Verses 1-3 – Chapter 21 is by its very construction an unusual chapter. After 30 days of mourning the death of Aharon Yisra’el is attacked by King Arad – H6166 – wild donkey – sovereign of the Kena’anites attacked Yisra’el because he had heard that they were coming on the way to Atharim and even took some captives. The interesting part of this story is “on the way to Atharim – אֲתַָרִים : the phrase should really read “the way of the spies”. This is alluding to “the way of the spies” when they went into the Promised Land to spy out the land. This probably relates to a military strategy of posting lookouts on the route that the spies took in case they ever returned by the same route. I am sure at this point that King Arad thought that the Yisra’elites had strengthened their army enough that they were now ready to invade Kena’an.

Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 21 →

Lesson date: 03/02/5857AA

This chapter has a most unlikely hero and also an odd prophet and an even stranger villian but for me it is a beautiful tale of YHVH appearing to His servants in the most unlikely of ways.

Verses 1-4 – After the Children of Yisra’el’s run in with Sihon and Og they have camped along the Jorden River opposite Jericho and draw the attention of Balaq son of Tsippor: H1111 – בּלק – bâlâq -BDB Definition: Balak = “devastator”, waster. Now, with a really cool sobriqet like “devastator” you would expect him to be the son of Rambo or Terminator but unfortunately for him he is the son of sparrow: H6834 – צפּור – tsippôr – BDB Definition: Zippor = “sparrow”. This may be one of the reasons that he seems to be afraid of the Children of Yisra’el instead of sending messengers to go and speak with the leaders of Yisra’el. Here is little something very special: Pro 26:2 As a bird wanders, as a swallow flies about, So a curse without cause does not come. Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 22 →

Lesson date: 03/07/5857AA

Before I started on this study guide I went back to the first study guide I printed for the qahal and it was this chapter. I began comparing what I wanted to say to what I had already written and thought, “Not too shabby”. The study guide was completed about Aviv 20, 5854AA. It’s been 3 years and roughly 2 months since I began writing study guides. I don’t know how to “judge” that. Is it an accomplishment? It is obvious I will not win an award for the most chapters of Torah read in a single year. On thinking back to where we were then and comparing that to where we are now I remembered 2016’s Sabbatical Year. I never felt prouder of being with any group of people in the world than I was with you guys at Sukkot that year, standing and sitting, on the Main Street corner and reading Torah to the whole town. We received a wide range of reactions, shock, dismay, curiousity, acceptance, yelling and rebuke to name just a few. We are now just 2 years away from the next Sabbatical year and I am looking forward to it. The world is changing so fast I have to ask, “Where will we be in 2 years?” “Will we still be able to openly read Scripture?” Next time it my gets us shot, stoned or arrested. No joke. Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 23 →

Lesson date: 03/08/5857AA

Verse 1 – טוֹב בְעֵינֵי יהוה לְבָּרֵךְ אֶת־ ישְרָּאֵל This is a very important phrase and we need to remember it.

• The word in blue is H2895 – Tove or Tobe – good
• The word in yellow is H5869 – ‘ayin – eye. The initial בְ (beyt) is a prefix that means “in”.
• The word in red is H853 – eyth – the infamous definite article of a direct object.
• The word in Magenta No.5 is H3478 – Yisra’el

Toḇ b’ayney יהוה l’ḇareḵ et Yisra’ĕl – It is good in His, YHVH’s eyes to bless Yisra’el.

Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 24 →

Lesson date: 03/17/5857AA

Verse 1 – The name Shittim- H7851 = the place of acacias. Did you notice anything? Do you hear the Children of Yisra’el complaining about where they are? There is a reason for that and it is found in the second part of the verse: the people began to whore with the daughters of Mo’ab”. Whore = zanah (H2181) and it specifically refers to the Bride of YHVH committing spiritual adultery more than physical adultery. This why why Exodus 20:5 is worded so exactly: … “For I, יהוה your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,”

The word Zanah comes from a primitive root that has a special connotation: “Highly fed and therefore wanton.” In other words all their needs are met now all they want women. And, because the worship of Ba’al involved sexual orgies the Yisra’elites found what they were looking for. Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 25 →

Lesson date: 3/23/5857AA

Verses 1-4 – The journey to the Promised Land is coming to an end. Miriam is dead, as is Aharon and 24,000 people just died in a plague and YHVH tells Mosheh it is time to take a census once again. Any good military commander would want to know exactly how many combat aged troops He has at His Command. Think about it, it is not long before Mosheh himself will die and only Yehoshua and Kaleb will there to command the Army of Elohim, the Army of Yisra’el. The phrase “Take a census” we have looked at before – שְאוּ אֶת־ראֹּש – ‘seu et rosh’ – The word “ ‘sue” is from the root word “nasa” – H5375 and is in the qal imperative form so the initial “nun” drops off and is translated as “lift up”. The whole phrase is Lift up the(H853) head: Joh_3:14 “And as Mosheh lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so the Son of Aḏam has to be lifted up, To show that indeed our Head was lifted up: Eph 5:23 Because the husband is head of the wife, as also the Messiah is head of the assembly, and He is Saviour of the body.

Look at these verses from a military point of view instead of some hidden deep theological meaning. Each division (tribe) will form up in parade formation and company by company Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 26 →

Lesson date: 4/1/5857AA

Verses 1-11 – There are many things that I admire about the daughters of Tselophhad. First, was their courage. Tselophhad was an Yira’elite, from the Tribe of Menashsheh, that had come up out of Mitsrayim and died in the wilderness. He had 5 daughters and no sons. Mosheh had outlined the process for each family to have an inheritance in the Promised Land and it made no provision for this situation where there was no male heir. If the daughters of Tselophhad had not spoken up then this would have denied them an inheritance and the loss of their father’s name. They did not sneak around and asked Mosheh on the sly but rather boldly went before Mosheh, El’azar and the entire congregation of Yisra’el, which had it been me I think I would have felt somewhat intimidated: Heb 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was tried in all respects as we are, apart from sin.

Heb 4:16 Therefore, let us come boldly to the throne of favour, in order to receive compassion, and find favour for timely help.

Secondly, their knowledge of Torah. They did not wish for their father’s name to be forgotten Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 27 — The Daughters of Tselophhad Should Be Our Example →

Lesson date: 4/8/5857AA

In reading Chapter 28 you have to ask yourself, “Why is YHVH repeating the sacrifices now?” And the answer would be, “Because the old generation has died out that performed the sacrifices around Mt. Sinai and need to hear this instruction for the “new” generation of the Children of Yisra’el.” Remember, at this time, the generation of Yisra’elite men have not even been circumcised and won’t be until after they cross the Jordan River and enter into the Promised Land.

Verses 1-2 – the word for “command” is H6680 – צוה – tsâvâh – BDB Definition: 1) to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order. This word is a military term to show Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 28 →

Lesson date: 2/11/5854AA

Num 30:1  And Mosheh spoke to the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Yisra’ĕl, saying, “This is the word which יהוה has commanded:

From this first verse of scripture I want to look at 2 words; tribes and commanded.

The Hebrew word for tribes is – ‘ha-mattoth’ – which is the plural of the word (‘ha’ just means ‘the’) מַּטָּּה mattah – Strong’s H4294 meaning, ‘a staff, rod, branch, a tribe, a branch of a vine’ which comes from the primitive root נָּטָּה natah – Strong’s H5186 meaning, ‘to stretch out, spread out, extend, incline’. This word is for all the ‘tribes’ (branches) of Yisra’ĕl – all who have ‘spread out’. Why is this important?

Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 30 →

Lesson date: 04/22/5857AA

Verses 1-2 – The above phrase is “Naqam neqamat” ((H5358 – H5360)) which means “take vengeance”. Idt is a command. If you read Verse 2 carefully YHVH is telling Mosheh, “Mosheh, I have one last assignment for you before you die, take vengeance on the Midyanites: Deu 32:35 Vengeance is Mine, and repayment, At the time their foot slips; For near is the day of their calamity, And the matters prepared are hastening to them.’

Vengeance is according to YHVH’s timing, not ours.

I can’t go into all the details but, in March of 1981, only weeks after President Reagan was sworn into office, there was an assassination attempt on President Reagan and I went into a hissy fit about George H.W. (Short for Hell is Waiting) Bush wanting to assassinate Reagan to be President in order to institute is evil agenda. My dad very patiently listened to me and went I was tired or out of breath he told me, “Son, I know you know all this is true but one day the Great Equalizer is coming Continue reading Bemidbar (Numbers) 31 →