Applying the Judgments of Yahweh
Shabbat Shalom Kol Yisrael. It is our pleasure to present this week's
Torah Parsha commentary by Nazarene Yisraelite Rabbi T. (Mordecai) Mitchell,
Rabbi and Rosh Zaken of B'nai Yeshurun Nazarene Yisraelite Synagogue,
Kittanning, Pa., and board member of the Union of Nazarene Yisraelite
Congregations. It is our sincere hope and prayer that these commentaries
encourage, inspire, and strengthen the body of Messiah in Kol Yisrael. Our
Parsha this week is Mishpatim (Laws and Judgments) Shemoth
(Exodus) 21:1 24:18. Our Haftarah is
YirmeYahu 34:8 22; 33:2526. Our suggested Brit Chadasha readings are:
MattithYahu (Matthew) 5:38 42; 15: 1 20; and Acts 23:1 11. Also please
read Tehillim (Psalms) 80 and 66.
Last week our Parsha was Yithro (Jethro, meaning
Abundance). We saw how Moshe's father-in-law gave Mosheh sound advice in simple
congregation administration. That allowed things to be done ...decently
and in order, and of course, gave Mosheh needed rest and lifted an
unnecessary burden from his shoulder.
Last week, not by coincidence, we discussed on our Pal Talk
ministry, having love, concern and compassion for our brethren and fellow man.
Not so coincidentally again, Mishpatim deals with laws that affect
our relationship with one another, and to our personal conduct and lifestyle.
Consider for a moment, a synopsis of the Ten Utterances or Ten
Commandments. The first four Commandments deal with our relationship with Abba
Yahweh. The last six pertain to our relationship with fellow human beings.
Yahshua Messiah reiterated this very idea to the rich, young ruler of Luke 18:18
23. We may note that when quoting the Ten Commands to this young man, Yahshua
quoted only those relating to dealings with our fellow man. In Luke 18:20, He
said: You know the commands, 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, Do
not steal, Do not bear false witness, Respect your father and mother.'
If we can follow the sense or intent of the Parashot, then we may see a
pattern. First comes getting our respective congregations in proper order. In
the beginning of Shemoth, we see various aspects of deliverance
from Egypt. Next we see great miracles taking place as signs to the people. This
is followed by the appointing or acceptance of qualified teachers, leaders,
administrators, whatever it takes. Today, in very small congregations, one or
two people must necessarily fulfill several roles. Next, after we put ourselves
in proper order, come the basics the Ten Commands were these basics. After
this, comes Mishpatim, an elaboration of the Ten, and how to apply
them to our daily lives.
Strangely enough, Mishpatim starts out speaking of male and
female slaves. There was never actual slavery in ancient Israel. The system was
more akin to indentured servitude, but for limited periods of time. It is also
about the humane and righteous treatment of those under the authority of
another. This portion of Mishpatim is often greatly misunderstood and more often
and I might add unfairly, comes under fire by Bible critics.
We must view this portion through spiritual eyes. The folk singer Bob
Dylan sang ...you gotta serve somebody. Whether he realized the
full impact of his words or not, the lyrics to his song remain ever so true.
Irrespective of male and female, slavery does exist today, even among spiritual
Israel that means us believers in Messiah and Torah.
Certainly we are all slaves, not in the traditionally understood sense.
We are slaves to our own egos, to our own comfort zones. We are slaves to
whatever we surrender to. We are, of necessity, slaves to our jobs, our homes,
many of our material possessions, even to, in a sense, our families. However,
slavery is really a mental state. We are true slaves when we have a slave
mindset. But when we necessarily dwell in this world and work and live and love
and even in proper context, play or enjoy life as it should be enjoyed, we
cannot be slaves as long as we commit ourselves to living the lifestyle of the
redeemed, that is, living by the Torah of Almighty Yahweh, and believing in the
Living Torah, Messiah Yahshua and having the sure hope or the coming of His
Kingdom to this earth and the gift of eternal life.
As we will read in upcoming Parashot, what keeps us in slavery is Amalek.
We can say this because Amalek represents doubt and also fear. When we have the
hope of salvation through Messiah Yahshua, there is no room for doubt or fear.
When we live by Torah, when it is our lifestyle, fear and doubt cannot exist.
However, we are all too human and as humans, we have our own weaknesses and
frailties. This is why it is so important, so vital, to be proactive when it
comes to fulfilling Vayyiqra (Leviticus) 19:18 V'ahavta, la
ra echea ka mocha ...and you shall love your neighbor as
yourself. We must learn to help, sustain, empathize and have compassion
and show love for our brethren, and also for those who are not converted but may
need something so simple as a kind word to give them hope.
To be free from slavery we must desire to grow. As we grow, we must
purpose in our hearts to share the fruits of that growth, whatever we may have
been given, with others, to help them grow. Admittedly, this is all the ideal,
but sad to say, it is not often the real. To make it more real, we have to
purpose in our hearts to work at it. We must put words into action. This can be
done only through prayer deep, heartfelt, personal prayer.
Now let us look at a few aspects of Mishpatim and see how they may
pertain to our lives and also how they were preached and advocated by Yahshua
our Messiah. For sake of time and space, we cannot possibly cover everything, so
the rest remains to be uncovered by each person's personal study.
Let's first consider 21:17 And he who curses his father or his
mother shall certainly be put to death.
On the Pshat level, this speaks of people who may physically strike their
parents or openly curse or rail against them. We must do well to remember that
we need to appreciate our parents, regardless of what their lives are or have
been like. They are the ones who brought us into this world and because we're
here, we have the opportunity to receive salvation. Sometimes there are
difficult, sometimes extremely difficult, family relationships. But at the very
least, it is our obligation to at least live in peace with them, even if they
are deemed to be not so good people. The best way to respect our parents is to
first respect Yahweh.
In MattithYahu 15:4 and in Mark 7:10, Yahshua quoted this very Command:
For Elohim has commanded, saying, 'Respect your father and your mother,'
and 'he who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
The carnal person seeks to return pain to those who may have given them
pain, Consequently, some curse not only their parents, but others they have
encountered in a negative way. But returning pain, injury or insult, is reactive
and therefore leads to self destruction. Let us as Yahweh's people seek to be
pro-active. Yahweh promises to ...turn every curse into a
blessing.
Getting back at one another is an all to human, and all to carnal form of
reaction. In Shemoth 21: 23 25 we read a familiar but greatly misunderstood
and often misapplied passage.
23 But if there is injury, then you shall give life for
life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for
foot,
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, lash for lash.
First, if we consider this in its proper context,
this is about limited retribution. For example, in ancient Israel, if someone's
actions caused one to lose, say a hand, the injured person couldn't demand that
the guilty party be decapitated. Moreover, these verses are in no way a license
for vigilante justice. We must keep in mind that all cases were heard by
judges, more often than not, a tribunal of judges. Ideally, the judges were men
who knew and understood Torah and who feared Yahweh. Moreover. They had no
personal agenda and were not in any way, respecters of persons. This section,
when properly understood, also precludes people from hurting others for no good
reason. (However, we must add that this does not prohibit us from legitimate
self defense even to the point of using deadly force if necessary. We cannot
put ourselves or our families in danger by allowing evil doers to triumph).
In quoting this very verse, Yahshua took the matter
one step further, as we read in MattithYahu 5:38 39.
You have heard it was said, 'An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth,'
but I say to you, do not resist the wicked. But
whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
Like Shemoth 21; 23 25, Yahshua's words are greatly
misunderstood. Without extensive elaboration, suffice it to say that what
Yahshua was trying to convey was simply that we do not have to react, or respond
to every personal put down, insult or cutting remark.
In 21:28 we read about an ox that gores. I don't
think that many of us today own oxen (although some may). But the principle here
is that we are responsible for animals under our control. Just this week in the
news we heard of a chimpanzee that reverted to its wild state and seriously
mauled a women. Again (thankfully) not many of us own chimpanzees. However, many
of us do own dogs. We often read of dogs attacking people, sometimes small
children. If we own any animal, we are and must be responsible to see to it that
our pets or livestock are under control at all times. Keeping animals under
control includes barking dogs, or dogs or cats that may damage our neighbor's
property.
I regret that it is impossible to cover all the
aspects and deeper teachings of Mishpatim. However, from what we've covered so
far I hope and pray that each and every one of us will continue to delve deeper
into the Scriptures. There is one final point that must be made. In Shemoth 23:
14 we read the words of Yahweh Himself: Three times in the year you are to
observe a festival to Me. These three Sacred Seasons are known as the
Shalosh Regalim. The three Sacred Seasons are Pesach and Chag
HaMatzah (Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread) Shavuot (Pentecost)
and the fall Feasts, primarily Sukkot.
It should come as no surprise that almost in the
midst of the Parsha that deals with our relationships with our fellow man,
Yahweh reminds His people to keep the Moedim (Feast Days). Why should this be?
Every sharp axe (or every sharp sword) gets dull over time and needs
resharpening. That's just one of the reasons we are commanded to keep Yahweh's
Holy Days. We all need a periodic sharpening. Moreover, since Iron
sharpens Iron, we must gather together as Yahweh's people. The verse in
23:14 is not a suggestion. It is a command of Torah by Almighty Yahweh Himself.
He wants us to meet with Him on the appointed times. Its that simple.
Brethren, Monday, February 15 (evening of Feb. 14)
marks the first day of the month Adar. It is a Rosh Chodesh
or New Moon Day according to Yahweh's calendar. Adar is known
among Jews, according to the Sefer Yitzerah, as a month of
strength and joy. It is the time when Yahweh moved to turn adversity and
impending destruction into a time of victory. May this month be a month of joy
(Galatians 5:22) and blessing to all Yahweh's people. The minor festival of
Purim is Feb. 28 on the Roman calendar. Yahweh willing, we will discuss some of
the more mystical meanings of Purim on our Erev Shabbat (Friday evening) Pal
Talk Bible study the weekend prior to Purim. Please tune into Pal
Talk on Erev Shabbat at 8 p.m Eastern Standard Time and again at 1 p.m.
Shabbat Day. Go to Religion and Spirituality, then
Christianity and look for our room, Bnai Yeshurun. All people of
good will are welcome. May Almighty Yahweh bless us all as we seek to serve
Him.
Most roads in our area are clear after we were
blitzed with about two feet of snow this past week. Life is slowly getting back
to normal (normal for late winter anyhow). One of our families in the
congregation was without electric for several days but survived thanks to a wood
stove and the ability to burn wood in their main furnace, and the grace of
Almighty Yahweh.
With the roads cleared and no new snow in the
forecast we will go ahead with plans for our regional meeting at noon, Feb. 13
at the Covenant Center, Kittanning, Pa. We plan, as usual, to have a time of
good spiritual food, good physical food and warm fellowship. All people of
goodwill are welcome to join us. Let us pray for all adversely affected by the
recent deluge of snow and cold.
Comments or questions about this week's Parsha
commentary may be addressed by e-mail to Rabbi Mitchell at: yoel@windstream.net
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