Transcript Slide 1

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THE MESSIANIC PROPHECY BIBLE PROJECT
http://www.messianicbible.com
HEAR O ISRAEL
www.hearoisrael.org
SHEEPFOLD GLEANINGS WRITTEN BY JULIE PARKER
www.sheepfoldgleanings.com
MESSIANIC ISRAEL ALLIANCE
http://www.messianicisrael.com
AZAMRA TORAH FOR OUR TIME – RABBI AVRAHAM
GREENBAUM
http://www.azamra.org
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TORAH: Exodus 20:1-24:18
HAFTARAH: Jeremiah 34:8-22
B’RIT CHADASHAH: Matthew 5:38-42, Hebrews 9:15-22
All references: The Scripture 1998+ unless otherwise noted
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Many have commented on the Hebrew letter vav (‫ )ו‬which is the first
letter of the first word that begins our parasha:
Shemot 21:1 "And these (‫ )ואלה‬are the judgments which you shall set
before them:
Commentators point out that wherever the Torah uses the word
“these” by itself, it signals a discontinuity with what has been stated
previously. But where it uses “and/then these” it signals continuity. At
first it would seem that it would be hard to find a greater contrast
between the revelation the Israelites experienced last week at Mount
Sinai and this week’s laws pertaining to the family life of a slave,
judicial proceedings, agriculture rules, etc. Yet our beginning Hebrew
word points to these everyday laws as a continuation of last week’s
revelation on Mount Sinai. “The faith of the Hebrew is not meant to be
just a religion of ‘peak experiences’, but of living in accordance with the
divine will” (Abraham Maslow). Our heavenly Father is “in the details”
as we shall see in this parasha.
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Mishpat‟im or “right-rulings” begins in Exodus 21:1 with; “v‟aylah
ha‟mishpat‟im ashar tasim l‟ paniym.” or “And, these are the rightrulings which you are to set before them.” The Hebrew word
“Mishpat‟im” means “judgments”, “ordinances” or “right rulings”.
Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon, a “mishpat” is the “sentence of a
judge” or “ruling” that is “just”, “lawful” and “right”. These “right
rulings” are the basis of the Mosaic Code (Hebrew law), as they apply
equally to all Israelites and those who sojourn with Israel (both men
and women), at all times and in all areas of life. The “right-rulings”
throughout explain the details of this “code of conduct” implied in the
“Ten Commandments” and the “Two Greatest Commands” (love ‫יהוה‬
and love your brother as yourself). These right-rulings help teach us
just how to keep the basic commands.
The mishpatim contains 53 mitzvot, 23 imperatives, or "dos," and 30
prohibitions, or "don'ts“ and are judgments which were not necessarily
new to Israel, but when acted upon in faith, united them with ‫'יהוה‬s
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divine vision for His people.
1) Mishpat’im are right rulings that are easily understood and
straightforward, such as the commands not to steal, or do not murder.
These are the types of mitzvot that a society or community might
institute as laws to govern itself by.
2) Eidot (literally “testimonials”) are commemorative commands. They
include the mitzvot of how to observe Shabbat, those that pertain to
Pesach and such. These commands also help us to understand and
appreciate historical events in their spiritual contexts.
3) Chukim (“decrees”) are mitzvot that there seems to be no obvious
rational explanation to explain. We keep these commands because
they are dictated by Elohim, because we read in “This is a law of the
Torah which ‫ יהוה‬has commanded, ..(Numbers 19:2)
These commands include the ordinance of the “red heifer”, the
decrees not to mix threads in garments or seeds in the field and the
laws of kashrut and not mixing meat and dairy.
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“When you buy a Heḇrew servant, he serves six years, and in the
seventh he goes out free, for naught. “If he comes in by himself, he
goes out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out
with him. “If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him
sons or daughters, the wife and her children are her master’s, and he
goes out by himself. “And if the servant truly says, ‘I love my master, my
wife, and my children, let me not go out free,’ then his master shall
bring him before Elohim, and shall bring him to the door, or to the
doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl. And he shall
serve him forever. (Exodus 21:2-6)
Israel were delivered just a few days earlier from slavery in Egypt and
now God instruct them how to deal with slaves. For us it is important
as we are in this very process from slavery to deliverance. We need to
remember in Egypt (= slavery), no slave could ever go free.
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“When you buy a Heḇrew servant, he serves six years, and in the
seventh he goes out free, for naught. (Exodus 21:2)
Hebrews sometimes became slaves [property] through poverty (Lev.
25:35,39) or crime (Ex. 22:3), but the Torah did not institute slavery.
The Law was given at Sinai when the practice had already existed for
centuries, and was common among the nations. Note: In ancient
nations, slaves were usually more numerous than free people. In
Athens, for instance, the slaves constituted four-fifths of the
population.
The twin concepts of righteousness and justice are at the very centre
of Torah, Messiah and the Kingdom of Heaven. Abraham was originally
chosen because he would teach his children after him in "doing
righteousness and justice." (Genesis 18:19) The Scriptures tell us that
God loves righteousness and justice, (Psalm 33:5) that He desires them
more than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3) and that His very throne is founded
upon them, for it is written in ...Righteousness and right-ruling are the
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foundation of His throne. (Psalms 97:2)
When it says, verse 6, “his master shall bring him before elohim,…” it
should actually read elohim (not capitalized) to indicate “mighty ones”
in the smaller sense, as in “judges” or the leaders of ten, fifties and
hundreds. They were to be witnesses of this permanent agreement.
There are several references as to the fair treatment of a servant.
Leviticus 25 instructs all Hebrews not to treat their brother as a slave,
but as a hired servant, denoting “with dignity”. Deuteronomy 15 also
shows how to treat a slave that you served you for six years: “When
your brother is sold to you, a Heḇrew man or a Heḇrew woman, and
shall serve you six years, then let him go free from you in the seventh
year. “And when you send him away free from you, let him not go away
empty-handed. “You shall richly supply him from your flock, and from
your threshing-floor, and from your winepress. With that which ‫יהוה‬
has blessed you with, give to him. “And you shall remember that you
were a slave in the land of Mitsrayim, and ‫ יהוה‬your Elohim redeemed
you. ..
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The word “servant” appears in the scriptures 491 times. There are
several words in the Hebrew for servant, but the word used in both of
our source texts is “eh’bed”, Strong’s #5650 and means “bondman” or
“bondservant”. It is from the primitive root word #5647 “aw’bad”,
meaning among other things to “serve”, “labour”, “do service” and also
means “ear” and “worshipper”.
This is different than the usage of the word “sakiyr”, for example in
other scriptures, which is Strong’s #7916 and means a hired servant.
It’s interesting to note that Moshe is referred to as Elohim’s “eh‟bed”,
or “bondservant”, as are Avraham, Yosef, Elijah and King David, in the
TaNaK.
When Yehoshua (Joshua) was referred to as a servant, the Hebrew
word is “sharath” Strong’s #8334 which means, “worshipper” or
“minister”.
‫ יהושע‬the Servant “See, My Servant whom I uphold, My Chosen One
My being has delighted in! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He brings
forth right-ruling to the nations. (Isaiah 42:1)
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Sha’ul (Paul) refers to himself with this term, “bondservant”. This
appears in the Greek as “dou-los”, Strong’s #1401 (bondservant). From
the Aramaic, we see that “eh’bed” is the word we find. Kepha,
Yochanan, Yehudah and Ya’aqob (James) also referred to themselves as
“eh’bed’im” or “bondservants”.
‫ יהושע‬uses a different term in the following verses: “But the greatest
among you shall be your servant. (Matthew 23:11) And sitting down,
He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he
shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35) and John 12:26.
Here, the Aramaic uses the word “la’com” meaning “servant” or
“minister”. The Greek word is “diakonos”, Strong’s #1249, meaning;
“minister”, “deacon” or “deaconess”. Paul uses this same word in
Romans 16:1 when greeting Phoebe. ‫ יהושע‬used the word “eh’bed”
(bondservant), usually in His parables, it was to compare the faithful
“servant” with the unfaithful, or wicked, “servant”.
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There is notable accounts in the scriptures regarding ‫’יהוה‬s servants
(“eh’bed”). In Genesis 24 Abraham sends his eldest “servant”, Eliezer, to
find a wife for Isaac. And Aḇraham said to the oldest servant of his house,
who ruled over all that he had, “Please, put your hand under my thigh, so
that I make you swear by ‫יהוה‬, the Elohim of the heavens and the Elohim
of the earth, that you do not take a wife for my son from the daughters of
the Kenaʽanites, among whom I dwell, but to go to my land and to my
relatives, and take a wife for my son Yitsḥaq.”
Notice it says in verse 2 that his servant “ruled over all that he had.”
Eliezer was a very important man. When servants had ruler ship
authority, they would actually do business and make decisions in the
name of their master, according to his instructions.
We need to remember that we, also, have authority to do business in the
Name of our Master, when we do so according to His Will. But without
belief it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to Elohim has to
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek
Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
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" “A taught one is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his
master. “It is enough for the taught one to become like his teacher, and
a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house
Beʽelzebul, how much more those of his household! (Matthew 10:2425)
Beelzebub is an Aramaic word that means simply “lord of the house.” It
became a nickname for satan; in reference to being “lord over”
mankind’s house, as he was given authority to tempt man in the earth.
What ‫ יהושע‬was teaching here is that a dedicated disciple, or servant,
will one day become like his master. Aren’t we to become like ‫?יהושע‬
The servant will be recognized as his teacher or master is recognized
by the world. He will be associated with the one who taught him,
whether that be with love and respect, or hatred and persecution.
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It is very significant the awl pierced the servant’s ear. The word used in
both scriptures is Strong’s #0241, “ozen” (o-zen) and means the organ
of hearing and comes from the root word #0238 “azan” meaning to
hear, to listen, to be obedient. The rabbis teach that this act
symbolized the servant’s desire and promise to hear and obey (sh’ma)
his master’s instructions.
When the children of Israel promised to “hear and obey” this marriage
covenant called the Torah. In Debarim 5:1 we read, “And Mosheh
called all Yisra’ĕl, and said to them, “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl, the laws and
right-rulings which I speak in your hearing today. And you shall learn
them, and guard to do them. and in 6:3-9… “And you shall hear, O
Yisra’ĕl, and shall guard to do, that it might be well with you, and that
you increase greatly as ‫ יהוה‬Elohim of your fathers has spoken to you,
in a land flowing with milk and honey. “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl: ‫ יהוה‬our
Elohim, ‫ יהוה‬is one! “And you shall love ‫ יהוה‬your Elohim with all your
heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. ...
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We’ve read in scripture that ‫ יהושע‬said, “My sheep know My voice.”
Since He is our Master (our Adon) we should be able to hear and
distinguish His voice from all others.
We have a good example of what the rabbis teach as the reason for
piercing the ear as a reminder to the servant to “hear” the words of
his master. In Matthew 10, where we read about the servant becoming
as his master in verses 24-25; and in verses 26-28 we read, “Therefore
do not fear them. For whatever is covered shall be revealed, and
whatever is hidden shall be made known. “What I say to you in the
dark, speak in the light. And what you hear in the ear, proclaim on the
house-tops. “And do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to
kill the being. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both being
and body in Gehenna.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” (Matthew 13:9)
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The word used here, in the Greek, is Strong’s #5621, “otion” (o-tee-on)
and means the “ear”. It comes from the root word #3775 “ous” (ooce), meaning to understand or to know. Now, the Aramaic word here,
like the Hebrew is “ozen” (aleph-zayin-nun). ‫ יהושע‬and Isaiah point out
clearly for us, that the “ear” is also for understanding the mysteries
and secrets (the sod) of Elohim.
When a servant pegs his ear to the door he literally says he is not
lending out his ear to any other master or teacher.
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And while He was still speaking, see: a crowd! And he who was called
Yehuḏah, one of the twelve, was going before them and came near to
‫ יהושע‬to kiss Him. And ‫ יהושע‬said to him, “Yehuḏah, do you deliver up the
Son of Aḏam with a kiss.. And one of them struck the servant of the high
priest and cut off his right ear. But ‫ יהושע‬answering, said, “Allow it this
far.” And touching his ear He healed him. (Luke 22:47-51)
The Institute for Scripture Research indicated that the name of the high
priest’s servant was Malchus (or Malchut), which is derived from Melek
(meaning king); it’s Strong’s word #3124 means “kingdom”. First we have
the servant of the high priest, which represents the servants of Elohim,
that’s you and me since ‫ יהושע‬is our High Priest. Because of the idolatry
and sin of the House of Israel (Northern Kingdom), represented by
Kepha’s sword play, the enemy struck our ear and our hearing (our
understanding) was cut off. Note: it was his right ear; the same one that
is anointed with blood, along with the right thumb and right big toe,
when a priest is inaugurated. But ‫ יהושע‬has healed and restored the
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hearing (the understanding) to His servants, the Kingdom.
then his master shall bring him before Elohim, and shall bring him to
the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an
awl. .. (Exodus 21:6) and in .. then you shall take an awl and thrust it
through his ear to the door, ... (Deuteronomy 15:17)
The word “door” here in both verses is Strong’s #1817, “deleth” or
“dalet” and means; “a door”, “gate” or “portal”. It is also the fourth
letter of the Hebrew aleph bet and it also means a “poor man”. Not
destitute in the way we use the term, but, one who has nothing of his
own, nor does he do things for his own sake or ego. So, in esoteric
Hebrew teaching, it represents “selflessness”, as one who is not
involved with the things of this world.
“Dalet” (door) is also related to #8179 “sha‟ar” which mean entrance,
gate or the space inside a gate, as in the entrance to a city, or village.
Dalet is also linked to #6607, “peh‟thakh” meaning doorway or
entrance and “door post” Strong’s #4201, “mezuzah”.
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“Dalet” is the number 4 in Hebrew, which equals “avah” or “I will
come”. The word “dalet” is spelled “dalet-lamed-tav” (the door is the
Shepherd’s sign) and has a numeric value of 434 which equals:
•“taled” meaning “birth”,
•“Ga‟altah” meaning “You have redeemed”,
•“l‟kodesh” meaning “to set-apart”,
•“b‟tacha” meaning “in the midst”,
•“v‟hecha a‟ tee” meaning “and I will bring in” and
•“v‟cha yee ta” meaning “and you shall live”.
How much more now do we see in ‫’יהושע‬s declarations in John 10:7-9
‫ יהושע‬therefore said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the
door of the sheep. “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not hear them. “I am the door. Whoever enters
through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and shall go out and find
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pasture
The doors to their dwelling places (tents) were fabric “hangings”. The
doorposts were wood. In fact, regarding the Tabernacle, 17 times in
Exodus and Numbers, door is referred to as the “hanging at the door”.
“Hanging” is Strong’s #4539, “macak” (ma-sawk), and means curtain
or “covering”. This covering, at the door, serves the same purpose as
the tallit. The door has four distinct corners, like a tallit. The “tzit-tzit”
are attached to the tallit to represent Torah; much like the mezuzah is
attached to the door fame. While it’s not an “amulet”, keeping the
Torah does protect you from the “outside world” and its influences.
This concept of the “door” is one of both divider and protector; your
dwelling (soul) on one side, the world on the other; righteousness on
one side, evil on the other.
Elohim told Cain, regarding his reaction to his offering not being
accepted, in Genesis 4:6-7: And ‫ יהוה‬said to Qayin, “Why are you
wroth? And why is your face fallen? “If you do well, is there not
acceptance? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. And
its desire is for you, but you should master it.”
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And it came to be, whenever Mosheh went out to the Tent, that all the
people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Mosheh
until he entered the Tent. And it came to be, when Mosheh entered the
Tent, that the column of cloud descended and stood at the door of the
Tent, and He spoke with Mosheh. And all the people saw the column of
cloud standing at the Tent door, and all the people rose and bowed
themselves, each one at the door of his tent. Thus ‫ יהוה‬spoke to Mosheh
face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the
camp, but his servant Yehoshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the
Tent. (Exodus 33:8-11)
When Moshe went to the Tent all the men stood at their tent doors to
watch, “at the door of his tent.” When Moshe went in, it says that the
“column of cloud” descended and stood at the door of the tent. Then, it
says that everyone rose and bowed at the door of their tent. Thus each
head of the house showed that every tent, every dwelling, among the
Children of Israel was subject to Elohim and the decrees and rulings that
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came forth from His house.
Many times scripture says that offerings (sin, burnt, etc.) were to be
brought to the “door” of the Tabernacle. When the Nazarite
completed his vow; when a leper was to be pronounced clean; and,
when a woman, having finished her time of cleansing after childbirth,
was to be pronounced clean, they were all brought to the door of the
Tabernacle.
The rabbis teach that the dalet (door) is formed by two “vavs”, one the
man and one the woman. The letter “vav” means and or hook. It is
used to connect words or letters (as in the man and woman). In the
dalet, the man is upright (the pillar) and the woman is prostrate (in
prayer) over her husband, as she is the man’s prayer covering.
Remember, the Sh’kienah, or Divine Presence is a feminine attribute.
Together, the husband and wife form the door to prayer and therefore
to heaven and ‫יהוה‬.
In prayer, a husband and wife truly work together and are “echad”. And
that door, the door to their home, is truly strong. It protects their
home from the outside world. It opens to righteousness and Shabbat
and closes to evil and the influences of this world.
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“And I shall punish her for the days of the Baʽals to which she burned
incense and adorned herself with her rings and jewelry, and went after
her lovers, and forgot Me,” declares ‫יהוה‬. “Therefore, see, I am alluring
her, and shall lead her into the wilderness, and shall speak to her heart,
and give to her vineyards from there, and the Valley of Aḵor as a door of
expectation. And there she shall respond as in the days of her youth, as
in the day when she came up from the land of Mitsrayim. “And it shall
be, in that day,” declares ‫יהוה‬, “that you call Me ‘My Husband,’ and no
longer call Me ‘My Baʽal.’ “And I shall remove the names of the Baʽals
from her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
(Hosea 2:13-17).
The Valley of “Akor” is Strong’s #5911 and means “trouble”, as in
“Jacob’s Trouble”. He leads us into the wilderness and uses Jacob’s
trouble as the “door” to the expectation of our deliverance. There, in
the wilderness, just as our fathers did, we shall call Him “Ishi” (my
Husband). There, He will take the name “Ba’al” out of our mouths and
all remembrance of the pagan names we use for days of the week,
months of the year etc.
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“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter through the door into
the sheepfold, but climbs up by another way, that one is a thief and a
robber. “But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the
sheep. “The doorkeeper opens for him, and the sheep hear his voice.
And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. “And when he
has brought out his own sheep, he goes before them. And the sheep
follow him, because they know his voice. “And they shall by no means
follow a stranger, but shall flee from him, because they do not know
the voice of strangers.” ‫ יהושע‬used this figure of speech, but they did
not know what He had been saying to them. ‫ יהושע‬therefore said to
them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. “All
who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not
hear them. “I am the door. Whoever enters through Me, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and shall go out and find pasture. (John 10:1-9)
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When a shepherd would come to a village or city, he would put his
sheep in a “sheepfold”, a common corral, with other sheep and there
would be a doorkeeper that watched over them while he did his
business. When he would go to leave, the doorkeeper would open the
gate and the shepherd would call out and his sheep would respond
and come out. They knew his voice and would not come out for
another person, a stranger. It’s like ‫ יהושע‬calling us today to come out
of the common sheepfold, the world, where we have been kept while
our shepherd did His business.
A TIME WILL COME WHEN A VOICE WILL CALL US:
And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her,
my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her
plagues. “Because her sins have piled up to reach the heaven, and
Elohim has remembered her unrighteousnesses. “Render to her as she
indeed did render, and repay her double according to her works. In the
cup which she has mixed, mix for her double. (Revelation 18:4-6) 25
So, what about sheep that don’t recognize their shepherd’s voice? Or,
the doorkeeper who doesn’t do his job?
“My people have been wandering sheep. Their shepherds have led
them astray, turning them away on the mountains. They have gone
from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place.
(Jeremiah 50:6)
Mountains represent nations in scripture.
And He answering, said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the
house of Yisra’ĕl.” (Matthew 15:24)
That is why He said above, in John 10:9 “I am the door. Whoever
enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and shall go out
and find pasture.
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“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who
were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was
shut. “And later the other maidens also came, saying, ‘Master, Master,
open up for us!’ “But he answering, said, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not
know you.’ “Watch therefore, because you do not know the day nor the
hour in which the Son of Aḏam is coming, (Matthew 25:10-13) and
“But I hold against you that you allow that woman Izeḇel, who calls
herself a prophetess, to teach and lead My servants astray to commit
whoring and to eat food offered to idols. “And I gave her time to repent
of her whoring, and she did not repent. “See, I am throwing her into a
sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction,
unless they repent of their works. (Revelation 2:20-22)
‫ יהושע‬stands at the “door” and knocks. This is the very door to which
He brings us, when we decide to be servants in His House forever.
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“And when a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she does
not go out as the male servants do. (Exodus 21:7)
• If the master married her and she no longer pleases Him, she may
be redeemed (bought back), but not too foreigners;
• If she becomes his daughter in law she becomes his daughter;
• If the master remarries, her marital rights not too decrease;
• If he fails too comply she is to given freedom.
“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall certainly be put to death.
(Exodus 21:12)
• Unless it is an act of God then safety will be provided
“And he who smites his father or his mother shall certainly be put to
death. (Exodus 21:15)
“And he who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand,
shall certainly be put to death. (Exodus 21:16)
“And he who curses his father or his mother shall certainly be put to
death. (Exodus 21:17)
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“And when men strive and they shall smite a pregnant woman, and her
children come out, yet there is no injury, he shall certainly be punished
accordingly as the woman’s husband lays upon him. And he shall give
through the judges. (Exodus 21:22)
The Hebrew word “din” is most often about ‫ יהוה‬making “judgments”
thus the term “Beit Din,” which means the “house of judgment”, based
on elected judges making the determination of how to walk out Torah.
Individuals do not always have the right to decide on grey areas. Torah
gives the elders or the elected officials these responsibilities. Some
examples of the word “din”:
For ‫ יהוה‬rightly rules His people, And has compassion on His servants.
(Psalms 135:14)
“Thus said ‫ יהוה‬of hosts, ‘If you walk in My ways, and if you guard My
duty, then you shall also rule (judge) My house, and also guard My
courts. And I shall give you access among these standing here.
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(Zechariah 3:7)
The Hebrew word “shaphat” refers to “judging sin”. An example of this
is in Genesis 18:25 where Abraham calls Elohim a “Judge of all the
earth”:
“Far be it from You to act in this way, to slay the righteous with the
wrong, so that the righteous should be as the wrong. Far be it from
You! Does the Judge of all the earth not do right?”
In Deuteronomy 1:16, Elohim instructs “judges” to “judge righteously”:
“And I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘When hearing
between your brothers, judge righteously between a man and his
brother or the stranger who is with him.
The name of our Torah parasha is Mishpatim/ Ordinances/ Judgments
and is the plural of “mishpat/ordinance/judgment”. The root of
“mishpat” is “shaphat”, which refers to “judging sin.” The “mishpatim”,
these judgments which are listed for us in our parasha, are what is
used by the “judge” to “judge sin.” In other words, these are rules for
the judges to use in making fair resolutions and not ls for taking the
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law into their own hands.
“Do not judge, lest you be judged. “For with what judgment you judge,
you shall be judged. And with the same measure you use, it shall be
measured to you. “And why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s
eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? “Or how is it that you
say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the splinter out of your eye,’ and
see, a plank is in your own eye? “Hypocrite! First remove the plank
from your own eye, and then you shall see clearly to remove the
splinter out of your brother’s eye. (Matthew 7:1-5)
These verses simply mean, “do not place yourself in the position
reserved for the elected judges or in the position of the Almighty.”
Before we try to force correction upon a brother/sister for what WE
perceive to be a sin, we should consider that we often do not have the
right perspective on the situation. Are we able to judge another’s
motives? Do we have a critical spirit? We must not be prejudiced by
making a judgment before we have the proper basis or are in the
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position.
And ‫ יהושע‬went to the Mount of Olives. .. And having sat down, He was
teaching them. And the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman
caught in adultery. And having set her in the midst, they said to Him,
“Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. “And in the
Torah Mosheh commanded us that such should be stoned. What then
do You say?” And this they said, trying Him, so that they might accuse
Him. But ‫יהושע‬, bending down, wrote on the ground with the finger, as
though He did not hear. But as they kept on questioning Him, He
straightened up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you,
let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And bending down again,
He wrote on the ground. And when they heard it, being reproved by
their conscience, went out one by one, beginning from the older ones
until the last. And ‫ יהושע‬was left alone, and the woman standing in the
middle. And ‫יהושע‬, straightening up and seeing no one but the woman,
said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Did no one
condemn you?” And she said, “No one, Master.” And ‫ יהושע‬said to her,
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“Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:1-11)
Notice the different types of “judging” done by ‫יהושע‬:
• He properly judges or discerns the sin (implied when He tells her to
sin no more)
• He properly judges (discerns) the appropriate response
• He does not “judge” the woman because at this time, He is not the
One in position to make the “judgment”.
In other words, He is following Torah.
Justice in the Torah faith flows from the experience of injustice at the
hands of the Egyptians. ‫ יהוה‬is giving them a radically different type of
society. The laws are meant to be impartially administered, treating all
fairly. ...“And do not favour a poor man in his strife. (Exodus 23:3)
In fact Torah belonged equally to the entire congregation of Israel:
Mosheh commanded us a Torah, an inheritance of the assembly of
Yaʽaqoḇ. (Deuteronomy 33:4)
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In the first century, Josephus would write that:
“should any one of our nation be asked about our laws, he will repeat
them as readily as his own name. The result of our thorough education
in our laws from the very dawn of Intelligence is that they are, as it
were, engraved on our souls. Hence to break them is rare, and no one
can evade punishment by the excuse of ignorance.”
‫יהוה‬is teaching us how to KEEP our freedom by entering into a holy
lifestyle. We will learn to appreciate our freedom by applying Torah in
all aspects of our lives. This “freedom” comes with the price of being
responsible to the “freedom Giver.” From the beginning, it was never
meant to be a burden.
In the freedom with which Messiah has made us free, stand firm, then,
and do not again be held with a yoke of slavery. (referring to the
bondage of sin) (Galatians 5:1)
For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His
commands are not heavy, (1 John 5:3)
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Rabbi Jonathan Sacks compares laws with love:
“Judaism is a religion of law – not because it does not believe in love
(You shall love the Lord you G-d, You shall love your neighbor as
yourself) but because, without justice, neither love nor liberty nor
human life itself can flourish. Love alone does not free a slave from his
or her chains.”
In the world we have literally hundreds of thousands of laws which
govern and regulate social interactions. Laws ensure that our selfish
drives for possessions and power are held in check, deterring us from
otherwise exercising our often unbridled and selfish passions. Laws set
up a method of restitution when someone damages another’s person
or property. Lawless societies breed anarchy. Laws are an absolute
necessity for a free society.
Jewish Rabbi Ibn Ezra (12 century Spain) taught that the truest
measure of a moral system is how it relates to the weakest and most
vulnerable members of that society, those who typically lack the
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natural protections that come with fame and fortune.
“When a man steals an ox or a sheep, and shall slaughter it or sell it, he
repays five cattle for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. (Exodus 22:1)
Cattle were considered premium property by the Israelites. The matter
was not taken lightly as Oxen were necessary for farming and
transportation, valuable. Justice was served by the thief making ample
restitution, even over-compensating for losses.
“And when a man entices a maiden who is not engaged, and lies with
her, he shall certainly pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. (Exodus
22:16)
In Israel, the damsel's father was paid fifty shekels of silver (Deut.
22:29) for his approval of marriage. If the father agreed to the union,
the man was forced to marry the woman he had seduced, and he
could not put her away afterwards. If the father disapproved the
marriage, the seducer was compelled to pay a very handsome sum of
money which would become a rich dowry for the offended maid, and
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help restore her dignity and attractiveness to other suitors.
“Do not allow a practiser of witchcraft to live. (Exodus 22:18)
The practice of witchcraft was considered rebellion against Elohim.
Such quasi-religious customs were in league with demonic power and
inspiration, seduced the ignorant and gullible into occult beliefs and
the fringes of the nether world, and adamantly opposed and reviled
‫ יהוה‬and His truth. Therefore, wizards (Lev. 19:31) and witches were,
under Israelite law:
(a) idolaters and blasphemers,
(b) an offense to the Almighty,
(c) a threat to a holy society, and
(d) blights that, for the sake of the community's spiritual and
emotional health, had to be exterminated.
Those found guilty of such things were subject to execution. This fate
also awaited those who would lie with a beast (v. 18), or sacrifice to
any "god" (v. 20). Such were capital crimes. Dealing with the guilty in
this severe way was actually the most merciful for all concerned.
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“Do not tread down a sojourner or oppress him, for you were
sojourners in the land of Mitsrayim. (Exodus 22:21) and “And do
not oppress a sojourner, as you yourselves know the heart of a
sojourner, because you were sojourners in the land of Mitsrayim.
(Exodus 23:9)
The sages have concluded that “oppressing” means monetary
wrongdoing, or taking financial advantage by robbery or
overcharging. “Mistreating” refers to verbal wrong-doing. Rabbi
Eleazar notes that:
“harsh or derogatory speech touches on self-image and selfrespect in a way that other wrongs do not. Rabbi Samuel bar
Nahmani makes clear, financial wrongdoing can be rectified in a
way that wounding speech cannot. Even after apology, the pain
(and the damage to reputation) remains. A stranger, in
particular, is sensitive to his status within society. He is an
outsider. Strangers do not share with the native-born a memory,
a past, or a sense of belonging. They are conscious of their
vulnerability. Therefore the Almighty wanted His people to be
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especially careful not to wound them.’
Sometimes the stranger is mentioned along with the poor, and other
times he is mentioned along with the widow and the orphan. Often we
see this thought:
“There is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger who
sojourns among you.” (Exodus 12:49)
‫ יהוה‬seems to have a heart for the stranger. In fact, He tells His people
that the stranger must be loved:
‘Let the stranger who dwells among you be to you as the native among
you, and you shall love him as yourself. .. I am ‫ יהוה‬your Elohim.
(Leviticus 19:34)
The Israelites are to pursue the heart of ‫יהוה‬, and for this reason they
are to love the stranger. For loving the stranger is an attribute of ‫יהוה‬,
Himself. He has made Himself the protector of those who have no one
else to protect them:
“For ‫ יהוה‬your Elohim ..shows no partiality nor takes a bribe. “He
executes right-ruling for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the
stranger, giving him food and a garment. (Deuteronomy 10:17-18)
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Ramban: “The correct interpretation appears to me to be that He is
saying: do not wrong a stranger or oppress him, thinking as you might
that none can deliver him out of your hand; for you know that you
were strangers in the land of Egypt and I saw the oppression with
which the Egyptian oppressed you, and I avenged your cause on them,
because I behold the tears of such who are oppressed and have no
comforter, and on the side of their oppressors there is power, and I
deliver each one from him that is too strong for him. Likewise you shall
not afflict the widow and the orphan for I will hear their cry, for all
these people do not rely upon themselves but trust in Me.”
Rabbi Ohr ha-Hayyim: “It may be that the very sanctity that Israelites
feel as children of the covenant may lead them to look down on those
who lack a similar lineage. Therefore they are commanded not to feel
superior to the stranger, but instead to remember the degradation
their ancestors experienced in Egypt. As such, it is a command of
humility in the face of strangers.”
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There are a couple of other Hebrew words translated as “stranger”.
Both nachri and zur have a strong sense of “alien” or “foreigner.” The
word “stranger” that we have been studying, however, signifies one
who is not an Israelite by birth but who has come to live, on a long
term basis within Israelite society under the laws of Torah. This all has
special significance to us who may not physically be “Israel”, but who
have been grafted into Israel. In Ephesians, Rav Sha’ul (Paul) speaks
specifically of the stranger:
that at that time you were without Messiah, excluded from the
citizenship of Yisra’ĕl and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no expectation and without Elohim in the world. But now in
Messiah ‫ יהושע‬you who once were far off have been brought near by
the blood of the Messiah. (Ephesians 2:12-13)
Father was from the beginning, preparing a place within the
commonwealth of Israel for the “stranger”. He never intended for the
stranger to feel like a second class citizen.
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“Do not afflict any widow or fatherless child. “If you do afflict them at
all – if they cry out to Me at all, I shall certainly hear their cry, and My
wrath shall burn and I shall slay you with the sword, your wives shall be
widows and your children fatherless. “If you do lend silver to any of My
people, the poor among you, you are not to be like one that lends on
interest to him. Do not lay interest on him. “If you take your
neighbour’s garment as a pledge at all, you are to return it to him
before the sun goes down. (Exodus 22:22-26)
‫'יהוה‬s gracious protection extended to four classes, or groups: A. The
stranger, the sojourner. B. The widow. C. The fatherless,
orphans. D. And, He was deeply concerned to the broad class of the
poor.
He went so far as to promise a blessing to those who "consider the
poor." Blessed is he who considers the poor; ‫ יהוה‬does deliver him in a
day of evil. ‫ יהוה‬does guard him and keep him alive; He is blessed on
the earth, And You do not hand him over To the desire of his enemies.
‫ יהוה‬sustains him on his sickbed; In his weakness on his bed You bring a
change. (Psalms 41:1-3)
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“Do not bring a false report. Do not put your hand with the wrong to
be a malicious witness. (Exodus 23:1)
This forbids slander in private or public forums, as well as joining with
others, especially before a magistrate or court, to bring a false
testimony of some sort. Speaking about anyone, directly or indirectly,
in a defaming way is called lashon hara. Lashon hara means "evil
tongue," and includes talking to or about anyone using half-truths, lies,
exaggerations, misrepresentations, insults, and gossip. Lashon
hara [lies and gossip] greatly grieves the Holy Spirit, and is destructive
to the soul of the (a) speaker, (b) the listener, as well as (c) the target
[person]. Lashon hara, the false witness, is said to be like an arrow.
Once it is released it cannot be called back, but will go forth, even over
a long distance, and strike down its victim. Evil speech, no matter how
subtle and veiled, will destroy reputations, character, and
relationships. It can be a cause of sickness also, and has been
associated biblically with leprosy (Nu. 12; Deut. 24:8-9). Such talk is
based on the speaker's sense of superiority, resentment, or jealousy,
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all of which have their roots in personal pride.
“Three times in the year you are to observe a festival to Me: ....“Three
times in the year all your males are to appear before the Master ‫יהוה‬.
(Exodus 23:14-17)
All the men of Israel were required to attend the festivals. These times
would serve as commemorations, times of joy and thanksgiving, when
the people would recall the goodness and mercies of ‫יהוה‬, remember
national events, foster patriotism, promote unity, and renew spiritual life
and public worship. It could be said they were "revival meetings" that
infused warmth and vigour into service of the ‫יהוה‬. The feasts re-taught
Israel--three times annually, year by year, again and again--essential
eternal truths. "A three-fold cord is not quickly broken" (Eccl. 4:12). They
repeatedly remind us also: Passover and Unleavened bread/Pesach and
Chag HaMatzah reminds us of Calvary, ‫ יהושע‬our Passover Lamb, and
freedom from the tyranny of sin (1 Cor. 5:7-8). ‫ יהושע‬is our First Fruits (1
Cor. 15:20). Pentecost/Shavuot speaks of the giving of the Torah and the
Holy Spirit (Ex. 20; Joel 2:28; Acts 2:1-4). Tabernacles/Sukkot speaks of
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the ingathering at the end of the age (1 Pet. 1:6; Rev. 7:9-17).
“See, I am sending a Messenger before you to guard you in the way and
to bring you into the place which I have prepared. “Be on guard before
Him and obey His voice. Do not rebel against Him, for He is not going to
pardon your transgression, for My Name is in Him. (Exodus 23:20-21)
Commentators generally identify the "angel" as the Eternal Son, preincarnate ‫יהושע‬. ["He will not pardon your transgressions" and "My
Name is in Him" are descriptions far to lofty to apply to Moses or an
angel.] The guidance would not be just geographical in nature, but
spiritual, to keep Israel on right pathways of truth. ‫ יהושע‬still speaks His
people today: "Follow Me..." (Mt. 4:19).
“I shall .. make all your enemies turn their backs to you. ..“I shall not drive
them out from before you in one year, lest the land become a waste and
the beast of the field become too numerous for you.... (Exodus 23:27-30)
‫'יהוה‬s resolution was not a hasty decision, as all too often
are human opinions, actions and judgments. Our Elohim is wonderfully
patient and wisely works out His purpose.
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‫ יהוה‬did not drive out Israel's enemies immediately upon the tribes
arrival in Canaan, because the land would have become desolate, overgrown, and filled with predatory, devouring beasts which would have
decimated the newcomers. When the Northern Kingdom, the House of
Ephraim, was exiled and Samaria depopulated, there was an increase of
marauding lions that preyed on the few, poor, hapless, weapon less,
scattered farmers left behind by the Assyrians. In France, following their
war with Germany and the resultant loss of population, prowling wolves
increased in the land and ravaged the districts.
Judges 2:21-23 gives us, perhaps, the primary reason Elohim left enemies
among His people: to prove them, whether or not they would keep His
commandments and walk in His ways while they were among the
idolatrous remnant.
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And Mosheh wrote down all the Words of ‫יהוה‬, and rose up early in the
morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve
standing columns for the twelve tribes of Yisra’ĕl. And he sent young
men of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and they offered burnt offerings and
slaughtered peace slaughterings of bulls to ‫יהוה‬. And Mosheh took half
the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the
altar. And he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of
the people. And they said, “All that ‫ יהוה‬has spoken we shall do, and
obey.” And Mosheh took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and
said, “See, the blood of the covenant which ‫ יהוה‬has made with you
concerning all these Words.” (Exodus 24:4-8)
The Covenant is now ratified and confirmed in blood. Israel agreed to
obey Elohim and entered into covenant with their Creator King. The
same way when we drink the second cup we accept the blood covenant
and accept the way of the Creator.
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And he sent young men of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and they offered
burnt offerings and slaughtered peace slaughterings of bulls to ‫יהוה‬.
(Exodus 24:5)
Who were these young men. Many of the commentators believe these
were the first-born sons who were the priests of ‫ יהוה‬since the Levites
had not yet replaced them. The problem with this thought is that no
where else do we find na’arim to mean first-born. These are the ways
you find na’ar (singular) defined in the Hebrew Scriptures:
• As a baby: and opened it and saw the child, and see, the baby (na’ar)
wept. .. (Exodus 2:6)
• As a youth: and captured a youth (na’ar) of the men.. (Judges 8:14)
• As a servant or a slave: “And there was with us a Heḇrew youth
(na’ar), a servant of the captain of the guard. ..(Genesis 41:12)
• As a man of war: And Dawiḏ smote them .. none of them escaped,
except four hundred young (na’ar) men who rode on camels and fled.
(1 Samuel 30:17)
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These different pictures of a na’ar tell the story of ‫ !!יהושע‬He came as
a baby, then we next see Him as a youth in the Temple, then he
becomes a servant (Philippians 2:7), and He will return as a man of
war! The Torah is all about Him, we just need to dig!
Rambam offers another insight into these na’arim. He suggests that
they were the youth of Israel who had not tasted of sin! There’s
another picture of our Messiah!
The question is also asked as to why these na’arim are chosen to
represent the entire congregation of Israel in such a profound
moment. In light of the parallels that we saw between the binding of
Isaac and the ratifying of the covenant, it is suggested that just as
Abraham as an individual was commanded to sacrifice his son, so too
all of Israel as a congregation was required to offer their sons (their
na’arim) to the Almighty that sacrifices might be made for them. This is
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another powerful example of the substitution principle.
Rabbi Yonatan Grossman (A non believer in ‫ יהושע‬the Messiah):
“Possibly, in order for people to see God and His glory, one must
sacrifice one’s own life, because ‘man cannot see Me and live’ (Exodus
33:20). When man requests to see the vision of the Lord, it is required
of man to sacrifice of himself: ‘And you must redeem every first-born
among your sons. None shall appear before me empty-handed’ (Exodus
34:20).”
“I have been impaled with Messiah, and I no longer live, but Messiah
lives in me. And that which I now live in the flesh I live by belief in the
Son of Elohim, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
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And Mosheh went up, also Aharon, Naḏaḇ, and Aḇihu, and seventy of
the elders of Yisra’ĕl, and they saw the Elohim of Yisra’ĕl, and under His
feet like a paved work of sapphire stone, and like the heavens for
brightness. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the chiefs of the
children of Yisra’ĕl! And they saw Elohim, and they ate and drank.
(Exodus 24:9-11)
They see the Elohim of Israel. But, the real picture is obscured in faulty
translations. Things are much clearer when we read it from the
Hebrew. “Va‟ye ra‟oo et Eloahi Yisra‟el v‟tachat ragalee k‟ma‟aseh
lebanah ha saphir va‟ca‟estem ha‟ shamay‟im la‟tohar”. The literal
translation of verse 10 is; “And they saw the Eloahi of Yisra’el, and
below His feet was a work of creation, a brick of sapphire; and the
essence of the heavens in purity”.
Under His feet, is the creation of Elohim. Scripture defines the earth
(Yah’s creation) as His footstool six times. But, picture this; Elohim
created His creation as sapphire as the “essence of the Heavens in
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purity”.
The word “ma’aseh” means “work of creating”. His creation was indeed
perfect, the essence of the heavens in purity, until sin entered in.
Through the redemption, He is restoring its perfection.
We have this creative work described as a “brick” or “lebanah”. The
same word used Shemot 5, when the Children of Israel made bricks,
even without straw, in order to build cities for Pharaoh. These bricks
represent our work of creating “man-made righteousness”. The rabbis
explain that here we see how Elohim takes the product of our “bricks”
made in slavery, “bricks of suffering” or “man-made righteousness” that
are chalky white (lebanah) and makes them as sapphires, the essence of
the heaven lies in purity, through His Redemption and Restoration. This
miraculous event is extended by the Jewish sages to be a vision of the
“Hekal” (the House of Elohim – the Temple), as He dwells among His
people. Regarding these verses from Shemot 24, the Zohar states; “They
beheld the precious stone with which the Holy One will build the future
Sanctuary, as it is written in Isaiah 54:11; „I will lay thy stones with fair
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colors and lay thy foundations with sapphires.‟”
“Listen to Me, you who pursue righteousness, seeking ‫יהוה‬: Look to the
rock you were hewn from, and to the hole of the pit you were dug
from. “Look to Aḇraham your father, and to Sarah who bore you. For
he was alone when I called him, and I blessed him and increased him.
“For ‫ יהוה‬shall comfort Tsiyon, He shall comfort all her waste places.
For He makes her wilderness like Ěḏen, and her desert like the garden
of ‫יהוה‬. Joy and gladness are found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of
song. “Listen to Me, My people, and give ear to Me, O My nation, for
the Torah goes forth from Me, and My right-ruling I set as a light to
peoples. “My righteousness is near, My deliverance shall go forth, and
My arms judge peoples. Coastlands wait upon Me, and for My arm
they wait expectantly. “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on
the earth beneath, for the heavens shall vanish like smoke, and the
earth wear out like a garment, and those who dwell in it die as gnats.
But My deliverance is forever, and My righteousness is not broken.
(Isaiah 51:1-6)
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