Abstract of the Commentary by
Michael Schneider, Jerusalem:
In this week’s Torah Portion we meet another childless couple: Isaac and Rebekah (25:21). We can read of several Man of God that shared the same fate like Abraham and later the parents of Joseph, Samuel and also Samson…

After 20 years of prayer, when Isaac was 60 years old, the LORD in his sovereign grace allowed Rebekah to bear twins, Jacob and Esau. Verse 22 tells us the twins “struggled within her.” God told her “two nations are in your womb … and the older shall serve the younger.” This was one promise Rebekah kept to herself until later.

We find parallels between Abraham’s life story to Isaac’s, such as the times of famine and both men lying to authorities, claiming that their wives were their sisters. Isaac did so, lying to the Philistine king in Genesis 26:7. So the lesson was not learned!

A Jewish commentary says, why was Jacob cooking lentils? It was during the Shiva (the seven-day mourning to eat lentils during the mourning period. And how old was Jacob and Esau when Abraham their grandpa passed away? They were 15 years old. Thus, the three patriarchs, Abraham, Yitzhak (Isaac) and Jacob, lived during the same period for 15 years.

But Isaac and Rebekah’s younger received the covenant blessing of promise also in following generations. Jacob even favoured Joseph’s younger sons in blessings over the older ones, so with Ephraim. While this seems unfair to man, God looks at the heart (I Samuel 16:7).
To the question ‘Why Jacob and not Esau?’ we find answer in our prophet portion in Maleachi 1…

Now, why did God hate Esau? Esau didn’t value God’s blessing and was ready to sell it for bread and lentil soup. Genesis 25:34 says, “So Esau despised his birthright…”

Jacob, in Hebrew is related to the word “akev” meaning “heel” (25:26). “Akov,” also related, means ‘deceitful’, like the heart of man (Jeremiah 17:9). Yes, Jacob – even if it meant receiving the blessing from God – was a deceiver (27:35) – we would even call it today a tricky manipulator. He attempted to do all in his own strength until he wrestled with God “face to face” at Peniel. From this time on, Jacob was called:

„Isra-El, or God strives (for you) “.

The same will happen to the “Sons of Jacob” as a nation, Israel will meet His Saviour and not needing anymore to “put on clothes of someone he is not”!
Esau, today, would be identified as a “real man,” the type of son who makes his father proud as a skilled hunter. Jacob, on the other hand, would be called a “mama’s boy” as a quiet guy who hung around at home.

Nevertheless, Esau was disobedient to his father taking foreign wives while Jacob obeyed his father (28:6-7). But Jacob listens to the will of his father.
Jacob received the blessing by deceiving his father with the help of his mother, but it came at a price. Although Rebekah took the curse on her (27:13), Jacob had to leave his parents’ tents to flee the wrath of his brother. There Jacob met an even greater deceiver – his future father-in-law, Laban.
That’s how the LORD works sometimes in order to humble the prideful heart/man.
“If you will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart,
To give glory to My name,” says the LORD of hosts,
“ I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings.
Yes, I have cursed them already, because you do not take it to heart.” (Malachi 2:2; from our Haftara)

Shabbat Shalom

Titlepicture © by Frank Rothert 2007 /
Retouched by God’s Sabbath International 2011

Commentary by Michael Schneider,
israel today, Jerusalem:
This week’s Torah portion introduces Abraham, the first patriarch. It is here the Lord called him to “Go forth… to the Land which I will show you!” It tells us this was a step of faith that even believers find difficult to take. He risks everything.

Abraham, then called Abram, was obedient. Unlike believers today who want first a clear road map of where God is leading them, Abram picked up, left his home and followed God’s leading.

Abram’s life was one of constant tests of faith, beginning with the three-step call to leave his homeland (leave your country, your people and your father’s household), and ending with another three-step call in chapter 22 to sacrifice his son (Take your son, your only son, …whom you love). It shows full submission! God required of Abram the things he cherished most and he also wants those things we are holding onto most. Through our faith in Him, He intervenes and does His mighty work.

God’s Blessing over Abraham followed: “And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing.” What a powerfull blessing! The Lord continued: “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse” (12:3; Numbers 24:9 indicates these passages speak about Israel). Take this as good advice.

Abram left Ur (in present-day Iraq), the city of Nimrod, the adversary of God who elevated himself after the flood. A symbol of rebellion against God – out of this, God is calling us too today!

You are never too old to be targeted by God’s callings. God renews the strength to those who “Wait upon the Lord” (Isaiah 40:29-31). So, at age 75, Abram left his homeland and became the first “wandering Jew.”

Abram and his wife Sarai were facing numerous tests of faith. Even when Abram arrived in Canaan he encountered various conflicts within his family, but still he humbled himself, giving Lot first pick of the land, “… If to the left, then I will go to the right; or if to the right, then I will go to the left” (13:9). In those days, ‘right’ (yamin) was west, towards the sea (yam). Left, was the Dead Sea region of Sodom and Gomorrah and the Jordan Valley. Lot ended up choosing the left because it was visually appealing (the wealth of the world), but it was rife with immorality. Abram passed the test of faith and God blessed him. Lot could have repented and joined his godly uncle, but he preferred the things of the world and followed after the ‘lust of the eyes’ (1 John 2:16). Lot could be as Ruth the Moabite joining Nomi and be a part of the blessing!

Interestingly, we find the term “Lot’s face” (penei Lot; normally translated as ‘covering’) in Isaiah 25:7 showing the blindness of the nations toward Israel’s promises! Like Lot was blind to the promises of Abraham.

Abram later rescued his nephew when five kings destroyed Sodom. After this encounter, Lot received an additional wake-up call to repentance, but again he chose the comfortable life.

As time went on Abram remained childless. Yet, he held on to promises like, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars… So shall your descendants be” (15:5). Abram and Sarai were between clinging to the promises of God and human desperation. Sarai became so desperate she even offered her Egyptian handmaid Hagar to her husband because “the LORD has prevented her from bearing children.” An act of a frustrated human.

In chapter 16 we read about the birth of Ishmael when Abram was 86 years old. By chapter 17, Abram had reached 99, Ishmael was 13 years old and all hope seemed lost for additional offspring. But it was at this time that God changed Abram’s name to Abraham. He made an unconditional covenant with him marked by circumcision and said, “I will establish My covenant between Me and you, and I will multiply you exceedingly… For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations” (17:2-5).

On the eighth day Jews circumcise their boys as a sign of entering the Abrahamic covenant. Arabs are also descendants of the 12-prince kingdom of Ishmael. Even today they circumcise their boys at age 13 like Ishmael. They are believed to be included in the borders from the brook of Egypt to the River Euphrates.

Finally, at the age of 100, Abraham began to understand that the promise could only be fulfilled supernaturally because Sarah was 90. Meaning, when our natural means switch off God’s super-natural means switch on!

Therefore, after hearing another promise Abraham was the first to laugh (17:17) – then Sarah.

Next week we’ll see Abraham’s biggest test of all.

Shabbat Shalom

Abstract of the commentary by Michael Schneider, Jerusalem

Commentary:
Already on sunset it starts. Neither eating or drinking is permitted till next sunset. “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the LORD your God” Leviticus 23:27-28
“It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.” Leviticus 16:31

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

Question to chabad.org: Since it is forbidden to fast on Shabbat, do we fast on Yom Kippur if it falls on Shabbat?

Answer: Your premise is correct; all other fast days are postponed until Sunday when they fall on Shabbat. 1 However, unlike all other fasts, Yom Kippur is not postponed, and is fully observed even on Shabbat. 2 The Torah dubs Yom Kippur, “Shabbat Shabbaton” — the “Shabbat of Shabbats,” 3 implying that it takes precedence over Shabbat.
According to chassidic teachings, Yom Kippur falling on Shabbat doesn’t “deprive” us of the pleasures — eating, drinking, resting, etc. — which Shabbat normally affords us. Rather the extremely holy nature of Yom Kippur accomplishes the same objectives, albeit in a higher, more spiritual manner.

The word “afflict your souls” is an interesting term in the Hebrew language: initem nafshotehem. Out of the same word root we get “torment the soul”, agony and also “poor in spirit.” How has the “affliction of soul” became fasting? See Isaiah 58. Here we find in verse 3 the word-paralell: ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ It address to the Yom Kippur fasting where we need humble our souls through fasting and prayers!

On Yom Kippur – according to Jewish tradition – the gates of heaven are been closed and so also the Books in front of God. God’s Judgment has fallen over man. Therefore we wish each other the blessing: “May you be signed and sealed in the book of life!”!

In the Ten Days of Repentance from Rosh HaShanah to Yom Kippur numerous times the shofar horn is blown (some say even 100 times) to awake man to penitence, that man should search his heart and ask God and man for forgiveness. In Israel on Yom Kippur the streets are free of traffic, no cars, and the people walking in white to synagogues plead for mercy of “Avinu malkeinu..” Our Father, our King!
Starting with the Kol Nidre prayer, when all the vows are loosed, until the Ne’ila-closing prayer where the assembly proclaim seven times “Adonai hu ha-Elohim – The Lord is God!” – concluded with the blowing of a shofar that breaks the fasting.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Insert * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Avinu Malkeinu – Our Father Our King (sung by Barbra Streisand)
Hear our prayer: We have sinned before Thee – Have compassion upon us and upon our children – Help us bring an end to pestilence, war, and famine – Cause all hate and oppression to vanish from the earth – Inscribe us for blessing in the Book Of Life – Let the new year be a good year for us.

„Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land.” Leviticus 25:9
“Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day.” Psalm 81:4.
Yes, from the Day of the Blowing (in Shofars; Yom Teru’a that is today called Rosh HaShanah) until the Feast and Fasting of Yom Kippur!

Chatima tova! – May you be signed and sealed in the book of life!
Michael Schneider

Kol Nidre by Neil Diamond

Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:
“Remember what Amalek did to you along the way as you came out of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 25:19) G-d wants us to be on fire in the way we serve Him, but Amalek, the enemy of G-d, wants to “cool” us off, enticing us to trade in our passion for walking in G-d’s way, with complacency with doing the bare minimum – a situation which truly spells disaster. – “I pray that we should never be to cool, we should always be on fire for the service of G-d”:

Shabbat Shalom

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:

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 rereward.”

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

Shabbat Shalom

The Shabbat after Tisha B’Av is also called “Shabbat Nachamu”, Shabbat of consolation, for now, after three weeks of mourning (Bejn haMejzarim – between the afflictions) to the destruction of the temple, seven weeks will follow in which the life in full color splendor is to return. “Nachamu Ami” (“Be comforted my people”) the people will sing …

… the Sabbath songs according to the Haftarah, see down.

Deuteronomy 3:23 – 7:11; Haftara: Isaiah 40:1-26

Extracts of the Commentary by Michael Schneider,
Israel today, Jerusalem:
Our weekly reading begins with a moving prayer by Moses requesting that God allow him to enter the Promised Land, despite his earlier sin of striking the rock for water when he was instructed to merely speak to it. Moses has been waiting most of his life to see the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel. The Lord is merciful, and grants Moses half of his request by letting him see in a supernatural way from Mount Nebo all of the land from the Golan in the north to the Negev in the south.

Moses knew his people, therefore he warned them strongly before he died: “Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live! Teach them to your children and to their children after them.” (4:9)

In chapter five Moses repeats the Ten Commandments, and in chapter six he reiterates the Torah’s Mega-Mitzvah: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (6:4-5 … Even today, those are the words a Jew recites before he dies.)

At the end of our reading Moses explains why God choose this people. Not because it is great and mighty, but rather the opposite is true: because it is the smallest of the nations! God Almighty chose Israel so that He could do mighty wonders and signs through this rebellious, stiff-necked people, because “in our weakness His power is perfected!”

Interestingly, all the readings from the prophets corresponding to the Torah readings through Deuteronomy, the fifth book of Moses, are from the Book Isaiah. Jesus and the apostles also often quoted from Isaiah (in Hebrew Yeshayahu – YAH will save).

This week’s reading from Isaiah starts with the words: “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. Speak kindly to Jerusalem; and call out to her, that her warfare has ended, that her iniquity has been removed, that she has received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.”

Yes, indeed, this people has received a double portion of punishment. But guess what? It also will receive a double portion of blessing!
(By the way, read verse 22 carefully and you will see clear biblical proof that the earth is round! – “He who sits above the circle of the earth.” No need for Leorndado Di Vinci’s “discovery.”)

Shabbat Shalom

Parasha Deuteronomy 1:1 till 3:22; Haftorah Isaiah 1:1 till 1:27

This week we decided to bring our readers a video commentary on the Haftorah, which is read from the book of Isaiah (Yeshayahu) 1:1-27, because this Shabbat is the Shabbat before Tisha B’av, the Ninth of the month of Av, which is the anniversary of the destruction of both the first and the second Temple (Bait HaMikdash):

Shabbat Shalom

Commentary:
In chapter 32 we read of the last preparations of the people of Israel on the east side of the Jordan River before entering the Promised Land. Two tribes, Reuben and Gad, asked Moses to get as their inheritance the lands east of the Jordan.

Moses reacted angrily: It could “discourage the Israelites from going over into the land the LORD has given them.” Moses feared other tribes would likewise prefer to remain where they were rather than fight for possession of the Land, and he reminded Reuben and Gad what happened when then Ten Spies brought the discouraging report about giants 40 years earlier. The agreed upon compromise was that Rueben and Gad would leave their women, children and livestock behind in the greener pastures east of the Jordan, while “every man, armed for battle, will cross over to fight before the LORD” until the whole land was captured.

An ancient Jewish text notes that “three divine gifts were given to the world: Wisdom, valor and riches. But if they are not given by God, they won’t endure.”

Reuben and Gad performed their duty, but did so with a look to their own capital, inwardly detaching themselves from their brothers in a way that would later see an outward implementation (see 1 Chronicle 5:25).

How does this relate to the mindset of European and American Jews today? Is it not often their material riches that keep them from immigrating to Israel and assisting in the building and defense of this nation?

Those who want to immigrate to Israel but cannot, they can be helped! But he who can and is not willing, he can’t be helped. While they were forcibly held in exile, they could reject the influence of the heathen environment. Yet in the moment, when they choose voluntarily to live in exile, the assimilation started to nibble at them; intermarriage and foreign cults unhinged them from their people and faith.

The Holocaust began in Germany, where the Jews at the time were more assimilated than in any other place. Theodor Herzl’s “The Jew State” was first published in German, therefore the German Jews were the first that the idea of the Zionism was proposed to, but they rejected it. Their comfort and wealth in Germany were more important to them than returning back to the land of the forefathers.

In our reading from the prophets we see an interesting parallel: As with the Second Lebanon War the summer before last, and now new threats from Hizballah and Iran, we read in Jeremiah chapter one: “Out of the north the evil will break forth on all the inhabitants of the land” (verse 14). Not a coincidence!

What a word of comfort the prophet Jeremiah gives in verse 5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

… in conclusion, an encouraging word to the people of Jerusalem (Jeremiah 2:2): “I remember concerning you the devotion of your youth, the love of your betrothals, your following after Me in the wilderness…”

Abstract of the Commentary by
Michael Schneider, israel today, Jerusalem:

This Shabbat’s Torah reading is about Korah’s rebellion. Korah descends from the Levitical family of Kehat. Altogether, there were 250 renowned men that “rose up” against Moses by doubting his and Aaron’s authority as the chosen national leaders.
As if the separation of the Levites by God Himself was not enough, this family

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Video Commentary by Rabbi Chaim Richman, The Temple Institute, Jerusalem:
What is the meaning of the Torah’s reference to the mysterious “covenant of salt?” (Numbers 17:19) Salt can be lifeless and deadly. It can also preserve, enhance and provide nourishment. Each one of us has within us an aspect of salt, the potential for lifelessness and the potential to enhance and increase life, thereby forging our own “covenant of salt” with G-d…

within the Levitical tribe did not want to tolerate any human authority. (“Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has separated you from the rest of the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to minister to them; and that He has brought you near, Korah, and all your brothers, sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking for the priesthood also?” verses 9-10)

Korah, Dathan and Abiram complain against Moses, but Moses defends God’s decision to appoint Aaron. Moses was not keen on being the only leader of the camp. That became apparent in his reaction to Eldad and Medad when they started prophesying. Moses responded to them: “Would that all the LORD’S people were prophets…” (11:29).

But Moses was not threatened, and even when Korah led his rebellion against him, Moses remained humble and brought the issue before God.
Moses’ humble response was followed by undeniable supernatural justice: “The ground that was under them split open; and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men who belonged to Korah with their possessions” (verses 31-32).

God is a God of justice and Moses knew it. When the people murmured again (17:6), God punished them with a plague. Aaron brought an atonement for the sins of the people with an incense offering and stood “between the dead and the living” for the plague to stop.

Subsequently, we read about God’s order to collect the rods of each tribe. The appointment of Aaron was confirmed among the murmuring and rebellious people: “The rod of the man whom I choose will sprout” (17:5). Almonds sprouted on Aaron’s rod! His rod became “a sign against the rebels” and was kept as a reminder.

Shabbat Shalom

Here is the entire story in a small animation film: