Scroll to Scroll: Double Portion: Aharei Mot (#29) and Kedoshim (#30)

ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS FROM PREVIOUS PORTION (Metzora)

1) I have heard in the past some teachers equate the leper or menstruating womans bed
that makes all who lay on it unclean to the bed of Jezebel in Revelation 2:22. Why
is this wrong?
Because in Aramaic the original word was ARSA did not mean bed in this
instance. AENT footnote explains:
14) Peshitto and Crawford Revelation reads, "Behold, I am throwing her into a bed,
and the ones committing adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent of
the works of her" (Rev_2:22 The Greek-English Interlinear New Testament, UBS 4th
Edition, Nestle-Aland 26th Edition). Shaliach John is rebuking the congregation for
allowing this woman Jezabel to seduce righteous men who were previously above
reproach. In addition, this woman also made false claims of prophetic utterances and
went so far as to eat meat sacrificed to idols. It's rather pitiful, but when John is
finally alone with Jezebel, because her lovers are gone, Greek suggests he just
"throws her onto a bed"? Considering this lady's history, this hardly seems like
punishment, but business as usual! In order to avoid such a salacious reading, Greek
translators have added a word that does not appear in the text: "Behold I will throw
her onto a bed of sickness and those who commit adultery with her into great
tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds" (Rev_2:22 NASB). The use of italics in
the NASB is a way of bolstering bad readings arising from Greek. The editors of
NASB, while saying that italicized words are "implied" are really on very thin ice
from a scholarly perspective. There is no fact, hint or evidence that "bed of sickness"
is meant here. Greek simply puts "bed" and "bed" alone here. Once again Aramaic
comes to the rescue: "Behold I will throw her in to a coffin, and those who commit
adultery with her into a great affliction, unless they repent of their deeds"
(Rev_2:22).
The Aramaic word arsa means both "bed" and "coffin," with the latter meaning
obviously making far more sense! Furthermore, notice the use of the B proclitic at
the beginning of the word. As we saw earlier, beyt can mean on as in "on to a bed" or
into as in "into a coffin." The Greek redactor saw this word with its B proclitic in
Aramaic and picked the wrong meanings for both of them when translating the text.
But here is where things get rather odd: this reading is identical in both the Peshitto
Revelation and the Crawford Manuscript. In the case of the former, we know it was a
translation from Greek, yet this reading becomes very puzzling if Crawford was a
translation from Greek. Crawford as well, while looking "translational" in many
areas, nevertheless is holding on to the kind of Aramaic primacy that almost never
comes into a text from translation. So if both Crawford and Peshitto Revelation were
from Greek sources, the only logical conclusion is to assert that all three versions had
to come from a lost Hebrew/Aramaic original. The surviving texts are clearly not that
original, but they nevertheless testify, like the Septuagint, to that original's existence.
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2) In a broader sense, who do these lepers signify in our modern times?

I believe the lepers described in the Torah portion are meant to symbolize
outcasts in society, but not necessarily bad people or criminals, but rather
people who are isolated for being against social norms in other ways.
In this case, the lepers are not judged to be morally inferior but only ritually
unclean, and even the high priest can also become unclean for a time, so he
shouldnt be judging those who need treatment, isolation and the ancient
equivalent of frequent checkups with health insurance!
3) We saw the word RAQAQ discussed as spit and used that way by Yshua. But
this word in Aramaic has another interesting meaning that might also fit. What is
it?
In Matthew 5:22, the word RACA is used as I spit on you but it can also
mean to be a fool, or literally empty headed.
4) We saw the measured barley (SEORA) mentioned in this portionbut this word
has another interesting meaning that relates to something else we cut seasonally
(most of us). What is it and how does it lead to deeper meanings for us?
This same word can mean HAIRY, and it was applied to barley because it
was known as the bearded/hairy grain. This reminds me of Esau and also
that his territory is in MOUNT SEIRsame word and he is called hairy as
well. SEORIM is also the name of a priest in 1 Chronicles.
5) What are these images of clean and unclean meant to teach us about the spiritual
realm?
Basically ritual cleanliness or uncleanness comes from circumstances in life
that in many cases are unavoidable. But MORAL cleanliness or uncleanness
comes from CHOOSING to obey or disobey His instructions. That one
becomes unclean is not the problemit only becomes a problem when the
rules to get clean again are ignored.
AND NOW FOR THIS WEEKS PORTION
1) Meaning of this weeks Torah portion and summary of contents:
Aharei Mot means after the death, referring to the demise of Aarons sons Nadab
and Abihu who offered fire in a way not sanctioned by Abba YHWH. The portion
begins with the purification measures that Aaron and his remaining sons need to go
through to rectify the evil that was done in Abba YHWHs sight. Once done,
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additional purity regulations are given on how native Israelites are to slaughter and
handle blood. Abba YHWH then opens the last chapter in this portion by reminding
Israel that they are not to do the practices of the peoples either from where they came
from (Egypt) or where they are going (Canaan) but must remain a Set-Apart people.
In order to do this, the portion closes with additional regulations of proper and
improper sexual conduct.
Read Parsha (English-Leviticus 16:1-18:30). This week, we will read entire portion.
2) Play by Play commentary where appropriate.
3) Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color Commentary:
VAYEDABER YAHWEH EL-MOSHE ACHAREY MOT SHNEY BENEY
AHARON (16:1 = and spoke Yahweh to Moshe after the death of Aarons two sons.
The deaths happened in Leviticus 10 and yet it is only now, in chapter 16, that the
narrative resumes forward from that point. This is because the death of Aarons sons,
though tragic, was also a key teaching moment for Israel, and Abba YHWH took
that opportunity to proclaim additional purity regulations for everyone so as to drive
the point home on what the price of disobedience actually is.
Special Note: Some of you may remember I have a theory called mapping out the
Torah that posits that every time the phrase, And YHWH spoke to Moshe and said,
speak to the children of Israel and tell them appears that these are instructions given
for an entire day. Based on that idea and recalling that Nadav and Avihu died on 8
Abib, I theorize the following instructions match the following dates in 1446 BCE:
Leviticus 11 (kosher instructions to both Moshe and Aaron)9 Abib (Sunday
morning, April 5th)
Leviticus 12 (niddah instructions)10 Abib (Monday morning, April 6th)
Leviticus 13 and 14 are only to Moshe and Aaron, not the nation, so I believe
this is the same day, 10 Abib, Monday morning, April 6th.
Leviticus 15 (instructions on discharges)11 Abib, Tuesday morning, April
7th. Leviticus 16 is also this same day, again because the instructions are only
to Moshe and Aaron.
AZAZEL (16:2) = as a proper name, may indicate a fallen angel who personifies sin.
As a term, scapegoat, refers to the goat sent into the wilderness taking our sins with
him. I think but cant prove there is relationship between Azazel and AZAL LEL
(go towards Elohim). In the first three Gospels, Yshua literally sends leprosy away.
In John he commands a leper to wash in a place where the waters are called
SHILOAM, also to send away. But by calling them to righteousness and having them
do Torah (go show yourselves to the priests) Yshua is sending the afflicted to
Elohim.

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VEHIKRIV AHARON ET-PAR HACHATAT (16:6) = Aaron will present his own
bull sin offering. Because Leviticus 16 begins with talking about Yom Kippur
regulations, some rabbis think the death of Aarons sons was on Yom Kippur.
However, the instructions for Yom Kippur obviously must precede the observance of
the feast, and as we saw earlier, Aarons sons really died 8 Abib, the week before
Pesach.
Therefore, the most logical chronology is that the Yom Kippur instructions are being
given sometime in the spring for full implementation in the fall. They have half a year
to practice, and given recent events it appears that is wise.
On an interesting side note, the death date of Nadav and Avihu is also the most
probable day for Herod the Greats death 1,442 years later. Josephus tells us that
Archelaus mourned his fathers death 7 days before killing a bunch of protestors at
Pesach.
PAROKET (16:12) = curtain or veil. I kind of like that the word is derived from
PARAKU, a verb meaning to habitually shut off thus reminding us that the default
position of these sacred objects is shut off from us but through righteousness unto
Abba YHWH we can have access to them and, by extension, to Him.
SERAPH (16:14) = burns can be personified into a being that burns with righteous
passion for Abba YHWHa SERAPH or kind of angel (Isaiah 6:2). But SERAPHS
can also be evil and just as passionate for the dark side (Isaiah 14:29) because that
burning is related to how serpents poison burns in the body, so passion alone
doesnt dictate righteousness. We can burn for the right or wrong cause. This idea
again brings us back to Aarons dead sons who offered the wrong kind of burning.
VECHIPER AL HA-KODESH MITUMOT BENEY YISRAEL UMIPISHEYHEM
LE-CHOL-CHATOTAM VE-CHEN YAASEH LE-OHEL MOED HA-SHOCHEN
ITAM BE-TOCH TUMOTAM (16:16) = he will then perform the exact same (thing)
in the Tent of Meeting which remains with them (the Israelites) even when they are
unclean. This is a critical point. There is atonement for Israelites, even when they
are ritually unclean. Therefore ritual defilement is not a moral failing but merely a
cause to be isolated or quarantined, depending on the defilement. It also may be a
hint that since they are away from the Ark, that there can be atonement in the Second
Temple even without the Ark.
VESAMACH AHARON ET-SHTEY YADAV AL-ROSH HA-SAIR HA-CHAY VHITVADAH ALAV ET-KOL AVANOT BENEY YISRAEL VE-ET KOL
PISHTEYHEM LE-CHOL CHATOTAM VE-NATAN OTAM AL-ROSH HASAIR VE-SHLACH BE-YAD ISH ITI HA-MIDBARAH (16:21) = Aaron shall place
both hands on the head of the live goat and he shall confess on it all the iniquity of the
sons of Israel and all their rebellious acts and inadvertent misdeeds. When he has then
placed all these upon the head of the goat, he shall send it into the desert with a
special man of readiness. I find this Hebrew term ISH ITI very interesting. The word
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iti is actually derived from ETH, the Hebrew word for seasons/times of the year
and it is usually thought of as a man of readiness or a man for all seasons. It
seems to suggest a deep level of training and understanding of the cycles of time that
include the proper timing and procedures for Yom Kippur itself.
ANAH (16:29) = humble or afflict or fast.(Saadia; Targum Yonathan; cf. Yoma 77a).
Not fasting alone, 'afflicting yourselves, also refers to avoiding washing, anointing,
wearing shoes and sex (Yad, Shevithath Assur 1:5); others say that these are forbidden
only by rabbinic law (Tosafoth, Yoma 7b).
BCHODESH HA-SHEVII BEASOR (16:29) = 10th day of the 7th month. The
original biblical calendar counts two ways, either from Fall to Fall or Spring to
Spring. If the former, the 10th day of Abib is when the lamb is set aside for Pesach. If
the latter, its Yom Kippur. Either 10th day of 7th month is special! (10 and 7 are
special numbers.)
CHUKKAT OLAM (16:31) = eternal statutechukkat also carries the sense of a
prescription or requirement and the OLAM (eternal) means it doesnt matter if
the Temple is standing or not!
Special Note on Leviticus 16:32: The language here is where we get the idea that
only a direct descendant of Aaron is allowed to be high priest. All of 16 up to this
point was about what Aaron himself would do for that first Yom Kippur. Now, in
16:32, it is mentioning direct descendants from Aaron as the subsequent high priests.
However, we also know that on occasion exceptions were made by Father Yah. One
such case was with Samuel the Prophet, who was a Kohathite living in the territory of
Ephraim (1 Chronicles 6:23-27; 33-34, 1 Samuel 1:1). Samuels line was responsible
for the Ark of the Covenant and other sacred furniture, but was not a Kohen per se.
But, Father Yah became very displeased with the house of Eli, who was descended
from a branch of Ithamars line that was ultimately cut off by Solomon (1 Kings 2:2627). In the more immediate future though Elis own sons were dead, along with Eli
himself, and I believe Samuel was actually adopted by Eli or he would not be
sleeping in the room next door (1 Samuel 3:15) and because Samuels mother
promised to give him directly to serve at Shiloh in the priests care (1 Samuel 1:11,
22-28). Also Samuel, even as a little boy, wore an ephod, which is a sign of priestly
status (Exodus 28:4, 1 Samuel 2:18).
If this is the case, then it would be natural for Father Yah to approve Samuel to take
the place of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas (the bad one obviously) and therefore Samuel
became a high priest for a time.
Ironically though, because Samuels sons were also just as corrupt as Elis were, the
people rejected them following after their father as priest and judge, and so the

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priesthood redirected along more expected lines, probably starting with Ahitub (1
Samuel 14:3; 1 Chronicles 6:7-8).
Note on 16:34: Bible.ort.org puts in parentheses that Aaron (did later) what was
commanded. This supports my contention that the instructions are given well before
they are carried out on Yom Kippur itself. Leviticus 16 is not recording a Yom
Kippur event; it is simply saying what must be done when Yom Kippur comes around
each year.
SAIR (17:7) = goat demon, very similar to the Greek word SATYR, describing a
demi-god that is half man and half goat. Also proves that Paul is thinking of Torah
when he says sacrificing to other gods is bowing down to demons (Deuteronomy
32:7, 1 Corinthians 10:20-21)! Some other authorities point out that if Azazel is a
kind of demon that the Torah needs to clarify that sending a goat to Azazel in no way
allows contact with evil forces. Even if the person is trying not to worship demons
but gain occult power, it is still forbidden.
Also the CHUKKAT OLAM (eternal statute) that appears here in 17:7 implies to
some authorities that once the Temple is standing, sacrifices are not allowed
anywhere else. Therefore, without the Temple standing the rabbis explain this is why
no sacrifices are allowed anywhere else.
However, this is not as airtight an argument as it appears, since even with the
Tabernacle, Samuel and Saul continued sacrificing elsewhere.
ZANIM (17:7) = Literally, prostituted yourselves or played the harlot. This
proves that Abba YHWH compares Himself to a husband and unfaithfulness to Him
as adultery. It also means Abba YHWH does NOT tolerate plural marriage!
VENATATI PANEY (17:10) = I will set my face. This is a general idiom meaning
to decide. A face is usually turned to someone in favor or turned away in anger.
Yshua uses this idiom when he says, I will set my face towards Jerusalem,
meaning I have made up my mind to go there.
NEVEILAH (17:15) = died on its own, meaning not ritually slaughtered with the
blood drained. This is also referred to in Acts as strangled meat. When an animal
is slaughtered in a kosher manner, touching the carcass to do so will NOT defile the
butcher. It is only when the carcass is encountered after the animal died on its own
and is subsequently touched that defilement comes.
ZIMMAH HI (18:17) = it is perversion. The word ZIMMAH literally means
something closer to device for evil or wicked blueprint/plan. It suggests that far
greater evil can come out of this particular kind of grievous sexual sin than just the
lone act itself. Think of it I suppose as a gateway sin that leads to national decay, as
it did with the Greeks, Romans and countless others, which is why Father Yah will
not tolerate it in His midst.
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Note on 18:19- The command to not expose the womans menstrual flow by having
sex with her during her period is a separate commandment from the NIDDAH rules
given in the previous Torah portions. Those NIDDAH rules may be relaxed now
because the reason given for them was so that they might not defile my Tabernacle
which is in their midst. However, this command, given in a completely different
place, is not attached to that series, so even if the other NIDDAH dont apply because
there is no Temple or Tabernacle now, this commandment is independent and does
apply regardless.
KHALAL (18:21) = profane. From Theological Workbook of the Old Testament:
Unhallowed, profaned, dishonored. This adjective occurs four times. In each case the
emphasis is on real or symbolic breaking of the sexual laws. In Lev (Leviticus 21:7,
14) it is used of women associated with (perhaps synonymous with) women who are
harlots. In the list of persons a Levite may not marry it follows a widow or divorcee
(here also possibly synonyms). It similarly describes Israel as the "unhallowed,
wicked one" (RSV; cf. KJV "profoundly dishonored one"; RV "deadly wounded".
Other meanings include CHOLI (sick, leprous) which is sometimes used to describe
the Suffering Messiah. But also from a root that means to untie, as in loosen
through impurity. It reminds me also as the opposite of HALEL = praise El. When we
profane Him we make His covenant common but when we obey Him we give Him
praise that is acceptable unto Him!
Torah Question of the Week:
How does this Torah portion relate to the real reason Yochanan the Immerser was
executed?
END PART 1

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PART 2: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
How does this Torah portion relate to the real reason Yochanan the Immerser was
executed?
In this Torah portion, we saw the direct prohibition against marrying the wife of a brother
while that brother still lives. This was the sin of Herod Antipas who took the wife of his
brother Phillip, a lady of royal blood named Herodias. It was this sin that drew the fire of
Yochanan the Immerser and the Gospels are clear that Antipas did not want to execute
him but was provoked by his wife.
Her motivation though for doing this was not just because she was embarrassed by
Yochanans preaching. The real reason was because if Antipas did the right thing and
sent her packing, Torah said Phillip, her first husband, could not take her back! As a
result, she would have been ruined not just socially but financially as well. And so she
decided to lend her daughter Salome out for a bit of exotic dancing
However Josephus tells us that Herodias ended up being Antipas downfall anyway, or at
least the cause of great hardship:
250

Now Gaius greeted Herod, for he first met with him, and then looked upon the
letters which Agrippa had sent him, and which were written in order to accuse
Herod; wherein he accused him, that he had been in confederacy with Sejanus,
against Tiberius' government and that he was now confederate with Artabanus,
the king of Parthia, in opposition to the government of Gaius; 251 as a
demonstration of which, he alleged that he had armour sufficient for seventy
thousand men, ready in his armoury. Gaius was moved at this information, and
asked Herod whether what was said about the armour was true; 252 and when he
confessed there was such armour there, for he could not deny the same, the truth
of it being too notorious, Gaius took that to be a sufficient proof of the accusation
that he intended to revolt.
So he took away from him his tetrarchy, and gave it by way of addition to
Agrippa's kingdom; he also gave Herod's money to Agrippa, and, by way of
punishment, awarded him a perpetual banishment, and appointed Lyons, a city of
Gaul, to be his place of habitation. 253 But when he was informed that Herodias
was Agrippa's sister, he made her a present of what money was her own, and told
her that it was her brother who prevented her being put under the same calamity
with her husband.
254

But she made this reply:--``You, indeed, O emperor! do act after a

magnificent manner, and as becomes yourself in what you do offer me; but the
kindness which I have for my husband hinders me from partaking of the favour of
your gift: for it is not just that I, who have been made a partner in his prosperity,
should forsake him in his misfortunes.''
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255

Hereupon Gaius was angry at her, and sent her with Herod into banishment,
and gave her estate to Agrippa. And thus did God punish Herodias for her envy at
her brother, and Herod also for giving ear to the vain discourses of a woman.
(Antiquities 18:250-255)
1) Haftorah portion (English- Ezekiel 22:1-19) and discuss common themes with the
Torah portion.

Vayehi devar-YAHWEH elay lemor.

Ve'atah ven-adam hatishpot hatishpot et-ir hadamim vehodatah et kolto'avoteyha.
Ve'amarta koh amar YAHWEH Elohim ir shofechet dam betochah
lavo itah ve'astah gilulim aleyha letom'ah.
2) Our linguistic commentary
LESIGIM (22:19) = dross, waste products removed from metal in the refining
process. SIG/SOG also means FENCE, and is the Aramaic term for fences in the
Talmud. But Yshua says in his Aramaic dialectas does Paul in Galatiansthat
he is the DOOR to open the fences and leave those fences aside. This is the sense
of Matthew 23, Woe to you Pharisees, for you hold the keys to knowledge of the
kingdom and you do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow others to enter. The
hindrance is clearly the Oral Law.
3) Renewed Covenant portion: (English) Acts 15:1-21 (all the way through with
applicable footnotes.)
Acts 15:1
165) This is the teaching of those who later became known as the Ebionites, or
Messianic Pharisees (see footnote on Tit_3:9). Also note that the life being
mentioned by these proto-Ebionites is, in fact, Eternal Life; hence a very serious
allegation! Torah is often confused with the religion of Judaism or the Pharisees or
Orthodox Jews yet throughout Yshuas ministry he showed how Torah is being grossly
misinterpreted. Yshua teaches, Why also do you transgress against the
Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions? Distinctly oral law, the Talmud,
and the religious traditions of the Pharisees is making the Torah void. Just before
Stephen was stoned to death he cried out, You have received Torah by way of the
command of Messengers and you have not kept it! (Act_7:53) Apostle Paul teaches
both Jews and Christians, Do, we then nullify Torah by faith? May it never be! On the
contrary, we establish Torah. (Rom_3:31). It is vitally important that we do not view
Torah through the religious eyes of Judaism or Christianity, but through Mashiyach.
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Acts 15:5
166) "Guard" in this case refers to putting up of fences (Pirkei Avot 1:1) around Torah,
not simply obeying the written Word. Part of this "fence" known as religious halakha,
minhagim or tradition, requires a person to be circumcised before learning about having a
relationship with YHWH, and why Torah must be applied to our lives. This tradition
overturns the peshat (plain) meaning of many Torah requirements. The context is clearly
shown earlier in the passage where it reads, "those who believed from the teachings of the
Pharisees," as opposed to the teachings of Torah. In other cases, however, "guarding" is
considered a noble endeavor, provided it neither contradicts, adds, nor takes away from
Torah in favor of man made traditions.
Acts 15:10
167) This yoke is clearly referring to the Oral Law, not the Written Torah of Moshe. The
Oral Torah (Talmud) has put many additional burdens on Jews, and greatly limited the
ability of Gentiles to join with Israel. See Judaizers in Appendix.
Acts 15:20
168) That which is "sacrificed" unto other gods according to YHWH's Word in
D'varim/Deu_32:17 is sacrificed unto devils. Vayikra/Lev_17:12-16 commands that Jew
and Ger (foreigner) NOT eat blood, or any animals that die of themselves. The
prohibition against fornication is wide spectrum, against all manner of physical
perversion and spiritual whoredom. These Torah directives are eternally binding on all
who follow Y'shua Mashiyach and who seek the Malchut (Kingdom) of Elohim. Also,
Khabouris has an isolated qoph here, between the words "we" and "send."
Acts 15:21
169) A very clear fulfillment of Isa_56:1-9. Gentile converts are observing Shabbat and
learning Torah as one body along with Jews. Shortly thereafter, Marcion, whom
Polycarp referred to as "the firstborn of the devil" built the first all-Gentile church to
promote Christo-Paganism. Marcion held his services on Sunday which blended with
Zeus (the sun god) culture and projected a hybrid Je-Zeus identity in opposition to the
Jewish Mashiyach. The modern theologies of Je-zeus Christos are based more on
Hellenism than on original fundamental Hebraic values. Marcion coined the words "Old
- New Testament" and did his very best to warn Gentiles away from Torah and "the God
of the Old Testament." Marcion invented theologies known as replacement,
dispensational, supercessionism, etc., which are very popular among Christianity today.
See Y'shua to Zeus in Appendix.

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4) Highlight common themes in Aramaic: These are addressed in extensive

footnotes. We will actually read footnotes that are a little before and after the
portion (#137-144, AENT p. 349-351)
5) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith. (What was
binding then is binding now!)
6) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion of AENT or footnotes from a portion
(Circumcision p. 753-756).
NOTE: BECAUSE THIS IS A DOUBLE PORTION, THERE ARE NO STUDY
QUESTIONS FOR AHAREI MOT. PLEASE SEE KEDOSHIM FOR THOSE.

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Scroll to Scroll:
Todays Parsha #30: Kedoshim (You shall be Set-Apart)
PART 1: THE LAST AND CURRENT TORAH PORTIONS
BECAUSE THIS IS A DOUBLE PORTION, THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS
FROM THE PREVIOUS PARSHA (AHAREI MOT) TO ANSWER HERE.
Meaning of this weeks Torah portion and summary of contents:
Kedoshim means you shall be Set-Apart. This is a kind of Cliff Notes style
discussion of some of the main themes of the overall Torah. It includes some of the
Ten Words (Commandments) but not all of them, and wraps around the ones it does
include with either brief application advice or other commands that the text didnt
have the chance to get to yet.
Read Parsha (English-Leviticus 19:1-20:27). This week, we will read the entire
portion together.
1) Play by Play commentary where appropriate.
2) Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color Commentary:

Vayedaber Yahweh el-Moshe lemor.

Daber el-kol-adat beney-Yisra'el ve'amarta alehem kedoshim tiheyu ki
kadosh ani Yahweh Eloheychem.
Ish imo ve'aviv tira'u ve'et-Shabtotay tishmoru ani Yahweh
Eloheychem.
ISH IMO VEAVIV TIRAU VE-ET SHABOTAY TISHMORU ANI YAHWEH
ELOHEYCHEM (19:3) = each of you must respect their mother and father and keep
my Shabbats. I am Yahweh. Here we see we are to FEAR or HOLD IN AWE our
parents, rather than the way it is in Exodus 20 honor, give weight to. One concept
seems to give way to the other, as it does in the worship of Abba YHWH, in that first
we behold His Glory (KAVOD) and THEN we fear Him. It is also interesting that
Yevamoth 5b states that if the two commands come into conflict, i.e. the parent says
not to keep Shabbat, you must disobey that parent and keep it, unless doing so is a
matter of life and death.

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It is also interesting to note that the order from Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 is
reversed here, where it is Honor your mother and your father and not father and
mother as it is in the other places.
AL-TIFNU EL HA-ELIM VEELOHEY MASECHAH LO TAASU LACHEM ANI
YAHWEH ELOHEYCHEM (19:4) = and do not turn aside towards false gods and do
not make for yourselves gods out of cast metal. I am Yahweh your Elohim. I find it
interesting that the verb to turn aside is PANAH which usually is in a negative
turn to either decline, pass away or banish. One of its most intriguing places it is
used for me is in Jeremiah 6:4 where it describes ki panah ha-yom, for the day
declines. I believe this is an important time-code clue for it describes a time late in the
day, after the sun is directly overhead, or noon, after which the shadows of ereb
lengthen, meaning the start of between the evenings, the last three hours of the day.
In this case however, I am even more intrigued by the linking here of idolatry to that
of a day that is about to expire or die. For surely that is what Abba YHWH intends,
that the sun sets on idolatry.
VECHI TIZBECHU ZEVACH SHLAMIM LYAHWEH LIRTSONCHEM
TIZBACHHUHU (19:5) = when you offer a peace offering unto Yahweh, it must be
of your own free will. The peace offering is optional and shows gratitude on the part
of the one doing the offering. Therefore to force someone to do this sacrifice misses
the point of it. The word here is derived from SHALOM, peace, but also
completeness which suggests contentment on the part of the one bringing the
sacrifice.
MACHARAT (19:6) = tomorrow. We need to bear in mind that the next day is not
the next morning unless we are counting from the morning. Since the Hebrew day
runs first at night and then in the day, a morning is attached to the current Hebrew
day, the sunrise after it began the previous evening. So if it is night and the start of
the 14th, for example, MACHARAT will not be referring to the morning coming up
that next sunrise, but the morning AFTER that, on the 15th day.
LO TA-ASHOK ET-REACHA VE-LO TIGZOL LO-TALIN PEULAT SACHIR
ITCHA AD-BOKER (19:13) = do not let a workers wage remain with you until
morning. Compare this language to that of Deuteronomy 24:15: BE-YOMO TITEN
SCHARO VE-LO TAVO ALAV HA-SHEMESH or you must pay him that day,
before the sun sets. These two references together absolutely prove that the Hebrew
day did begin at sunset because the morning here counts as the next day, and this is
considered cruel.
RAKIL =slanderer (19:16), or more precisely teller of false tales. The Aramaic
Tanakh clarifies this as you shall not bear false witness/falsely accuse your
neighbor or a restatement of the ninth commandment.
TA AMOD AL-DAM (19:16b) =stand/act upon the blood but means profit from
the death of your fellow.
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LO TISNA ET ACHICHA BILVAVECHA HOCHEACH TOCHIACH ETAMITECHA VELO TISA ALAV CHET (19:17) = do not hate your brother in your
own heart and admonish your neighbor and do not bear sin because of him. If we can
only stop hating our brother in our hearts, none of these other bad things can result!
We also admonish our neighbor in love, so he doesnt fall into greater difficulty later
but also because we cannot cover for him or her by either not dealing with the
problem or telling them the consequences. Notice this is a bit different than
snitching per se because you are telling on them by going to their face, not
behind their back. Although, if you see a crime Torah does elsewhere tell you to
report it and not cover up blood.
LO TIKOM VE-LO TITOR ET BENEY AMECHA VEAHAVTA LEREACHA
KAMOCHA. ANI YAHWEH (19:18) = you shall not take vengeance or bear a
grudge against the sons of your people but you will love your neighbor as you love
yourself. So if even bearing a grudge is forbidden as is vengeance, it goes a long way
to explaining why eye for and eye is not about revenge. This is true either because
justice cannot be vengeance or because monetary values and other restitutions for
injuries have been prescribed in the Torah text. To bring someone to justice is a
righteous act, but we cannot take the law into our own hands, Torah forbids it.
Also this sheds light on why Yshua was asked Who is my neighbor? because the
implication is if the offender is a foreigner then maybe I can get vengeance on him
but must forgive my family, my next door neighbors and my countrymen, my fellow
Israelites. Yshuas answer is basically that everyone is your neighbor, so that was
pretty much that as far as he was concerned!
Note on 19:19-20: This commandment to not cross-breed livestock or plant your field
with different types of seeds may indicate that Abba YHWH has also forbidden
genetically modified produce (GMO), genetic engineering and cloning as well. Crossbreeding could conceivably apply to altering DNA as much as it would to having
certain animals mate.
UVASHANAH HA-REVIIT YIHEYEH KOL PRIYO KODESH HIULIM
LYAHWEH (19:24) = and in the fourth year all the fruit shall be Set-Apart and it
shall be something for which Yahweh is praised. This is why Hebrews bless food
before they eat, because it went through this four year process (the fruits did) and it
was taken from the earth and made Set-Apart, for which we give thanks for bread that
comes from the earth.
Note on 19:27-28: These must be read as a complete thought combined:
LO TAKIFU PEAT ROSHCHEM VE-LO TASHCHIT ET-PEAT ZEKANECHA
VESERET LA-NEFESH LO TITNU BIVESARCHEM UCHTOVET KAKA
TITNU BACHEM ANI YAHWEH = Do not shave off the edges of your beard
AND/EVEN AS you dont make gashes in your skin for the dead.
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These two lines are talking about two things in combination: Cutting the corners of
your beard AND doing this ritual for the dead as you do so. This is NOT a prohibition
against shaving but against cutting ones face and doing these tattoos. Such is proven
in Genesis 41:44 where Joseph shaves before seeing Pharaoh and is not criticized or
rationalized by his biographer Moshe. Clearly Levites and especially priests were
expected to have beards, but it was not required for all Israelites.
OB = medium (19:31), but literally bottle referencing a container made from
animal skin, as if to suggest the medium has bottled or trapped the spirits.
YIDDEONI (19:31) = familiar spirits. Derived from YADA/YADEA, or to know,
denoting specifically forbidden knowledge like when Adam and Eve first knew they
had sinned
MOZNEY TZEDEK AVNEY TZEDEK EYFAT TZEDEK VE-HIN TZEDEK
YIHEYEH LACHEM ANI YAHWEH ELOHEYCHEM ASHER HOTSETI
ETCHEM ME-ERETZ MITZRAYIM (19:36) = you must have honest scales, honest
weights, honest dry measures and honest liquid measures! I am Yahweh your Elohim
Who took you out of the land of Egypt. This may be one of the main reasons Yshua
overturned the moneychangers tables. It was not that they were changing money that
was the problembut that they were extorting huge and unfair profits while doing so.
Yshua remembered this Torah command and rebuked them through the combined
words of Isaiah and Jeremiah: My Fathers house was supposed to be a House of
prayer for all nations, but you have made it a den of thieves. I love it that honest is
actually the word for righteous (tzedek) here, for to be honest is to lead to being
righteous, since the ends do NOT justify the means!
VEEL BENEY YISRAEL TOMAR ISH ISH MIBENEY YISRAELUMIN HAGER
BE-YISRAEL ASHER YITEN MIZARO LA-MOLECH MOT YUMAT AM HAARETS YIRGEMUHU VAAVEN (20:2) = If any person, whether a born Israelite or
a proselyte who joins Israel gives his children to Molech, he must be put to death.
The local people will pelt him to death with stones.
Rabbinic tradition is very intriguing here. As Bible.ort.org correctly states, there had
to be a finding of fact by the elders that such an act had occurred, and then execution.
The tradition also says that without a working Sanhedrin, the death penalty cannot be
applied. This becomes very interesting for our purposes because it seems the
Bible.ort.org commentary may be out of date. It has a copyright from the year 2000,
which is just before the NEW Sanhedrin was established in Israel! Either thatthey
didnt update the commentary to reflect this fact OR they dont view the current
Sanhedrin as valid, and many Orthodox Jews do NOT view it as valid.
But for my money, what is particularly interesting is that if this new Sanhedrin is
valid, they would in theory be able to put people to death for these offenses, even
though in Yshuas time they couldnt do this without Roman permission.
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KILEL DAMAV BO (20:9) = Literally, His blood shall be in him (to cause his
death). This means that he is to be killed in a way that induces internal bleeding as the
cause of death, i.e. to be stoned. This formula is repeated throughout this chapter to
indicate stoning as the punishment of choice.
VEISH ASHER YINAF ET-ESHET ISH ASHER YINAF ET ESHET REEHU
MOT YUMAT HANOEF VE-HANO AFET (20:10) = if a man commits adultery
with a married woman and she is the wife of a fellow Israelite, both the adulterer and
the adulteress shall be put to death. The betrayal of married Israelites with other
partners was considered especially heinous in the eyes of the Torah. If this was what
the Pharisees accused on woman of in John 8and I doubt this happened but thats
another storythis rule would have reminded Yshua that both parties had to be
brought for judgment and only the woman was brought. Adultery assumes also the
woman did not cry out and was engaged in consensual sex.
VELO TELCHU BE CHUKOT HA GOY ANI MESHALEACH MIPANEYCHEM
KI ET CHOL ELEH ASU VAAKUTS BAM (20:23) = do not follow after the
customs of the nation that I am driving out before you, since they did these
(perversions) and I was disgusted with them. Although the word GOY is singular
here, it is understood clearly to be a prohibition against Israel following any Gentile
nations pagan rituals or customs. There were, for example 7 nations in Canaan who
were driven out and elsewhere the practices of places like Egypt, Babylon and
Assyria and many others were forbidden. So this proves that Jeremiah is not just
speaking on his own opinion about the X-mas trees in 10:1-6he is clearly following
this Torah command and applying to those trees.
Note of 20:27: Here we see how their blood on their heads execution is understood
finally with the description of MOT YUMATU BAEVEN YIRGEMU OTAM
DIMEYHEM BAM, they will be pelted to death with stones and thus stoned to death.
Torah Question of the Week:
How is one character flaw mentioned in this portion turned into a place name that
Yshua visits in the NT?
END PART 1

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PART 2: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
How is one character flaw mentioned in this portion turned into a place name that
Yshua visits in the NT?
SHAKAR = deal falsely (19:11). It is interesting to note that Yshua talked about
deception in a place called Sychar in Greek but is this word in Hebrew/Aramaic. It
means to lie or to be intoxicated.
1) Haftorah portion (English- Amos 9:7-15) and discuss common themes with the
Torah portion.

Vayehi devar-YAHWEH elay lemor.

Ve'atah ven-adam hatishpot hatishpot et-ir hadamim vehodatah et kolto'avoteyha.
Ve'amarta koh amar YAHWEH Elohim ir shofechet dam betochah
lavo itah ve'astah gilulim aleyha letom'ah.
2) Our linguistic commentary
AYIN (9:8) = eyes. Pretty straight forward except that in mystical thought the letter
AYIN represents nothingness and the next sentence talks about total obliteration of a
sinful kingdom. This is a gentle remez or hint.
KEBARAH (9:9) = sieve. Refers to a course sieve used for cleansing grain from
straw and stones or from sand of pebbles and shells. It was a net-like implement.
VECHOL HA GOYIM ASHER NIKRA SHEMI ALEYHEM (9:12) = all the nations
once attached to My Name = all the nations David used to rule over.
3) Renewed Covenant portion: (English) Romans 3:19-28; 9:30-10:13 (all the way
through with applicable footnotes.)
Romans 3:20
26) Torah sets YHWH's boundaries as to what is good or evil behavior; therefore, this
cannot and does not make Torah a bad thing, but a very good thing! Rav Shaul
returns to this precise point again in the seventh chapter.
Romans 3:21

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27) Y'shua qualified as Mashiyach because he fulfilled all Torah and Prophetic
requirements, and he became Torah. Torah is written upon the heart by the Ruach
haKodesh; the Spirit of Mashiyach is Torah which is the Spirit of Mashiyach, or the
Manifestation (Word) of YHWH which became flesh and dwelt among us.
Therefore, if we live "in" Y'shua we also become Torah. It is evil to posture that Rav
Shaul brought Torah down, when in fact Y'shua and Paul restored and elevated Torah
to be the foundation of a spiritual dialogue with Heaven.
Romans 3:28
28) The terms "works of Torah" and "under Torah" predate Paul by hundreds of
years. These terms were discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls (A Sectarian Manifesto
4QMMT:4Q394-399); while originally referring to the ultra religious halakha of the
Essenes, the same principles apply to the Pharisees' halakha. These two phrases are
also mentioned in Rom_6:14-15; Rom_9:32; 1Co_9:20-21; Gal_2:16; Gal_3:2;
Gal_3:5; Gal_3:10; Gal_3:23; Gal_4:4-5; Gal_4:21; Gal_5:18. "Under Torah" refers
to the orthodox/traditional interpretation and observance of Torah. Religious halakha
is clearly NOT what Y'shua or Paul followed in their observance of Torah. The
Renewed Covenant promise in Jer_31:33 is to write the Torah of YHWH upon the
hearts of His people, not the "Torah of men." The idiomatic expression "works of
Torah" provides insight to those of a "traditional" Jewish upbringing. Paul references
Jews at the beginning of this chapter; in Rom_3:19 he states "Now we know" referring
to those who understand Torah and halakha.
Romans 9:32
55) When the Israelites followed Moshe and were obedient to YHWH by faith, they
won their battles, but when they rebelled they lost and suffered great casualties. In
our day when Jews seek YHWH by faith, they find Mashiyach, but they stumble
when they focus not on faith but "works of Torah" according to religious authorities
and traditions. Mashiyach is the greatest "stumbling stone" to man's religions but
let's not pick on Jews only, because this applies equally to every other soul who
regards their own religious traditions as more authoritative than YHWH and His
Mashiyach.
Romans 10:8
58) Rom_10:6-8 is a wonderful Midrash on Deu_30:11-14 which reads: For this
Torah which I am laying down for you today is neither obscure for you nor beyond
your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, Who will go up to
heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we can hear and practice it? Nor is it
beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, Who will cross the seas for us and
bring it back to us, so that we can hear and do it? No, the word is very near to you,
it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to put into practice. A common
traditional saying among rabbis is derived from this verse, haTorah lo baShamayim hi
(the Torah is not in heaven) which is used as their justification to twist the written
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Torah into subjugation under their oral traditions. Instead Rav Shaul teaches, who
will ascend to heaven and bring Mashiyach down? and who will go down and raise
Mashiyach from the dead? Paul is elegantly expressing Yshua as the Living Torah
through the very power of Torah itself. He purposefully and literally interchanges
Yshua with Torah in this quote and on very good authority. Yshua said, I am the
Living Bread who has descended from Heaven Joh_6:51.
Romans 10:12
60) The first time in this epistle where YHWH (MarYah) is used instead of
Elohim/Eloah. This verse indicates the ONENESS of the Malchut Elohim. ONE
YHWH, One Kingship and One People. This is a continuum; NOT a drastic change
in Covenant, but a renewal of YHWH's people unto Himself.
Romans 10:13
61) MarYah, as opposed to the Greek kurios, can only refer to YHWH, giving
Aramaic a huge interpretive advantage. It is a critical fact, as is pointed out here, that
Rav Shaul specifically tells believers to call on the name of YHWH, which is
certainly not at all represented by the name "Jesus." Joh_17:11 tells us that the name
of Y'shua is of the name YHWH. Before Rav Shaul came to believe, Y'shua had
already ascended to the Right Hand of YHWH (Rev_19:13). Prayer was being
offered unto YHWH in the name of Y'shua. Y'shua stated that his mission was to
bring glory to His Father YHWH. Y'shua's name (YHWH is salvation) is
accomplishing the salvation of YHWH. It was also prophetic that the Gentiles would
come to know the Name of YHWH, according to Jer_16:19-21 : "O YHWH, my
strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall
come unto you from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have
inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. Shall a man make gods
unto himself, and they are no gods? Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to
know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that
my name is YHWH." And, of course, this is to be done according to the Perfect work
of Mashiyach!

4) Highlight common themes in Aramaic:

5) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith. (What was
binding then is binding now!)
6) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion of AENT or footnotes from a portion
(Circumcision p. 753-756).
STUDY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK FOR THIS
PORTION:

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1) What is the other meaning of sukkah or tabernacle, as in that of Davids that has
fallen and will be restored?
2) How does that extra meaning relate to both Yaakov the patriarch and Yshua?
3) When Abba YHWH says, You are Mine/you are My possession how does this
contrast with the first time someone was called a possession in the Tanakh by
another person?
4) How does translating the word kadosh as Set-Apart differ from the more
expected English term holy?
5) When Yshua overturned the moneychangers tables it was not simply a
rebellious act but that of zealous observance of what Torah principle?

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Torah Thought for the Week:

Houses and Walls
Last week, in one of the more challenging teachings I have given, we talked about the
highly sensitive ins and outs of a re-trial of Yshua. I knew in fact this teaching was so
challenging that I had to put up a written disclaimer about what I did not intend to come
across, as well as make several references to what I wanted to avoid both in my speech
and in the written notes.
This week though a situation has come upthe details I wish not to share at this time
that also winds its way through other sensitive issues in the Body of Mashiyach and must
be carefully discussed. I start out with a simple statement: There are some things which,
while scripturally accurate and important, can nevertheless be blown out of proportion in
the way we apply these truths. Or, as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes, To everything there
is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven.
Let me start with an overly simplistic example. In some sects of Christianity, people have
elected to name their denominations after one idea even when they know it isnt only
about that idea. So Baptists, if we just went by the name, would only be about the act of
immersion, or perhaps about Yochanan the Immerser, and nothing else. Or Seventh Day
Adventists would keep the Shabbat but not care about the other nine (or 612?)
commandments, and so on.
As I said, it is overly simplistic to jump to those conclusions. And yet, the concepts of
immersion and keeping Shabbat are correct concepts in Scripture, which proves my point.
Sometimes the right idea can become a wrong application or over-emphasis. And then,
when others say to these folks, Hey brother that may be taking things a bit too far the
response often is that the critic is denying the Scriptural inspiration behind the application
when in reality it is only the application that is at issue.
Such is the case with many well intentioned ideas in Hebrew Roots where some
adherents, at least from where I sit, think the Scripture-rightness protects them from
excessive applications from that Scripture. One of these issues is, with all due respect to
those of you out there who are drawn to it, the Two House movement. So let me be very
careful and say for the record that I do believe Ephraims return is scriptural and I do
believe that many people who were raised Gentiles could very well be lost tribes of
Israel. I further believe that people who feel that way should embrace both their belief in
Yshua and Torah observance, for this is the mandate of Revelation 14:12. But what I do
not believe is that all these facts trump nearly every other issue in the way our movement
is taught to others. Like anything else in life, it is possible to take these things a bit too far
but that doesnt mean it is not inspired from a place of truth.
Let me lay out some basic ideas about where this is coming from in as loving and gentle a
manner as I can:
1) Your identity in Messiah supersedes your identity in Israel.
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The Scripture says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of Elohim and that
there is only one name under heaven by which we are saved. That Name is, depending on
how you view it, either Father Yah directly or YHWH is salvation/Yshua, the name of
the Son pointing back to the Father, but thats it really.
So Israel, whether the 10 or the 12, sinned and fell short of Yahs glory. Judah sinned too.
Gentiles sinned as well. All of us are in the same sin boat or the same HOUSE if you
prefer. There is not a separate Savior for Gentiles, or for the Northern Tribes is there?
This is why Paul said
And I plead with you, my Brothers, by the name of our Master Y'shua Mashiyach,
that to you all there may be of one Word; and that there may be no divisions
among you: but that you may become perfectly of one mind, and of one way of
thinking. For concerning you, my Brothers, it has been reported to me by the
house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. And this I state: That one
of you says, "I am of Paul;" and another says, "I am of Apollos;" and another
says, "I am of Keefa;" and another says, "I am of Mashiyach." Now was
Mashiyach divided? Or was Paul executed on a stake for you? Or were you
immersed in the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13 AENT)
And such is also said by Ezekiel:
And the word of came to me, saying, And you, son of man, take a stick for
yourself and write on it, For Yehudah and for the children of Yisral, his
companions. Then take another stick and write on it, For Yosph, the stick of
Ephrayim, and for all the house of Yisral, his companions. Then bring them
together for yourself into one stick, and they shall become one in your hand.
And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, Wont you show us
what you mean by these? say to them, Thus said the Master YHWH See, I am
taking the stick of Yosph, which is in the hand of Ephrayim, and the tribes of
Yisrael, his companions. And I shall give them unto him, with the stick of
Yehudah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in My hand. And the
sticks on which you write shall be in your hand before their eyes. And speak to
them, Thus said the Master YHWH See, I am taking the children of Yisral
from among the gentiles, wherever they have gone, and shall gather them from all
around, and I shall bring them into their land. And I shall make them one nation in
the land, on the mountains of Yisrael. And one sovereign shall be sovereign over
them all, and let them no longer be two nations, and let them no longer be divided
into two reigns.
And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols, nor with their
disgusting matters, nor with any of their transgressions. And I shall save them
from all their dwelling places in which they have sinned, and I shall cleanse them.
And they shall be My people, and I be their Elohim, while Dawid? My servant is
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sovereign over them. And they shall all have one shepherd and walk in My rightrulings and guard My laws, and shall do them.
And they shall dwell in the land that I have given to Yaakov? My servant,
where your fathers dwelt. And they shall dwell in it, they and their children and
their childrens children, forever, and My servant Dawid be their prince forever.
And I shall make a covenant of peace with them an everlasting covenant it is
with them. And I shall place them and increase them, and shall place My set-apart
place in their midst, forever. And My Dwelling Place shall be over them. And I
shall be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. And the gentiles shall know
that I, YHWH am setting Yisrael apart, when My set-apart place is in their midst
forever. (Ezekiel 37:15-28, The Scriptures 1998)
This matters because, while Ezekiel is told to bring the two sticks together in his hand
without turning them into a single stick, that same stick will literally become one stick
under Father Yahs power. As a result, while I understand fully why people who believe
they are Ephraim feel the need to gather together as a body, they also need to understand
that is not the end goal. It is at best a temporary situation that Father Yah is going to
correct in His own time, on the way to one people under David their king.
Therefore, to get back to my original point, because we are all human and we are all
sinners, our identity as either remaining in that sin or being forgiven and redeemed from
it trumps whatever other identity we may have in Israel. And yes, that includes people
like me, since my identity in Messiah is more important than my identity as Judah,
because Judah cant save me; only Messiah can.
2) Houses are not the problemwalls are.
Houses are great to gather Father Yahs people for praise, worship and fellowship. Walls
however, divide the people of Yah from one another.
Now many will say back to me, Andrew, we just want to gather together as your people
gather together and as Christians gather together. That is edifying and kosher. And I
would say, yes, thats all true, but again its the application of the idea that matters.
Let me turn this example on its head a bit and apply it to myself. Lets say I opened up a
synagogue and called it, The Judahite Assembly of Torah Observant Messianics. Many
who were of Judah would probably feel fine with it, but what have I done really? Have I
not, implicitly, excluded non-Judahites from that congregation?
Same idea with Two Houses, at least, some of the time. For many of us who come out of
Jewish backgrounds, being told a synagogue is linked to a particular tribe means that
those from other tribes are perhaps not as welcome and the same arguments some would
make to me that they are only gathering their people and are not against others I could
make in return about my synagogue too.
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Therefore as I said, houses are greatwalls not so much. But just to be clear, I have no
problem with any group dedicating an assembly for themselvesits instead all in the
marketing. There are plenty of kosher examples of Two House synagogues that speak to
their needs without excluding others. I know because I have been to some. I am talking
about excesses, not the idea as a whole. It is, as a general rule, not enough to only say
what you are for (Judahite assembly) but also what you are against (excluding nonJudahites).
3) A rising tide lifts all ships.
I heard someone in the Two House movement say that he believed every singly Christian
Gentile that embraced Torah is a lost tribe of Israel. Everyone? Really, are there no
Gentiles left in the world? How in the world can you even prove that? Are we really
going to give DNA tests to everyone to prove they are Israelite, or is being Hebrew
through Torah observance and coming through the Judah gate of Messiah somehow not
enough?
Now in saying this, I can imagine some folks will feel I am being unfair, that I am
denying their rights, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Instead, I am saying that the only blood that really matters is the blood Mashiyach shed
on the torture stake to save us from sin, death and hell. It is that blood, not ours, that
makes the difference between blessing and cursing, life and death. Whereas as we are
from First Adam; Yshua is Last Adam.
Listen to me carefully because what I say for others I also apply to myself. Ultimately,
my real DNA is Torah and Messiah. Torah is a blueprint for life itself and Yshua came
to bring eternal life through obedience to His Fathers will.
Therefore, if you do Torah, I dont care where you were born, you are a Hebrew. This
was true of the Babylonian Abraham, born a Gentile and becoming a Hebrew. Ultimately,
being spiritual Hebrews is more important than being genetic Jews or genetic northern
tribes, again because Abraham opened the door to salvation to the world and not to the
Jews alone. Abraham makes Yshua possible.
So no one is more encouraging of people discovering their inner Hebrew than I am. No
one is more enthusiastic about Gentiles who turn to Torah proclaiming themselves as part
of the commonwealth of Israel than I am, for this is what Ephesians 2 is all about.
Therefore have your house if you want to, but just remember, the time will come when
some home improvement projects that involve removing walls will be coming soon.
Im Andrew Gabriel Roth and thats your Torah Thought for the Week!

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Next week we will be exploring Emor. Our Torah portion will be Leviticus 21:1-24:23,
our Haftorah portion will be Ezekiel 44:15-31 and our Renewed Covenant portion will be
Colossians 2:11-23, where well deal with that let no one judge you about a Shabbat or a
New moon thang once and for all! Stay tuned!

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