Drastic Action Turns
Away Wrath
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., 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. This week our Parsha is Pinchas (Dark skinned)
Bemidbar (Numbers) 25:10 30:1. Our Haftarah portion is Malakim Aleph
(I Kings) 18:46 19:21. Our suggested Brit Chadasha readings are: MattithYahu
(Matthew) 26:1-30; I Corinthians 5:6-8; and Ibrim (Hebrews) 11:28. Please read
Tehillim (Psalms) 73 and 75.
Before beginning our Parsha, those on the
commentary e-mail list have received the special teaching from Rabbi Nydle. In
this Parsha, we see that one man took drastic and decisive action to put and end
to idolatry and gross immorality. What I would like us to consider is what we
have to do in our personal lives to completely sever all ties with religion,
and turn ourselves toward true spirituality. Have we thrust the spear through
every vestige of our religious past? Do we have the courage to do so? Can we
begin to accept the whole truth? Are we spiritually mature enough to handle the
truth?
25:10. And YHWH
spoke to Mosheh, saying.
11. Pinehas, son
of El-azar, son of Aharon the priest, has turned back My wrath from the children
of Yisrael, because he was ardent with My ardour in their midst, so that I did
not consume the children of Yisrael in My ardour.
12. Therefore
say, 'See, I am giving him My covenant of peace.'
At the end of last
week's Parsha, Balak, in Chapter 25:6-8, an Yisraelite man named
Zimri, committed open fornication with a Midyanite woman named Kozbi. Their act
was more than a mere joining of two people. It was an open and defiant act
proclaiming the worship of Ba'al Peor (The L-rd of the Matrix). In other words,
they were advocating sex worship.
In Chapter 25:8 we read
that as a result of Yisrael's collective sin of joining themselves to the
Midyanite people in an immoral way, and subsequently worshiping their elohim,
Yahweh unleashed a plague that, until it was stopped, killed 24,000. Pinehas
(Pinchas) took a spear and with a single thrust, killed both Zimri and Kozbi.
While his deed may seem purely reactionary, drastic, even brutal, it was this
very act that stopped the plague among the Yisraelites.
Therefore, the Rabbis
correctly understand Pinchas' act as one of healing. In the extra writing known
as the Zohar, the section Pinchas,' (Volumes 20 and 21) are
called the Book of Healing. Often, great spiritual sickness can be
healed only through extreme, drastic action. We must also keep in mind that
spiritual healing also brings about physical healing.
When it comes to
healing of any type, we must always go back to the source of truth, Almighty
Yahweh and His Torah, His Living Torah, Yahshua Messiah.
In Torah scrolls there
is a hint (a Remez) that this idea of going back to the source is hidden in the
name Pinchas. In Hebrew, the name Pinchas is spelled: Pey, Yod,
Nun, Chet and Samek. However, in Torah scrolls, and some
other faithfully reproduced copies of Hebrew Scriptures, the Yod in his
name is written smaller than usual.
In Hebrew calligraphy,
all letters are begun with the Yod. The Yod is then extended in
various shapes to form the other letters. In Rabbinical teachings, Yahweh used
Hebrew letters to create all that exists. The Yod was the beginning and
is considered the source of all physical matter. In Pinchas, the Yod is
small than normal to teach us that we have the ability to reduce the impact of
the physical in our lives. To do this, we must return to the source.
There is yet another
anomaly in Torah scrolls. In verse 12, we read that Yahweh gives Pinchas His
...covenant of peace. The Hebrew word for peace, as we should
all know, is Shalom (Sheen, Lamed, holem-Vuv, and
Mem-sofeet). In Torah Scrolls, the Vuv is written
broken. It my look like a misprint or slip of the scribe's pen, but it is not.
This is to signal that
when our connection to The Light is broken, we do not have peace, and
consequently, we do not have physical or spiritual health.
While Pinchas' actions
may, on the surface, seem rash, he was actually a quick thinker. He immediately
realized what had to be done to save the remainder of Yisrael from the plague
and he took appropriate action. Zimri, on the other had apparently gave no
thought to the consequences of his actions. He was consumed with the desire to
receive for self alone his physical gratification came first and it was all
that mattered. Like Pinchas, we must replace our reactive, ego driven nature
with a proactive nature, always considering the consequences of every
action.
Sometimes, however,
doing what is right seems to defy logic. But what may seem logical at any given
moment is not necessarily the correct, let alone, a righteous action. We must
learn to have complete confidence in Almighty Yahweh and the instruction of His
Torah. Only then can we be assured that we are taking the right course of action
in every situation.
In chapter 26:1 there
is a space, or break in Torah scrolls after the word ha-magepha,
meaning the plague.
Here we have yet
another hidden lesson. To put a safe distance between ourselves and any form
of plague, we must have a separation, that is keep away from, people, places and
situations that may infect us spiritually. We are who we associate with and we
are what we associate with and we are affected by the places we visit. People,
places and objects emanate energy. The energy is either positive or negative.
Surely, we have all been in places or around people who make us feel
uncomfortable. Conversely, we have met people for the first time around whom we
feel very comfortable and at ease.
The Yisraelites who
sinned ignored this concept, and therefore, they were able to pick up on the
great negative energy that emanated from the Midyanites and their
habitat.
We must be extremely
careful who we form any type of relationship with. We must teach and guide our
children to seek mates among Yahweh's people, from among those who love Yahweh
and who love His Torah and our Living Torah, Yahshua. Doing so will keep us from
the plague that leads to death.
May Almighty Yahweh
bless us all as we seek to serve Him. Please don't forget to make plans for
Sukkot. At this time plans for Sukkot have yet to be ironed out. However, Sukkot
is a commanded convocation and we will keep it whether others wish to or not. If
anyone in or near western Pennsylvania would like to fellowship with us in
worshiping Almighty Yahweh, please e-mail us.
Please tune in to our
Pal Talk Bible studies, 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Erev Shabbat (Friday
Evening) and 1 p.m. EDT Shabbat Day. Once in Pal Talk click on
Religion and Spirituality, then click on Other our room
is Bnai Yeshurun.
Questions or comments
about this week's Parsha commentary may be addressed to Rabbi Mitchell by e-mail
at: yoel@windstream.net
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