V'Zot HaBrachah "And This is the Blessing"

Another contribution from rabbi Jack. Thank as always, Brad

Parashat HaShavua V'Zot HaBrachah / And This Is The Blessing



This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12
Yohoshua / Joshua 1:1-18
Tesolonikim Alef / 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11


Devarim {33:29} Happy are you, Yisrael (Israel) : Who is like you, a people saved by HaShem, the shield of your help, the sword of your excellency! Your enemies shall submit themselves to you; you shall tread on their high places.

This is quite the prophecy Moshe (Moses) gave to Yisrael prior to his death. I like the part where he says Yisrael’s enemies shall submit themselves to her and that she will tread on their high places (meaning their idolatries). It is amazing how signicant this passage is today, especially considering that Yisrael’s enemies are arming themselves to the teeth and her new greatest enemy (Iran) is coveting nuclear weapons. However, before I get into commenting on this week’s Parasha there are a number of Scriptures I would like to us to read:

Devarim {21:15} If an ish (man) have two wives, the one beloved, and the other hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers who was hated; {21:16} then it shall be, in the day that he causes his sons to inherit that which he has, that he may not make the ben (son) the beloved the firstborn before the ben (son) the hated, who is the firstborn: {21:17} but he shall acknowledge the firstborn, the ben the hated, by giving him a double portion of all that he has; for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

Shemot (Exodus) {4:22} "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says HaShem, Yisrael is My son, My firstborn...”

So here we have it! Yisrael is HaShem’s firstborn, and just as we read even if the firstborn is from the hated wife he must be acknowledged as the firstborn and, therefore, must still be given the right of a firstborn, which includes, as we find in Scripture, family headship and a double portion of the inheritance.

From the beginning Yisrael has not exactly been a model son. He was conceived to be a representation of the living G-d to the Goyim (Nations), a task which he failed miserably at. Instead he grew up to reject his Father and as a result HaShem disciplined him by scattered him throughout the world and turning his Promise Land into a wasteland.

In 1948, against all odds, Yisrael was reborn into the Promise Land and was repatriated. However, he was reborn as a secular nation and Yisrael is perhaps worse today then he was when he was exiled. Since Yisrael’s inception abortions have killed more Jews than Hitler, gays have the right to marry and are openly parading in Jerusalem. Pig farms have sprung up around the country and pork can be purchased from butcher shops in many major cities. The Dome of the Rock dominates the skyline of Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) while a Bahai Temple dominates the skyline of Haifa. Worse yet God has been reduced to tradition. Add to this the fact that Yisrael’s enemies are growing stronger and more numerous and you have what adds up to a not very pretty picture for Yisrael.

Yet we read in this week’s Parasha that Yisrael’s enemies will submit themselves to her and that she shall tread on their idolatrous practices. How can this be, considering the present situation?

I am not going to make any prophetic predictions, but if I would I would predict that Hamas, Hezbullah, Iran and all the other nations that are secretly or openly supporting or helping these nations will not prosper.

Iran, of late, is touting is new weapon dubbing it “the ambassador of death.” However, Yisrael has a more powerful weapon and that is the G-d of Yisrael who happens also to be the G-d of all heaven and earth and He has said:

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) {44:2} Thus says HaShem who made you and formed you from the womb, who will help you, “Do not fear, O (Ya’acov) Jacob My servant; and you Jeshurun (Jerusalem) whom I have chosen...” {54:17} “No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of HaShem, and their vindication is from Me,” declares HaShem.

Yisrael is HaShem’s firstborn, his heritage, His inheritance. As stated above, Yisrael will not be defeated. Nor can Yisrael be replace or disinherited, as many churches and pastors are teaching. Yisrael can not be forgotten or abandoned. G-d’s firstborn son will not be destroyed!

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Yom Kippur message

Another message from Rabbi Jack in Toronto. Thanks as always, Brad


Parashat HaShavua Yom Kippur / Day Of Atonement

This Week's Reading List:
VaYikra / Leviticus 16:1-34
Bamidbar / Numbers 29:7-11
Yeshayahu / Isaiah 57:14-58:14
Romim / Romans 3:21-26


Vayikra {16:1} HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), after the death of the two sons of Aharon (Aaron), when they drew near before HaShem, and died; {16:2} and HaShem said to Moshe, Speak to Aharon your brother, that he does not come at all times into HaKodesh (the holy / the separate) place within the veil, before the Kaporet (Ark-cover) seat which is on the Aron (Ark) ; that he not die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat. {16:3} Herewith shall Aharon come into HaKodesh place: with a young bull for a sin-offering, and a ram for an olah (whole burnt) offering.

It is not often that Yom Kippur falls on a Shabbat, but when it does the above Parasha in Vayikra read.

What intrigues me is that this Parasha begins with the death of Aharon’s two sons. What does this have to do with Yom Kippur and its theme as “The Day of Atonement?” Well, I believe that this portion begins with the death of Aharon’s two sons because it is telling us that we all have something to atone for -- the sin of disobedience! This sin of disobedience is what resulted in the deaths of Aharon’s two sons and, sadly, it is not restricted to them alone. We are all disobedient to G-d in some way or another and, therefore, we all need atonement. Disobedience to G-d is idolatry; disobedience is placing self-will ahead of G-d’s Will, and that is a major sin. In fact this is what Scripture has to say about someone who sins:

Yechekiel (Ezekiel) {18:4} "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine. The soul who sins will die.

Is that not what happened to Aharon’s sons, did they not die? With this in mind, this beginning passage in our Parasha really pronounces what our etiquette and our attitude needs to be towards G-d as well as the atonement process so that G-d’s people will not die as a result of their sin:

Vayikra {16:7} He shall take the two goats, and set them before HaShem at the door of the Ohel Moed (Tent of Meeting). {16:8} Aharon shall cast lots on the two goats; one lot for HaShem, and the other lot for Azazel (goat-of-departure). {16:9} Aharon shall present the goat on which the lot fell for HaShem, and offer him for a sin-offering. {16:10} But the goat, on which the lot fell for Azazel, shall be set alive before HaShem, to make kappar (atonement) for him, to send him away for Azazel into the wilderness.

Seeing as every one of us are sinners and the soul that sins will die, because of HaShem’s justice no human would eventually remain alive on the earth. Therefore, HaShem provided His people with a way of atonement, as we read above.

Two goats were to take our place on Yom Kippur - this special day set aside for atonement. One goat was slaughtered as the required blood atonement for the sins that were committed by the people, it was their death substitute. This was an innocent animal that died in the place of the people. The second goat, called the “Scapegoat,” was sent away into the wilderness and signified that the sins of the people had departed from them and were forgiven, forgotten and banished far away from them. The process is also described to us in this Scripture:

Micah {7:19} He will again have compassion on us; He will tread our iniquities under foot. Yes, You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.

So we can now easily see the Yom Kippur process. We are all sinners and deserve to die; however, HaShem provides us with a pathway to atonement. Once the atonement is accomplished He then promises to never remember those sins or hold them against us ever again.

As we move into the Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) we see that nothing has changed, the process of atonement is still the same:

Romim (Romans) {6:23} For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of G-d is eternal life through Yeshua HaMashiach (the Messiah) our L-rd.

Shaul (Paul) is explaining in this passage that Yeshua HaMashiach is our Yom Kippur atonement. What a relief and blessing especially considering that there is no longer a Bet HaMikdash (Temple) in which to offer up the two goats.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber

Ha'Azinu -Give Ear Deut 32:1-52

Another contribution from Rabbi Jack, thanks as always

Parashat HaShavua Ha'Azinu / Give Ear



This Week's Reading List:
Devarim / Deuteronomy 32:1-52
Hoshea / Hosea 14:2-10
Yoel / Joel 2:11-27
Micha / Micah 7:18-20
Romim / Romans 10:14-11:12


Devarim {32:1} Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak; Let the earth hear the words of my mouth. {32:2} My doctrine shall drop as the rain; My speech shall condense as the dew, As the small rain on the tender grass, As the showers on the herb. {32:3} For I will proclaim the Name of HaShem: Ascribe you greatness to our G-D. {32:4} The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice: A G-D of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He.

Do you think Moshe (Moses) is trying to tell us something here? What an Awesome G-d we serve! Moshe is giving us what I think is the most accurate description anyone could ever give of our G-d. In fact Moshe is saying that the description he is giving of our G-d should be to us as refreshing as rain (something that is very precious in a dry and dusty land like Yisrael (Israel), as vivifying as dew (something Yisrael relies upon for moisture during the dry season) and as welcome as showers on growing herbs.

Why does Moshe start this song with a vivid description of who G-d is? He does this because most people do not truly know their G-d. Many people view G-d, who throughout Scripture is called our Farther, in relation to how they view their earthly father. If, therefore, they had a negative relationship with their earthly father, then this negativity is transferred unto how they view their heavenly Father. Moshe here is clarifying to us that, without a doubt, our heavenly Father is nothing like our earthly father or anyone or anything else that we can possibly imagine – even in our best dreams. The Shaliach (Apostle) Shaul (Paul) express that sentiment exactly when he writes:

Korintim Alef (1 Corinthians) {2:9} However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what G-d has prepared for those who love Him.

If we want to continue on in faith in a world wrought with violence and godlessness, then we have to Ha’azinu (Give Ear) to what Moshe is telling us. The world will try to convince us that there is no G-d. You may even be tempted when you are ill or in some other dire circumstance to say, “If G-d loves me, then why is He allowing this to happen?” However, the fact is that there is a G-d, and He allows things to happen to us for any number of reasons.

Romim (Romans) {11:34} For who has known the mind of the L-rd, or who became His counsellor?

This is the point Moshe is trying to get across to bnei Yisrael (the children of Israel). In last week’s Parasha Moshe told bnei Yisrael that they were going to become an apostate nation, yet here in this weeks Parasha he drives home the fact that no matter what happens to bnei Yisrael in the future that they are to first and foremost remember G-d’s love for them and then they need to remember the following:

Devarim {32:4} The Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice: A G-D of faithfulness and without iniquity, Just and right is He.

How many of us need to know this very same thing. G-d is good! He is all the things Moshe described Him to be and more. Yet, how many of us have doubted Him? That doubt is in and of itself sin, which leads us into even more sin. In response to our lack of faith Moshe reminds us of G-d’s justice. Moshe then goes on to give us another accurate description. This description is of bnei Yisrael and really of us as well, and it’s not a very pleasant one.

Devarim {32:5} They have dealt corruptly with Him, they are not His children, it is their blemish; They are a perverse and crooked generation. {32:6} Do you thus repay HaShem, foolish people and unwise? Is not He your 'Ab (Father) who has bought you? He has made you, and established you.

We need to place ourselves into this verse. Why, because we too are a perverse and crooked generation. Instead of repaying HaShem for His love, kindness, generosity and mercy towards us with our obedience, we repay Him with rebellion. Sadly the results for us will be the same as for bnei Yisrael if we rely on ourselves, anyone or anything other than G-d for help.

Devarim {32:37} He will say, Where are their gods, The rock in which they took refuge; {32:38} Which ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help you, Let them be your shomer (guardian). {32:39} See now that I, even I, am He, There is no G-D with Me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; There is none who can deliver out of My hand.

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber