Parashat B’chukotai (Leviticus 26:3-27) 5782 B”H

The Supreme Court’s Draft opinion: Will our nation finally stop killing babies?

The leaked Supreme Court draft opinion is captivating the nation’s attention and has brought the discussion about the value of human life front and center.

Wouldn’t it be an answer to prayer if our nation reversed course and stopped shamelessly killing babies?

As God’s own children, we know that there is inherent value and worth in every child, born and not-yet-born.

And yet this week’s parashat is one of those Scriptures that makes me uncomfortable!

What to do when the Scriptures make you squirm

As soon as one of my sons overheard that I was studying Leviticus 27‘s unsettling “valuations” of human beings he immediately said,

“Oh great. God supports slavery?”

It is more complicated than that, but . . . any monetary amount placed on the value of human life is very hard for us to understand.

And pretty much the only time I ever hear the word, “valuation” is on Shark Tank. 😉

So what should you do if you read a passage that just really bothers you?

First, don’t jump to any conclusions.

Pause, and pray.

Ask the LORD to speak to you and teach you through.

Be willing to do some research. Learn about history, context, culture, and any other details that the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) leads you to.

Talk to trusted believers such as your pastor, ministry leaders, and other reliable Bible teachers.

And finally, pray some more!

You will almost always arrive at a place of peace, if you will surrender to the LORD’s leading, and He will instruct you from His very Word about why the Bible says what it does! There are some mysteries, of course, that we will just have to wait until we are in the heavenly kingdom to ask about, but I assure you, if you are willing to put in the work, you will find many answers that you seek!

Back to our disconcerting passage:

If a person made a special vow, these were the valuations for redemption:

Men ages 60+: 15 shekels
Women ages 60+: 10 shekels
Men ages 20–60: 50 shekels
Women ages 20–60: 30 shekels
Boys/young men ages 5–20 years: 20 shekels
Girls/young women ages 5–20: 10 shekels
Boys ages 1 month – 5 years: 5 shekels
Girls ages 1 month – 5 years: 3 shekels

This seems to be way outside of anything we are used to in America.

We wonder immediately, how could someone be worth more or worth less than someone else?

And are men worth more than women?

Why are 20-60 year olds worth the most?

Notice, these were the valuations for redemption related to a special vow. (We discussed a bit about redemption last week; you can read about it here). The redemption price didn’t actually have to do with inherent worth. All humans have inherent worth:

“God created humankind in His image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

Well, that is reassuring . . .

So then what was this about?

The redemption valuation wasn’t about inherent worth. Personhood and value was assumed, and Torah commands us to preserve and cherish life!

The valuation had to do with how much a person could produce, how much they were worth as a worker. What I find surprising is that a value is placed even on one month olds!

The 20-60 year old age group naturally would include the strongest, most productive workers.

We value the ability of each person to contribute to the success of the wider community.

However, this still seems somewhat unsettling.

What about those with dis-ability?

What about the poor?

The valuation list doesn’t make a distinction. This is actually highly inclusive! Ability didn’t matter! The valuations are based on age alone! As for the poor, there is no discrimination either: If a poor person made a vow, but could not afford the redemption prices, an exception would be made. The poor person would go before the priest, and the priest would set a value that would be manageable. (Leviticus 27:8)

Parashats Tazria-Metzora (V’Yikra/Leviticus 12-15) 5782 B’H

This article contains a few links to related books you may be interested in. I do want to disclose that I am an Amazon affiliate which means I would earn a little from your purchase, but it won’t cost you extra.

The pandemic has actually helped us be able to understand Leviticus 13 better

Any time there is an incurable and highly contagious disease, protocols must be kept to prevent the spread of disease.

God commanded Israel to develop quarantining and cleanliness practices well before scientists figured it out.

Prior to the pandemic, few of us had ever experienced quarantine. We would hear about travel quarantines from time to time, but all in all it was difficult to relate to and understand the isolation and quarantines described in Scriptural passages like Leviticus 13.

According to Leviticus 13, when someone had symptoms of a contagious skin disease, they were subjected to a 14-day quarantine (with examinations each week).

It had to be clear that the individual who had tested positive was not a threat to the rest of the community.

This became standard practice that we see evidence of still today. Hospitals didn’t invent these rules, the LORD did!

Sickness & Loss of Identity

Leprosy used to be one of those diseases that resulted not only in quarantine but in complete ostracization. Sadly, the leper’s affliction became his or her identity.

“ All the days during which the plague is on him he will be unclean. He is unclean. He is to dwell alone. Outside of the camp will be his dwelling.” Leviticus 13:46

Covid-19 started out that way. You were either Covid-positive or Covid-negative. It didn’t matter who you were. You would be alone. Sad. Afraid. Isolated.

God-given knowledge and medical breakthroughs bring hope

During the pandemic, I read a book to my children called The Polio Pioneer by Linda Elovitz Marshall. It explains the incredible achievement of Jewish research doctor Dr.Jonas Salk who invented the polio vaccine in 1952.

When medical breakthroughs occur, everything changes. Suddenly, there’s hope and the disease doesn’t have to define people anymore.

That’s miraculous!

What I have personally found exasperating throughout the Covid-19 pandemic were the number of people who refused to wear a mask or support vaccination research. Medical breakthroughs like vaccines have saved so many lives in so many nations! Polio is such a great example. According to that children’s book, our grandparents couldn’t swim in public swimming pools for fear of getting debilitating polio! Our generation never had to worry about getting that disease.

If we pray that our Great Physician will inspire and lead the hearts and hands of doctors and bring healing and wholeness, shouldn’t we have rejoiced at the God-given knowledge researchers had to make a Covid-19 vaccine possible?

Honestly, Covid should never have become political. For believers, if we truly love our neighbors as we love ourselves, we can put on a mask for a few weeks. That mask doesn’t rob us of our identity the way the disease itself can.

Many Christians in the United States were adamantly against the quarantines and health mandates while Christians in other countries supported and insisted upon their use. None of us like governmental overreach, so perhaps some of the “mandates” in the US went too far, but if we are true believers trusting in the LORD not in man, we should not jump so quickly to conclusions that the public health policies were intended to restrict our freedoms so much as they were legitimately trying their best to protect the vulnerable from a deadly pandemic.

We need to give one another grace.

And the Bible sets a precedent for protecting a community from sickness and plague.

We learn the rules and the mandates in Leviticus 13. Though grace is present even in Torah (aka the Pentateuch), it is more obvious for us to understand it through Messiah Yeshua’s (Jesus’) teachings and actions.

We live in a sin-sick world. The consequence of sin is death.

“For sin’s payment is death, but God’s gracious gift is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (TLV)

Stated differently,

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 (NKJV)

The problem is, sickness is associated with sin.

“As Yeshua [Jesus] was passing by, He saw a man who had been blind since birth. His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he should be born blind?”

Yeshua answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned. This happened so that the works of God might be brought to light in him.” John 9:1-3

Miryam’s leprosy was a punishment for her sin of speaking against Moshe (Moses). Often times, our spiritual condition does end up reflected in our physical health.

But not every sickness is directly related to a specific sin like Miryam’s.

The disciples didn’t understand that, though, which is why they (as was customary) assumed the blind man (or his parents) had committed a sin which directly caused his blindness.

I know many a hurt believer who has been told they “must’ve sinned.” Supposedly that’s why they are dealing with a difficult diagnosis.

It’s not quite that simple. Our Savior Yeshua (Jesus) demonstrated that in His response to the disciples: neither the man nor his parents had sinned. The man’s condition was permitted so that God could be glorified through him.

Surely you know a faithful believer who has struggled through terrible illness. While we cannot always comprehend it, oftentimes it is so that God can be glorified.

There is sickness in this fallen world and it can affect anyone. We must rely on the LORD to help us through.

We are in need of a cure.

There is one cure you need to know about

On this earth, in this life, there may never be the one cure you or a loved one desperately needs, at the time in which it is needed.

The disease might not respond to treatment, or the injury might be too severe. The illness might be too advanced or the trauma just too damaging.

But if your heart is hurt and in need of mending, I assure you there is a cure.

It might not seem so instantaneous as we might like, but I assure you, it is one hundred percent effective.

The cure is this: putting your trust, your faith, and all your hope in the Messiah, the Savior of all mankind – the One who was and who is and who is to come, Yeshua, Jesus the Christ.

Because He is the cure.

Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) is the cure

He is God’s Son and He died on the cross to repair all the damage that had been done by sin. He took all the fallenness, all the sinfulness, all the destruction, all the diseases, all the afflictions, every single problem upon Himself. He was nailed to that wooden cross along with all the guilt, all the pain, all the grief, all the sorrow that this world contains to lift it up off of you. He bore our iniquities. He was wounded for our transgressions. All the debts, all the terror, all the war, all the rage. All the loneliness. He absorbed it all.

Death thought it had its victory.

As the body of the LORD hung in what appeared to be final surrender, the devil smirked. The physical damage was done. Yeshua’s (Jesus’) body hung as blood gushed out from him. His body bruised and beaten, seemingly no match for hope. Where was the cure now? Where was the victory? Could the battle be won?

Absolutely. He won the victory. Death couldn’t hold Him down. He rose again in victory, resurrected in power!

You see, He Himself is the cure. The cure for all of humanities ailments. The cure for lost identities and the cure for the darkest depression.

His blood washed the earth anew. The blood of the perfect, spotless Lamb had been sacrificed on the biggest altar ever known.

So now there is hope for you and me.

The Bible says that by His wounds, you have been healed. The crucifixion, death, and resurrection of the Messiah was prophesied at least seven hundred years earlier:

“But He was pierced because of our transgressions,
crushed because of our iniquities.
The chastisement for our shalom was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

If you are in need of any type of healing, turn your heart and your prayers to the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He has made a way for hope to reign and the possibilities of innumerable healing miracles and restoration.

Don’t be defined by your pain.

Or your diagnosis.

Don’t allow the devil to rob you of your joy.

If you are a child of the King, a child of God, you were bought for a price and no one can take your future away from you.

The Son of God has made a way:

That cure changes everything.

Have you put all of your trust in the Savior? Do you have a true relationship with your Heavenly Father and with His Son, the Messiah, Yeshua haMaschiah (Jesus the Christ)? Are you in need of healing? Wholeness? Peace? Do you need His comfort? The Holy Spirit comforts us in our times of need. Please, leave a comment with your thoughts and we would love the opportunity to pray for you. Please consider subscribing as well so you can stay up-to-date on our latest Bible studies and teachings. During this season of the Spring Feasts when we focus even more on the resurrection victory, I invite you to check out this free PDF of the Biblical Feast Days and other important holidays that you might like to print out and keep with your calendar or on your refrigerator!

Parashats Beha’alotecha & Shlach (Numbers 8-15) B”H 5781, updated 7/8/22 5782

Today, we will look at Numbers 8-15 as well as a familiar passage from John 8 as we explore what happened to a man who was gathering firewood on the Sabbath.

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Many of us learned this somewhat outdated rhyme growing up.

Contrast its claim with a verse from Proverbs:

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Proverbs 18:21

Proverbs 18:21 teaches us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Words do have the power to harm. Harsh, hate-filled words can hurt us and can leave us pretty scarred. On the flip side, words can be life-giving and confidence-building, a source of blessing.

Obviously, the childhood rhyme intends to help a child overcome being teased with the reassurance that childish name-calling usually excludes physical harm.

Unfortunately, our own words can come back to bite us. Sometimes we harm ourselves by the foolish things we say. A careless thought can become a careless word, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Luke 6:45 

Care must be taken to cultivate a life of kindness, goodness, and self-control, led by the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh), so that the demeanor of the believer becomes more righteous in outlook and attitude rather than maintaining the self-serving posture of the natural man.

Learning from Miryam: We must be careful how we speak

Lashon Hara in Parashat Beha’alotcha/Beha’alotecha

When an individual fails to speak in a righteous manner, he or she risks committing sin known in Hebrew as lashon hara. Lashon hara means “evil tongue” or “wicked talk” and is considered a grave sin in Judaic thought, and for good reason. In Parashat Beha’alotecha Miryam was punished by God because she disapproved of her brother Moshe’s marriage to a Cushite woman and spoke against him (Numbers 12:1, 10).

Miryam ended up with leprosy.

Lashon hara engages the realm of death and brings curse right along with it. Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik aptly wrote “Death is the symbol of the most intense defilement; therefore, he who is holy unto his Lord must keep away from such defilement.” (Soloveitchik, Halakhic Man, 32).

Most Christians have never so much as heard of lashon hara let alone tried to refrain from it. Overly simplistic sermons lightly address gossip, but all too many churches thrive on the gossip mill and abuse the doctrine of grace. If you have a prayer request for someone else, there is no need to give every exhausting, gossipy detail. The LORD knows the need. Explain enough, but have wisdom to avoid gossiping.

Scripture calls us to a much higher plane.

As called out, set-apart people, followers of Messiah should emulate Him. Yeshua (Jesus) was careful with His words, and we should be, as well. He, of course, knew Torah, and would have been entirely familiar with passages such as Numbers 15:30-31. In it, the reader is cautioned, that “the person who sins defiantly, whether native or outsider, reviles ADONAI and that person is to be cut off from his people. Because he has despised the word of Adonai and has broken His commandment, that person will certainly be cut off—his guilt will remain on him.”

Regardless of whether or not Miryam was justified in her opinion, evil speech could not be tolerated under the Law as it would lead to defilement. Defilement can be described as a state of being in which the offender could not rightly appear before the Holy One. Ultimately, lashon hara leads to destruction, so it must be dealt with immediately at its source. As the Apostle Paul (Rabbi Sha’ul) said, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not!” (Rom.6:1-2a).

Learning from an unnamed man who was gathering firewood: We must be obedient

Keep Parashat Beha’alotcha in mind as you study Parashat Shlach

In Numbers 15:32, an unnamed fellow is stoned for collecting sticks and stones on the Sabbath day.

Yes, you read that right. Stoned. To. Death.

Consider this:

Have you ever worked on a Saturday?

Have you ever tidied up your house or done some yard work on the Sabbath?

Miryam became a leper, but this Sabbath-breaking man was immediately put to death.

What is the difference between Miryam’s sin and firewood-man’s sin?

Miryam’s lashon hara sin was directed at Moshe (Moses).

The unknown guy’s Sabbath-violating sin was directed right at the Holy One.

Miryam endured a status of defilement as a punishment, but the unnamed man truly, in a sense, selected defilement – as a choice.

He did not concern himself with things above, but lived for the moment and disregarded God’s commandments.

The man in Numbers 15:32 is not named because he could be any of us

Why is gathering wood on Shabbat such a horrible thing?

Well, to put it into everyday language: it was like shaking your fist at your Creator.

The work involved with gathering wood suggests the man was planning to start a fire, likely to cook a meal.

These are all prohibitions outlined by the Torah as violations of the Holy Sabbath.

He was guilty of blatant defiance.

Gathering firewood just doesn’t seem “so bad.”

As human beings with our limited understanding, we tend to “rank” sins. It would seem gathering firewood is a much “lesser” sin than a murderer or an abuser.

But we have to realize that sin is sin. Any transgression of God’s Eternal Law constitutes sin. Any.

According to the Bible, “. . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23

All.

The murderers.

The abusers.

The Sabbath firewood-gatherers.

We are all guilty and we all need salvation.

And there is Good News! It’s more than Good, it’s Excellent News — the LORD has made a way for us through His Son, Yeshua (Jesus).

We fall short. But He doesn’t. He is the All-Sufficient One. And He extends His grace and mercy, His perfect forgiveness to you and me if we will receive Him.

Forgiveness is Available

This point is beautifully demonstrated by our Savior when, in the Gospel of John chapter 8 Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) forgave a woman caught in adultery.

She was guilty, on all counts, of violating Torah.

Like the Sabbath firewood gatherer, she had violated Torah and her punishment (according to the Law) should be stoning.

Also like the firewood man, this woman is unnamed. All of us should see in her our own rebellions and failings.

Despite the adulterous woman’s sin, the LORD pointed out the sinfulness of all those who accused her.

Whoever had no sin, whoever was completely sinless, this person could go right ahead and cast the first stone.

The only One who could condemn her (the LORD Himself) chose instead to forgive her.

“Yeshua knelt down and started writing in the dirt with His finger. When they kept asking Him, He stood up and said, ‘The sinless one among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’” John 8:6b-7

You and I have failed.

We have fallen short.

We have broken His Law.

We have violated Sabbath.

We have sinned against the Most Holy God.

But forgiveness is available to us, if we will repent of our sin and allow Him to restore and deliver us.

Shabbat is intended to be a divine appointment

The LORD has commanded us to keep His Sabbath, and to keep it Holy because it is a set-apart time for us to pause, rest, reflect, and enter into communion with our Father. It is intended to be a blessing, not a burden; but in today’s fast-paced world, it can be a challenge to keep Shabbat.

It has been said that if we truly understood how glorious it is to meet with ADONAI on Shabbat, we would never dare to disrespect that time. We would never miss that Sabbath sacred appointment and we would choose to strive for purity of thought, word, and deed, that we would never be defiled and unable to come before His throne.

Our lives depend upon us being in communication and right relationship with our Savior, the One who washes us and declares us clean.

The man being stoned to death for dishonoring the Sabbath is an illustration for us.

Underneath that pile of stones laid a man who had no understanding of his need for a relationship with his Maker.

Bruised and buried, that man represents all of those who do not yet understand that Messiah has come – that Messiah was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities so that we might live and never die. Firewood man was completely clueless about how his transgression would end in disaster.

May you be inspired by the grace and mercy of the LORD to seek a greater communion with the Eternal One, the LORD of the Sabbath. May you guard your lips for this protects your life, (Proverbs 13:3), follow the Way of the LORD and keep His commands, and may you be blessed to be a blessing!

I hope this teaching has inspired you, challenged you, or otherwise blessed you! Leave a comment below and please consider joining the Adonai Shalom email list today!