of being second to Pharaoh and regarded as a deity. The Egyptians also used the concept of the trinity with three Pharaoh’s. He became a stranger to his brothers because he was now ‘Egyptian’ and they could not recognize him.

Hanukkah – In Those Days, at This Time.

Hag Hanukkah Sameach (Hanukkah →Erev Hanukkah is 2011, December 20)
Remember Christallnacht and todays German Luther Decade

David, like Joseph has a similar story. Both were shepherds and despised by their brothers. Samuel anointed David as king at 17, but it wasn’t until age 30 when he reigned over Israel. Joseph’s life in Egypt began at 17, but he didn’t sit ‘at the right hand’ of Pharaoh until 30. Both, Joseph and David, were sons from another mother, which Jewish scholars claim was the reason for David’s ‘red’ look and why “Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons…”

Chapter 38 interrupts with a different story: the deceitful affair between Judah and Tamar, his daughter-in-law. Judah, in the chapter before intervenes and saves his brother’s life (37:26-27). One interpretation says it’s the reason his descendants are of the royal line in the kingdom of Israel. Judah (where the word ‘Jew – yehudi’ comes from) desired for his sons to produce offspring so they could continue his forefather’s blessing.

When Judah’s oldest son, Er, passed away, his wife Tamar was given to Onan. “Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her as a brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother” (38:8). But, after Onan died, Judah told Tamar to go back to her father’s home until the third son Shela grew up.

Many years passed and the agreement was forgotten. But, when Tamar saw her father-in-law she sought revenge. She took off her widow’s clothes (38:14), which were a sign she was waiting for Judah to fulfill his promise, and covered her face so he couldn’t recognize her. Once protected from evil she was now covered with the mask of sin and deceit. Out of rage and revenge she dressed like a prostitute and Judah fell into ‘her snare’ (Proverbs 7).

Once her sin was made known, Judah confessed, “She is right, I am to blame.” Tamar went on to give birth to – again – twins, Peretz and Zerach (38:25 – 26). Again, the younger (Peretz) struggled to be born first, like with Esau and Jacob.

Another similarity we find is that Tamar shows Judah his three belongings: his ring, cord and staff. She says, “Recognize please…” (Hebrew haker-na; 38:25), which reminds us of the same words used in the chapter before as Judah himself deceived his father with Joseph’s coat and said: “Recognize please…” (37:32). What Judah did to his father through deceit Tamar did to him.

We can ask ourselves why the LORD allowed the marriage to be ‘legitimate’ even though it was incest and allow the heirs to be a part of the Messianic line of David? God allowed it to happen! Tamar even became one of the four ‘non-Jewish’ mothers along with Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba.

Genesis 23:1–25:18; 1 Kings 1:1-31

Commentary by
Michael Schneider, Jerusalem:
Our Torah reading begins with Sarah’s death and ends with Abraham’s death. She was 127 years old. Abraham now set out to negotiate in typical Middle-Eastern style for a burial site. How come that our parasha Chayei Sarah means „the life of Sarah,“ although it deals with the death of Sarah?
Jewish sages explain it this way: „The wicked even when they are alive are called dead, while the righteous even after they die are called alive.“ read more…

„Shoftim“: Deuteronomy 16:18 till 21:9; Isaiah 51:12 till 52:12

Firstly, the Torah portion Shoftim of cause should be read. To make this a little more convenient for you, we found the entire reading summarized in this video about Judges (Shoftim) and the Jew’s call for „Justice, Justice“…

… while the Kristallnacht, triggered by the German Martin Luther, comes back on track!
It was Martin Luther who asked the Germans: „Firstly, that their synagogues or schools be set on fire and, what may not burn, be heaped over with earth, so that no human being could see a stone or cinder for ever. And such should be done to honour our Lord and Christianity, so that God may see that we are Christians.“ – In modern times this lawless time in Germany is called: Luther Decade – and, again, America is thrilled … 10 years in which Martin Luther, one of the biggest criminals in human history, is again celebrated by Germany!

‚Though the highlight of the Luther Decade will be in 2017 the foreshadowing of this Christian Feast is the ban on circumcision, Brit Mila. Thus, Germany is – again – the first country in the world, which sets Jewry officially under prosecution. Germany is again made „Judenrein“. The day before yesterday again ran the first few criminal complaints against Jews from the civilian population with the judges and criminal lawyers. Affected is a rabbi, a Mohel – and the German law, German courts, again have the legal opportunity to condemn Jews just because they are Jews.
This is Luther’s Germany today, again. And Luther’s America is silent, again!
(If somewhere out there is an American politician or Rabbi who wants to write an article on this topic on this blog, please do not hesitate!)

And now, second, a few verses out of this weeks Haftorah (here Isaiah 52) but what a blessing, what a future:
„Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean… For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause… How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion… The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God… For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward.“

But now listen to this words of Reuben Ebrahimoff in the video commentary by „Haftorahman“, telling of the coming Messiah:

Shabbat Shalom

Leviticus 1:1 – 5:26; HaChodesch Numeri 28:9-15; Nisan 2. Exodus 12,1-20; Ezech. 45:16 – 46:18
Commentary by Michael Schneider, Jerusalem

This week we entered the Hebrew month Nisan that according to the Bible is the first month of the year. Meaning that we had this week the Biblical New Year, and unfortunetly not from many it is noticed because the Jews today are going after the rabbinical tradition and celebrating New Year at the 1st Tishrei, Rosh HaShana (original Feast of the sound of the trumpets).

In the word “Nisan” we find the Hebrew word “Nes” which means “miracle”. Indeed, this is a special month in which the greatest of all miracles took place for the Jewish people: the freedom and redemption of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt – that’s why we remember it even more than 3300 years later throu the feast of Passover. May this “Nisan” truly be a month of miracles for everyone in all aspects of life.

Not only had we started a new month and year but also a new book of the Torah: Leviticus that is called also the “Torat Cohanim” the Law of the Priests where we find all the strict ordinaces of services at the temple, sanctuary (tabernacle) and sacrifies.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Insert of the GSI editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The destruction of the modern temples of God had been commanded by Martin Luther in the 16th Century:
„Firstly, that their synagogues or schools be set on fire and, what may not burn, be heaped over with earth, so that no human being could see a stone or cinder for ever. And such should be done to honour our Lord and Christianity, so that God may see that we are Christians.”
Read the following call for help from Germany:

Luther’s above-mentioned call to burn the synagogues and the Jews, was implemented by the Germans on Luther’s birthday in his honor in order to unite all Lutherans in this aim. That night in 1938 was celebrated as Kristallnacht (November 9 to 10, Luther’s birthday). But we Americans have decided to burn all the books of Luther with Jews devastating content in Germany of 1945 – such as a.m. On the Jews and Their Lies. Why? Thus the American Lutherans were able to continue to believe in their beloved Luther.
For our own peace will we Americans have helped Germany to again be able to believe in the most honourableness, one of the worst criminals in human history, Martin Luther. Is it now not up to us to prevent the → Luther Decade … that the German Lutheran history and the follow will not be repeated? Rise up, America! Threaten with the withdrawal of the ambassador and all diplomatic relations to Germany if they will not stop the Luther Decade … and such should be done to honour our Lord, so that God may see that we are Americans. God bless America.

Never ever forget that Pogromnacht was the night of 9th on the 10th of November – Martin Luther’s birthday! Please help the Germans since they will never change without your help, America! Stop the Luther Decade from America’s side!

Although it is a not-easy book, and even some will say an irrelevant because we don’t have a temple and sacrifies ritual anymore, I urge all Believers to read it in a spiritual sense. Is our body not His sanctuary and temple? Should it and our life not be a living sacrifice to our LORD?

Shabbat Shalom