Lemuel's Life Lessons

What Is Worship-13 Shevat 5771

2011-01-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

I recently had a discussion about worship with someone. I didn’t get a chance to finish it yet, but I believe the point was the old, “if Jesus isn’t G-d, why did he receive worship from people?” All in all that is actually a very good question. Why would someone who was not G-d let someone worship him or her? We do have the example of the angel in Revelation (22:8-9) “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, ‘You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.’” Now that indeed does make it clear. The angel was very quick to address John’s actions to correct him. So in Mat (14:33) where the text reads, “And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of G-d.’” that would be a proof-text that Yeshua is G-d.

Our problem here is the word worship. We have this preconceived idea that worship is the reverential acknowledgement of deity. And this does goes without saying. But, it stops a little short. Here is what Daniel Webster has to say. Including the previous it is also; to regard with great, even extravagant respect, honor, or devotion. Technically then, when someone is honored by receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, that could be called worship.

In the Hebrew or the Greek I do not know a word that actually means worship. I know words for prostrate, bow, honor, and serve, revere. And actually, these are the words in the Hebrew and Greek that get translated as worship. I can use all of these words with anyone. It would then be our own opinion as to whether worship (as we have come to think of it) is what is being given or received.

OK. Example time. In the passage above (Mat 14:33), what were the disciples doing? In Mat 18:26 we find the parable of the wicked servant. “So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'” What was the servant doing? According to the Greek he was doing the exact same thing the disciples were doing.

The two words, from the ESV, translated ‘worshipped’ in Matthew 14 is the same as the word translated as ’imploring’ in Matthew 18. This is Strong’s #4352-

Strong’s definition: G4352 (35x)

proskuneō (pros-koo-neh'-o)

From G4314 and probably a derivative of G2965 (meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master’s hand); to fawn or crouch to, that is, (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore): - worship.

Thayer Definition:

1) to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence

2) among the Orientals, especially the Persians, to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence

3) in the NT by kneeling or prostration to do homage (to one) or make obeisance, whether in order to express respect or to make supplication

3a) used of homage shown to men and beings of superior rank

3a1) to the Jewish high priests 3a2) to God 3a3) to Christ 3a4) to heavenly beings 3a5) to demons

When this word is used in reference to G-d it is obvious that we are acknowledging the Divine nature of G-d. When this word or the Hebrew equivalent is used in reference to idols it is irrelevant whether it is translated worship or prostrate. G-d said don’t do either. When it is in regard to men it should only be translated prostrate in regards to honoring. When it refers to Yeshua? I’m not going to give my opinion. Does the Bible REALLY say that he is G-d? References please. Shalom uvrachah, Lemuel

What In The World Is Going On Here?- 2 Shevat 5771

2011-01-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

As a general rule, I hate computers. And I am not sure that Facebook is really helping it to win my affections. On the one hand, I am kind of isolated so it does give me connection to like-minded people. On the other hand, I read a lot of things that would have been better off unread. The majority of my “friends” are of the “Hebrew Roots, Torah based, believe the Bible as the Word of G-d” type people. There is a basic anti-church type sentiment, which goes along with being hurt by, let’s say, misguided truth, a fair dose of pagan phobia, and a lot of Bible only doers.

Being of the “Hebrew Roots, Torah based, believe the Bible as the Word of G-d” group is a good thing. Here we have people who have searched out the basis of their faith and found it to be Jewish in the beginning. They are returning to the only faith the Bible talks about in a good tone of voice.

The anti-church sentiment is something we need to get over. I had to come to the realization that the teachings I sat under were not a plot to deceive me. They were generally honest beliefs and understandings of the teachers. Like it or not, they are our brothers and sisters and the Torah and our Master said to love our brethren. Granted, this does not mean that we are going to get along with them. That is a different issue.

Pagan phobia is a whole monster in itself. This is where there is a highly intentional aversion to doing anything that might of at one time or another had some basis in paganism. Now, mind you, I am absolutely NOT advocating any form of paganism, but we have really got to get a grip on this. It is way out of hand. I don’t know if there is a single thing that one couldn’t find some kind of connection to paganism.

Bible only doers. This is a problem. There is not enough information in the Bible to make this a realistic faith. This admonition is pointed at those of us who belong to the “walking in the way of Torah” group. I have seen way too many conversations of the “Bible says this” and the “this is what this passage means” type arguments that it is very discouraging. We don’t need to start a new religion. This religion is thousands of years old. The problem is that most people don’t like, to put it mildly, the words ‘tradition, oral, sages, or rabbis’. It is like they are some kind of curse to be avoided at all cost.

Do we not see what is happening? How will we ever become a unified entity if everyone is doing what is right in their own eyes. We have people determining their own New Moons, people who think tzitzit on belt loops is acceptable, at the slightest inkling someone picks up a shofar and starts blowing it at the moon. We pitch around our variations of the Name of G-d against the commandment even arguing the correct pronunciations. Our Messiah never did this. Do we even care to try to find out what the correct observance of the things we are doing is? Do we really think we will provoke jealousy in anyone when we have such disregard for what they believe?

We are no different from the Christian assemblies that we have complained about. They chucked the ways of the Torah and the original faith. So have we. The Torah says to obey the decisions of the priests and judges. (Deut 17:8-13) Since they are not around, the last known decisions are in effect. When we stop making up our own rules and decide to humble ourselves and follow after the standards of normative Judaism maybe we will really become something to be envious over. G-d told us to be obedient to the authority He set up. That’s not you or me. In Mat 23:2-3 Yeshua tells the people to obey the leaders even if they are not righteous in their actions. I don’t care what you do in your homes but we need to be careful teaching against tradition when we don’t know a thing about tradition.
Peace and blessing, Lemuel.

Let The Light Shine Through- 12 Tevet 5771

2010-12-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I am a handyman by profession and one of my favorite chores is washing windows. There is this immediate satisfaction seeing a dirty window transformed into a clear sparkling piece of glass. One thing you just are not supposed to do though is to wash windows with the sun shining on them. It is almost impossible to get a streak-free window if you do. So they need to be washed when the sun is not on them. That means that you don’t really know how good a job you did until the sun comes through. That’s when streaks and other abnormalities show up. Washing windows is a matter of trust. My part is to make sure that the squeegee rubbers are in good shape and that my rags are lint-free and that my washing solution is clean and a good mix. Then I just wash, doing what I know is the right way to wash them. If I do all that right, when the sun starts coming through they should be sparkling and streak-free.

I thought today how much our life that we show to people is like window cleaning. If I live my life according to the teachings of G-d’s Word I don’t need to worry about what people are going to see when they see me exposed by what I profess. My life will be transparent and free from the streaks of hypocrisy. But if I allow myself to be influenced into areas of mediocrity in my walk of faith; to take short cuts and compromise my ethical standards; to fudge on the commandments of G-d, it will be revealed to the onlookers in life.

The light of the Word of G-d will always shine through our lives and reveal to others who we really are. In Matthew 12 Yeshua said, “The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." And in Luke 6, "For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” We can only hide who we are from ourselves and it comes by hardening our hearts to the things of G-d and living a life of righteousness according to our own making.

May our Master never say to us, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)

Time To Take Your Medicine-16 Kislev 5771

2010-11-23T06:47:00.001-08:00

Don’t you just hate it when your advice comes back to get you? Carrie was about to leave this morning to do some errands and I wasn’t quite ready to see her off. She said, “Well, you’ll be done in a minute, I’ll just wait to kiss you.” I said, “Yeah, it might be the last kiss we get.” That was it. Ouch. I had just spent a whole day two days ago feeling sorry for myself because of some circumstances (that, of course, are always insignificant in the scheme of things) and lost everything that the day could have had.

As a general rule, I do look past the things that go on (gam zu latovah, this too, is for the good) and look for the things to learn and improve myself in. But, every once in awhile my yetzer harah (evil inclination) gets me and down I go. The worst part is that I don’t usually go alone. For some reason everyone around me seems to go down too. Boy does that really help with the guilt.

In a way, having these times is also a good thing. Not that the L-RD would want me be a spoiled brat, but this also is a time to grow. I see in it that I am far, far away from where I will be one day, bezrat Hashem, (with the help of the L-RD) and it’s a great opportunity to grow in my humility. May the L-RD give me 20-20 vision to see my faults and not be afraid to confront them.

Did You Brush Your Hair? -7 Kislev 5771

2010-11-14T07:39:00.000-08:00

I have to admit; sometimes I take shortcuts in getting myself ready to go someplace. It’s not so much that I don’t care it’s just that I don’t really care. I’m just not the primping kind. Carrie and I were going out the other day and she looked at me and asked if I had brushed my hair. I told her that I had kind of straightened it up. Then she asked if I had brushed my ponytail. I told her that I had felt it and it felt all right. She told me that that was the problem with the faith of so many people. They don’t really look at their faith. Their faith is more a matter of feeling than of what it actually looks like. It may feel OK but it’s not OK.

That reminded me of a visual aid I had done in a class I was teaching one time. I don’t remember where the example came from. I used a football representing our feelings and a Bible representing our faith. Placing the football on the floor and trying to balance the Bible on top I was showing what happens when we build our faith on our feelings. As our feelings change our faith also moves and changes with no stability to what we believe. But if you put the Bible down first and the ball on top (I wouldn’t do this trick now, I don’t think I could put a ball on a Bible or a Bible on the floor) your feelings can do whatever they want. Your faith is unaffected by your feelings. Your foundation is solid and unchangeable. Just the way faith should be.

Hence, the problem with so much of modern evangelism. I see billboards and signs with pictures of people suffering from traumatic experiences of some kind with captions that read, “Give Jesus a try, or G-d can fix anything.” And that is absolutely true. G-d can fix anything. But will He? People are being encouraged into something based on a feeling without knowledge. And when it doesn’t work out the way one might like, what happens to faith? It falls off the football. Faith is a matter of having a relationship with our Creator and being faithful to Him no matter what our circumstances. Our actions bring about consequences that are apt to remain with us the rest of our lives. G-d might change them and He might not. That does not change what our response to Him should be. He will never change. Shouldn’t we be like Him?

May we all be encouraged to know G-d as He has revealed Himself and not add to Him the things that we want Him to be. That’s kind of like idolatry. Let our faith be firm and enduring to the end. Our feelings will be put in order by our faith.

Sometimes It’s Just Hard- 28 Cheshvan 5771

2010-11-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

As I write this, we have just heard that the son of friends of ours has just died after many months of struggling for his life. I talked to another friend today and she was really missing her mom today. She died several months ago. And then she told me that another acquaintance had just found out that their 2-year-old daughter had leukemia. What discouraging news. And of course, the big question, why? Why do these things happen? How come we can’t do anything to find the cures for these problems? Illness and disease continue go devastate humanity without rhyme or reason and we are virtually helpless to do anything about them. Is there an answer for all of this?

Of course, one is that we live in a fallen world. All of this is a result of our desire to do wrong and it is the effect of our own choice. That’s not a bad thought. G-d’s desire for our life has kind of been side stepped because of what we wanted? His hand of protection is limited because of our choice to decide our destiny? The culmination of our circumstances is the result of the choices that we have made and now they are being worked out to its fruition? I don’t have an answer. All is speculation.

As I have thought on this today an interesting thought came to mind. What in the world was the nachash (serpent) doing in the garden? Wasn’t that the Garden that the L-RD planted to the east? Didn’t He take the man that He created and place him there? Wasn’t it good? How did the serpent get there? Wasn’t that the worst possible thing that could have ever happened to humanity?

We are not without understanding even though we don’t have answers. What we have is what Paul said, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” (1Th 4:13-14) We have hope and faith in our Creator that He is working out His plan and that it WILL come to pass. We still grieve. We still cry and miss those we love. We will hope and trust.

Let us weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15) and be a blessing. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2Co 1:3)

To my beloved friends: I weep with you. My heart breaks over your anguish and loss. May the peace of our beloved Father comfort you in this time and may you find rest in the shadow of His wings.

Watch Out For The Edge Of The Path-25 Cheshvan 5771

2010-11-02T18:30:00.000-07:00

It’s leaf-blowing season here in central Arkansas. I enjoy blowing leaves. It is instant gratification of the work being done. I was blowing leaves the other day on a little winding path going down a hill to a lake. As I got to the bottom I didn’t want to blow leaves into the lake so I stepped off the path to blow them across the path into the woods. The leaves were a little damp and slippery and as I stepped on them my foot slid right out from under me. One of my knees is not in great shape and as that leg folded in half and I came crashing down and sat on my foot all I could do was lie on the ground and say, “Oh boy, that really hurts.” After about five minutes I could finally get up and hobbled up the hill. My knee and my ankle were pretty sore.

That evening Carrie put some of that great horse liniment on it and I went to sleep for the night. Lying inactive didn’t help much. Every time I got up and in the morning my leg was really sore. It kind of worked out a little during the day but I think it’s going to be a while before it gets better. I have got to be more careful.

That path is a lot like our walk in faith. As long as we stay on the path things are going to be all right. The path is well marked and there usually isn’t much on it to trip us up. The edge is the problem. That’s where the trouble starts. There are things that you can’t see. They are hidden under the leaves. Sticks to trip you. Holes to stumble in. There are actually things off the path that want you to come off the path. Sometimes it’s not so easy to get back to the path once we get off of it. Even worse, there may not be anyone off the edge to help us.

That’s why we have to continue busying ourselves with the things of G-d. Study, prayer, acts of loving-kindness. Setting our sights upon our Master who has gone before us. He has shown us how to live. He has shown us the things that bring us closer to our Father in Heaven. The more focused on these the less likely we are to wander near the edge.

Luk 18:22- When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

Oh No, Look At My Tzitzit-19 Cheshvan 5771

2010-10-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

I was stripping the stain off a deck the other day in preparation for restaining. I had stained it about four years ago and it was really ready. The stain was faded and black mildew or mold, whatever it is, was growing all over it. I soaked everything really good with the striping chemicals so everything would come off easy and the wood would look great. Sure enough it worked. My shirt was a mess from leaning over the railing to pressure wash. I looked at my shirt and then I saw my tzitzit. I pulled up my shirt a little. My kattan was a mess. It and my tzitzit were both a yucky brown.

I washed out my tzitzit at home (I’m going to have to tie some more) and set them to dry. In the morning they still looked pretty bad and now they were kind of stiff, too.

I got to thinking that this was kind of how life goes. Hashem put us here to be people who bring glory to Him. We live in this world so a little bit of it is going to get on us. But as with my tzitzit, I don’t need to soak in it. We need to guard ourselves from things that aren’t going to wash out. If I allow myself to become too involved with things of this world and allow them to become priorities in my life, I start becoming a little ‘stiff’ around the neck and all of a sudden I don’t want to do the things I should be doing.

Of course, they are not bad things. But isn’t that subjective? A line from Ashrei comes to mind. ‘Hashem protects all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.’ It appears that if you don’t love Him, you are in the category of wicked. To love Him is to do the things He has asked us to do. To long to please Him. To be the people He desires us to be and to long for the coming redemption. I kind of forget about that sometimes. I sure am glad for His faithfulness. I know that He will take me to that place that He wants me to be and my stains will be washed white as snow. Unlike my tzitzit.

It’s For Horses-9 Cheshvan 5771

2010-10-17T12:03:00.001-07:00

I’ve been having a little trouble with one of my knees. It gets a little sore from time to time. Carrie, bless her, always wants to make things better, if possible. So she got me some liniment to rub on it. It supposed to help. As I looked at the directions, she asked me what I thought. I responded, “It’s for horses.” She told me that that didn’t matter, what did it say to do? So sarcastically I said, “Start at the hoof…”

You know, that is the majority of scripture though. It doesn’t really apply to us as Gentiles. The majority of the text, including the ‘Apostolic Writings’, is to the people of Israel. So how do we use it? Do I just apply it using the general directions and make changes where it doesn’t seem to fit? Should I take everything literally? How do I know the difference? If I don’t know exactly what they’re talking about should I just replace it with what seems to make sense? I know these are things a lot of us have gone through or are going through. Or worse, have yet still to go through.

I shared in a recent article how Carrie spent a lot of time researching our ‘church’ history and was a little shocked to find out what brought about the separation between Jewish believers and the Gentile believers and how, unfortunately, the church has grown up in the footsteps of their Gentile fathers. Now, lest anyone be misled, I love my brothers and sisters in Messiah, but it does sadden me, and occasionally irritates me, that a lot of believers don’t really care where their faith started. They are happy to be blissfully ignorant of their faith, interpreting scripture from a 21^st century viewpoint being helped out by lots of modern theologians without a Hebrew name in the bunch.

Our faith started in Judaism and Judaism is the only religion of Scripture. Jews wrote the text of the apostolic writings with a Hebraic mindset and needs to be understood from that understanding. The things written were about real issues that were going on and we need to know what those were. Without these understandings we are only speculating and in reality making a G-d of our own design. One example being the Sabbath Day which has been removed from Christianity, replaced by Sunday, and given such high regard one might think it was actually a commandment.

Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-- one Lord, one faith, one immersion, one G-d and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

I read this passage everyday in our prayer time and often wonder; one body, one faith? Where? When? When we actually apply the product according to the directions.

What Is Our Obligation? A Follow Up Report-5 Cheshvan 5771

2010-10-12T18:15:00.000-07:00

In ‘Is It really Redundant?” I commented on our obligation to the commandments of G-d. Some have asked what we are obligated to? This is a great question and one of much debate in Messianic Judaism and Judaism both. There is really not a lot that is actually written to Gentiles in the Scriptures. I have often heard people claim lots of blessing type passages from the Tanach or my personal favorite; The Law is written on my heart. That’s not for us either. That’s a promise to the Jews. So, what parts then can I cling to? What does apply to me? Am I just a believer in the Messiah without any participation in the faith of the scriptures? As a Gentile follower of Yeshua of Nazareth, Paul has said that I have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. Well, kind of. (Eph 2:12ff) What does that mean? To be part of the commonwealth would mean that I am a citizen along with the people of Israel. (Eph 2:19)

There is an interesting phrase that shows up in scripture, which reads, ‘the stranger who dwells among you’ or ‘the stranger who sojourns among you’. (Ex 12:48; 12:49; 20:10; Lev 16:29; 17:10; 18:26; 24:22 to name a few) The word stranger is the Hebrew word ‘ger’ (גר) Strongs #H1616 If you have a search program and can search the word ger, you will find this phrase. You will also find the phrase, ’the stranger who dwells within your gates’. (Deu 14:21 These are two different groups of people. The English translation of the Hebrew in the Chumash would translate ‘ger’ as proselyte in one case but as a stranger or sojourner in another. As Rick Spurlock (BereansOnline.org) points out in his teaching on Galatians, this is anachronistically applied since the word proselyte comes from the Greek word ‘proselutos’ which wasn’t a word until the Septuagint came into being in the 3^rd century BCE.

In Lev 19:34 it says,’ You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the

L-RD your G-d. Both of the words stranger are ger, but which ger? Surely the strangers in Egypt were not proselytes, were they? Two passages used to bother a dear friend of mine.

Lev 17:15 And every person who eats what dies of itself or what is torn by beasts, whether he is a native or a sojourner, shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening; then he shall be clean.

Deu 14:21 "You shall not eat anything that has died naturally. You may give it to the sojourner who is within your towns, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. For you are a people holy to the L-RD your G-d. "You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.

Both words sojourner are the word ger. Why can one be given the meat to eat and the other if he eats he becomes unclean? You will notice the phrase ‘who is within your towns’ in the Deut passage. He may eat. He is not ‘dwelling among them’. Although the passage from Lev does not say ‘dwelling among you’ the juxtaposition of sojourner with native I feel would imply that. He may not eat

So what about our obligation? All the passages that contain the phrase ‘who dwells among you’ all have commandments that one might say are only binding upon the people of Israel, but the text bears out that one who dwells among them are also bound to the same commandments. Even though I am not actually dwelling with the people of Israel, I am spiritually a part of the people of Israel. (Rom 4:11; 9:6ff) I have proclaimed as Ruth, ‘Your people shall be my people and your G-d shall be my G-d.’ We have been grafted in among the natural branches and are partakers of the nourishing root of the olive tree. (Rom 11:17ff) I therefore dwell among them and am bound to the commandments of G-d. Of course, all of them are not applicable to all as there is no Temple, no Sanhedrin, and various other conditions that might apply.

It’s Not Real Time- 2 Cheshvan 5771

2010-10-10T18:30:00.000-07:00

Carrie and I subscribe to myzmanim.com. It is great. We can print out the whole year with all the prayer times, sunrise, sunset, earliest tallit, latest Sh’ma, all kinds of great information. It is printed according to the lunar calendar and at the top it even tells you whether or not you are on daylight savings time.

This morning Carrie and I were discussing how it seemed dark later in the morning and she remembered that we generally would have set our clocks back already, but now it is in about three weeks. I commented that we were actually on daylight savings time now and would be going back to standard time to which she informed me that she was born on ‘real’ time, being born in November. I informed her that I also was born on ‘real' time and she let me know that I wasn’t. “You were born in August, time changes in the spring and fall. August is in the summer.” She was right. I was not born during ‘real’ time. Maybe that’s why I have so much trouble scheduling.

This made me think though about our walk in faith. We came into modern Christianity and after several years started finding out that the things we believed and did weren’t exactly the way things started. I began questioning where what we believed came from. I don’t know about you, but our house was not a exactly Gan Eden during those examining days.

I started studying Greek because I didn’t like the translators seeming agendas. I didn’t get to far. Hebrew kind of took its place. That’s going a little better. Carrie started reading every book she could come across about church history. It is rather amazing the things that we don’t know about our faith. How can two thousand years be wrong? How indeed!

So here we are ‘born’ during daylight savings time and trying to figure out ‘real’ time. We’re walking somewhere between Judaism and Christianity trying to place Yeshua into the context of 1^st century Judaism along with the text of the apostolic writings. These are exciting times. On occasion discussions get a little deep and maybe a little excited. But what could be better than speaking of the ways of G-d? It would have been much easier to be born into the understanding our brethren had during the first century instead of having to try to sort it out though.

Fortunately, we do have a great number of teachers who are searching out our roots and helping to give context to our faith. May the L-RD bless them with wisdom and discernment.

May we always remember that we are not alone. There are multitudes of small fellowships throughout the world returning to the ways of Torah and the faith of our Messiah. Bezrat Hashem (with the help of the L-RD) we will never stop striving to find our way back to where we belong.

It’s Not Real Time- 2 Cheshvan 5771

Is It Really Redundant? A Special Report- 29 Tishrei 5771

2010-10-07T17:34:00.000-07:00

Carrie and I attended a teaching a couple of weeks ago and the Rabbi shared that there are some groups who have removed the v’hayah im shamoa portion from the Kriat Sh’ma on the grounds that it is redundant. He actually mentioned that the Tzitzit portion had also been removed by some, but it was coming back.

If you are not familiar with the Kriat Sh’ma, it is the recitation of the Shema in the daily prayers of Judaism and others who follow in the expression of Judaism. It contains three scriptural passages from Deuteronomy 6:5-9; Deuteronomy 11:13-21; Numbers 15:37 –41. The passage I am speaking of is Deuteronomy 11:13-21.

The first passage (Deut 6) contains a lot of “you” type commandments. The second passage (Deut 11) also contains a lot of “you” type commandments. If you give the two passages a reading in the English you might have to agree that they pretty much say the same thing. So why repeat it? The problem is the English. The “yous” of the first passage in the Hebrew reveal that they are written in the second person singular. The “yous” of the second passage go back and forth between the second person singular and the second person plural with the majority and the “redundant” parts being mainly the second person plural. If you are not familiar with grammar, the first person singular is “you guy” while the second person plural is “yous guys”.

What, might you ask, is the difference of what got said? The basic context of Deut 6 is, do these things and you (singular) will live well in the Land. The context of Deut 11 is, you shall do as a people, and then gives several blessings and curses for either obedience or disobedience. While there are some things that an individual is responsible to carry out, there are also sometimes the same things that people as a group are responsible to carry out. This brings up an interesting point then of the obligation of one another to do be obedient to the commandments of G-d without succumbing to the pier pressure around us and to correct and instruct those who may be wandering off the track. The nation as a whole will suffer the consequences of disobedience even if the nation as a whole is not being disobedient. The same holds true on the other hand. There will be times when the disobedient will be partakers of the national blessing.

These passages teach us that we have an obligation to our brethren to walk in obedience to the commandments of G-d. Not just for our sake, but for the sake of those around us. We also have an obligation to teach, encourage and correct those around us who are walking in disobedience to the commandments of G-d. I personally have always hoped that if I were walking in disobedience to the word of G-d someone would help point that out to me. I have found out that this is actually not a common practice. There seems to be some twisted belief that mentioning error is judging your brother and we all know what Yeshua said. The problem is that pointing out error is not judging. Making an accusation to the motivation of the error though, is judging.

We have an obligation to one another so that we can walk as close to our Maker as possible and to let someone wander in darkness is wrong and we will be held accountable for doing that. There is an enormous population of Jews who are peaceably being ‘exterminated’ through assimilation as well as those of the body of Messiah. Our Master has called us to walk a narrow path. His call to discipleship is not a casual and passive relationship.

Redundant and irrelevant? What in the world is going on? May I never find the Words of G-d so and may they remain a call to radical change in my life to His ways and not as a feel good way to make my life comfortable.

Were There No Graves In Hot Springs Village? - 19 Tishrei 5771

2010-09-27T18:37:00.000-07:00

Heaven forbid anyone would think that we were not having a great Sukkot. We have enjoyed great fellowship, wonderful food, meeting people, having fun, stimulating and thought provoking conversations, people getting engaged, joyous celebration, praying with others, piling up my shoes with 48 other people. I don’t know if it gets better than that. But, I can still relate with the children of Israel. East Texas was a little warm and I had to ask Carrie, ‘Were there no graves in Hot Springs Village that you brought me to East Texas to die?’ At least we didn’t kick the sukkah!

It just goes to show you how one can take different directions with their attitude. We can see the good in what has been given or we can see the bad. It is kind of interesting how when we look at the bad we don’t see the good and likewise when we see the good we don’t often see the bad.

Carrie is always so good about saying, ‘Well, at least it’s not…’ I can recall looking at her and saying, ‘Stop that. I want to be miserable.’ But feeling miserable is only throwing myself a big pity party and generally nobody else wants to attend. It is the opportunity Hashem has given to us to overcome the yetzer hara (evil inclination). As Aaron Eby said, ‘It is a great mitzvah to rejoice always.’

So, no matter what happens, we are celebrating G-d’s provision for us as we wandered through the wilderness and as we still wander through the wilderness waiting to come into the Promised Land. Everything Hashem does is good.

Fresh Pressed Apple Pie- 11 Tishrei 5771

2010-09-20T06:03:00.001-07:00

I love Rosh Hashanah. Round Challah and honey, apples and honey, apple pie and honey. I like honey. I really love the food Carrie fixes for all the special days. She made a great dinner for Rosh Hashanah. Drunken chicken (I think that’s why there was no alcohol left in the pot) tzimmies, fresh salad, Challah and honey, apples and honey, and fresh pressed apple pie for dessert. Now, it’s possible that some of you don’t know what fresh pressed apple pie is so I will explain. You make it as you normally would to start. You can make it from scratch or you can buy a nice kosher one in the frozen food section of your local market. After it is finished to a nice golden brown on top you take it out of the oven and set it on a wire rack on your breakfast table out of the way of your other preparations. Now, when your husband comes in he will notice some thing has fallen from the table and he will helpfully bend over to pick it up placing his hand on top of the pie so as not to lose balance. Vwalah, Fresh Pressed Apple Pie.

One would rightfully expect that this might be something to get a little upset about. Carrie smiled and took it in stride. Now, lest any body think that I think she’s prefect, she’s not. But she is headed that way.

I wish that was the popular response from me when things in my life kind of get “pressed”. Now, whether you think G-d causes all things or just allows them to occur is irrelevant. Without question nothing occurs that He has not allowed to occur. (Mat 10:29, Luke 12:6) Unfortunately, I forget that there is something for me to learn in all things. And when something gets “pressed” that’s a good time to look for a lesson to be learned or to take warning of the direction I may be going or to see the hand of Hashem do something wonderful in my life. Too often I get hung up on the issue though and forget to open my eyes to the wonderful works of G-d. (Rom 8:28)

I guess I need to spend a little more time closer to my Rabbi Yeshua and watch how he did it.

Hey, Some Guy’s Asleep In My Back Seat- 4 Tishrei 5771

2010-09-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid we lived in Southern California and one of our relatives lived about an hour and a half away in Mission Viejo. A nice coastal type community and back when I was a kid things were considerably safer than they are now.

I seem to remember a story from my childhood going some thing like this. My aunt or older cousin or both, I don’t remember which, had gone out for the day do some errands. In the course of the day they had gone to one of the shopping centers. Well, being things were safe then, there was really no need to lock the doors. On returning to the car with much surprise it was discovered that there was some guy sleeping in the back seat. How things turned out I just don’t recall, but that is not the point of the story.

I am sure that I have mentioned my wife’s patience with me. I have this habit of locking our vehicles doors when we are at home. Now, we do live in a pretty quiet and safe area so maybe I’m a little over cautious. A couple of days ago Carrie went out to get something from her car and as I turned to look when I heard the handle click she looked at me with those beautiful eyes and little smile on her face and said, “Somebody locked my car.” I said, “ Hey, you don’t want to come out and find some guy sleeping in your back seat.” She responded, “I don’t have to worry about some guy sleeping in my back seat.” I said, “Ha, nobody has to worry about some guy sleeping in their back seat until the first time it happens.”

Which brings me to the application. How often do things get done without a consideration of the consequences? Now, I’m not talking about being paranoid, but I am talking about being careful. It’s kind of funny that for as much of life as I have seen I am a little on the naïve and innocent side. I get a little involved in my semi-isolated world and forget what is really in the world.

I am not fond of computers or technology and have tried to avoid them, but am recently attempting to try some of these things. (I hope it turns out OK) I am in the process of doing engravings on our Ark doors and was looking for some graphics of lions. I found a web site with lion graphics. As I went through the graphics I was very much surprised to find a couple of graphics with, to say the least, immodestly clad women. I’m not really sure why they were there. When I shared that with Carrie, she said, “Maybe they had lion tattoos.” I not sure if they did or not, I didn’t slow down to notice. I just didn’t think that I would see what I saw. The next couple of days I spent chasing recollections from my mind.

The good thing is that I am an adult. I can go past these things, but I am not beyond temptation. How careful are we looking out for the eyes of our children? Do we allow them unsupervised access to Internet, television, Vege-Tales(yes, even Vege-Tales has some bad theology issues), the list goes on.

As our Master said, "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. We need to lock the doors before someone we love ends up with some guy sleeping in the back seat.

What Beeping? - 26 Elul, 5770

2010-09-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

My wife, bless her heart, is so patient with me. Every great once in a while she will ask me to do something and because I love her so much of course I say, “Sure.” She had turned on the water in the back and asked if when I heard the timer beeper go off I would shut off the water.

I was sitting at our breakfast table preparing some wood for engraving. Being very careful, I was transferring the designs to the wood. The next thing I knew Carrie was coming in asking, “How long has that been beeping?” Beeping? What beeping? I guess I was pretty involved.

So, I’ve got to ask, “What happens during those times in prayer?” How in the world can I do the Kriat Shema and wander off to somewhere? Did I just forget where I was and before Whom I was sitting?

I could take a lesson from Aaron, who cleaned the Menorah every day. It is said that he cleaned it meticulously each time, as if it was the first time.

And so it is. Each day we come before our Creator for the first time that day. Each days blessings, recitations, prayers are anew for that day. With a heart of praise and adoration I should come before my G-d Who has allowed me into His presence. What an awesome place.

May my heart be filled with longing to utter each and every word as if it was the first time. As it is said, “May they find favor, the expressions of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart before You, O L-RD, my Rock and my Redeemer”

Where Are You Going? -19 Elul 5770

2010-08-29T18:27:00.001-07:00

We love the place were we live. It’s in the Ouachita Mountains in central Arkansas. We get all kinds of nature wandering through our yard. From chipmunks to an occasional bear with cubs. My personal favorites are the raccoons. They come around toward the evening and we have been giving them treats for so long now that they are pretty used to us. A few will come up and take food out of my hand with their soft little ‘hands’ and sit on their haunches and eat. One afternoon towards evening one of them was eating and just all of a sudden turned and started up the hill very intent on getting somewhere. I just stood with food in my hand watching and saying, “Hey, where are you going? Why are you leaving? Don’t cross the street. It’s dangerous. Everything that you need is right here.”

As those words left my mouth tears welled up in my eyes as I thought of our Father in Heaven with His hand outstretched. I thought of the times that those might have been the exact words He spoke to me. Yet, as the raccoon, I was intent on something else. What a heart wrenching experience. Now, I realize that I might possibly have been projecting a little too much into the whole thing, but none less He does desire for our longings to be the things of Him. To delight ourselves in His goodness and to be satiated from the bounty of His hand.

What a fitting realization for this time of year. To seek to turn our ways back to His ways. To search out those things that need to be mended in relationships. To forgive without qualification as our Father in Heaven has forgiven us. May my ear discern His voice and quickly respond to His beckoning.

Not Everything on the Floor is Edible- 12 Elul, 5770

2010-08-29T18:26:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know Carrie and me probably won’t be surprised to find that we used to live in a school bus. We called her ‘Ma”. She was a 1954 International painted white and immigration green. We spent many years together living in that bus.

One of the best parts of our time was when we shared it with our cats and our rabbits. We all just ran around the bus together. As like most kids I loved Trix cereal and often sat on the bed with my bowl. One day I just happened to notice that some of my Trix had fallen on the floor. I thought, “You silly rabbit, Trix are for kids. I snatched them up and popped them in my mouth. I could just hear the rabbit saying, “You silly kid, those aren’t Trix”.

I can’t help but think about the ‘Trix”that I have picked up and tossed into my theology. Over a period of time I started finding out that there were some serious problems with what I believed. Some things just didn’t make sense with other things. But how could that be? Was I not being taught by G-d fearing men who desired to glorify their Creator?

As I started unraveling and weeding through the maze of things I had learned I became very angry and bitter at a lot of people and situations. I am actually just coming to the grasp that this was not a plot to lead people astray. These things are the things they were taught and the things those who taught them were taught. It’s a centuries old problem, with ultimately myself being the only one to blame. I should have been the Berean and checked to see if these things were true. Just because it looks like Trix doesn’t make it Trix.

Hey, did I drop that?

A Gallon of Paint Sure Goes a Long Way- 5 Elul, 5770

2010-08-29T18:12:00.000-07:00

I’ve done a fair amount of painting in my life and paint just doesn’t seem to go as far as it does when your watching it in your rear view mirror flipping uncontrollably down the street with the lid off. I apparently forgot to close my tailgate and my tools and paint just didn’t seem to want to be in the truck anymore and they jumped out, or fell out. I didn’t actually see that part. What a mess. White semi gloss in the middle of the road. Baruch Hashem the other gallon can and the five-gallon bucket did not open.

So, I tried to direct traffic around the spill and pick up the cans and toolboxes from the street while my wife patiently tried to understand why I was calling her. To top everything off, some of the people insisted on driving THROUGH the puddle. Paint seems to spread well using this method. The police finally came and directed traffic while I scooped up as much paint off the road as I could.

As I look back at how far a little paint went I’m reminded of the “paint cans” that have flipped around in my life leaving stains that will never be removed. A little bit goes a long way. Movies that would have been better off unseen. Conversations better off unheard. Things done that would have been better off undone. They are not constant remembrances but they do come in at very inappropriate times. Which in reality is anytime. It hurts to the depth of my soul to think of the things I have done before my Creator.

For many years I have said that I have seen too much in my life. Oh, that I would have guarded the influences of my life. As David said, ‘I shall set no worthless thing before my eyes.”

I wonder if I’m going to have to paint the road black now.

Elul 5, 5770

My Trip to the Dump- 29 Av, 5770

2010-08-27T14:17:00.000-07:00

I had to go to the dump today. There doesn’t seem to be as much cool stuff lying around as when I was a kid, but there’s still some neat stuff. As I looked around I kept finding great stuff and I just couldn’t believe people were throwing it away. I finally had to make myself stop and go home.

All the way home I thought about how fortunate I had been to be there at just that time. Why, in another few minutes the bulldozer would probably have been through and just crushed and pushed everything into a twisted heap.

When I got home I quickly started unloading all my treasures to more carefully admire them. To my surprise the things just didn’t look like they did earlier. The shine on stuff didn’t seem as bright. There were dull and worn spots. Small parts were missing from things and I started feeling a little let down. As I looked at my pile of treasures I realized that all I had was a pile of junk.

I thought sadly, how too like so many things in life. I see the glamour and the allusion of shiny treasures and the temptation of the things around and am so lured to them. They’re not necessarily bad, but when the time with them is through I realize how much time I have spent with those things and not with my Maker. And as with the pile of treasures on the floor I now have nothing of any lasting value.

I now have another trip to the dump to get rid of all my stuff. I hope I don’t find anything.