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Parasha Nasso
•
Numbers 4:21-7:89
• Judges 13:2-25
• John 12:20-36
The
Torah Portion at a Glance
Completing the head count of the Children of Israel taken in the Sinai
Desert, a total of 8,580 Levite men between the ages of thirty and fifty
are counted in a tally of those who will be doing the actual work of transporting
the Tabernacle.
YHWH communicates to Moses the law of the "Sotah", the wayward
wife suspected of unfaithfulness to her husband.
Also given is the law of the Nazir. This is a person who takes a “Nazarite Vow,” who forswears wine, lets his or her hair grow long, and is forbidden to become contaminated through contact with a dead body. Aaron and his descendents the Kohanim are instructed on how to bless the people of Israel.
The leaders of the twelve tribes of Israel each bring their offerings for the inaguartion of the altar. Although their gifts are identical, each is brought on a different day and is individually described by the Torah.
(adapted from chabad.org)
The
Messiah in the Torah Portion
“YHWH bless you, and keep you; YHWH make His face shine on you,
and be gracious to you; YHWH lift up His countenance on you, and give
you peace,” Numbers 6:24-26.
For Christianity this is the final benediction which is spoken at the
end of worship services. For Judaism this is the “priestly blessing”
which is proclaimed with a special hand gesture before the congregation
is dismissed.
In the Hebrew, this is called the “Aharonic b’racha”
or literally “aharon’s blessing.” Some refer to this
as the “B’rachot HaKohanim” or literally “the
Priestly Blessing.” These two verses hold great truth and meaning
as during Biblical times the High Priest would raise his hands and his
voice to proclaim this b’racha on the nation of Israel. Today, Y’shua
our High Priest is proclaiming this passage upon all who would associate
with the people of Israel. All “grace and truth” comes through
Messiah Y’shua – John 1:17. To receive the blessings of this
prayer then Y’shua must be your High Priest!
The “Aharonic B’racha” shouldn’t be reserved only
for the end of our worship times. Instead it should be studied, understood,
and utilized in our daily walk of faith. YHWH transfers great power to
us as we learn and apply His word.
To better understand this portion of Torah or ANY section of Scripture,
we must return and study the original Hebrew language. Indeed, the Sages
of Judaism have said that this blessing should only be recited in the
“kadosh lashon” or “holy tongue.” To express this
prayer in any other language would be like singing the American National
Anthem with a mouth full of bubble gum.
As we study
this prayer let us examine its purpose, meaning, and benefit.
To begin, let’s read this in context from Numbers 6.
“22 And YHWH spoke to Moshe, saying, 23 Speak to Aharon and to his
sons, saying, This is the way you shall bless the children of Yisrael,
saying to them, 24 YHWH bless you, and keep you: 25 YHWH make His face
shine upon you, and be gracious to you: 26 YHWH lift up His countenance
upon you, and give you shalom. 27 And they shall put My Name upon the
children of Yisrael; and I will bless them.”
In the Hebrew, this prayer reads -
Yevarech’cha YHVH v’yishmerecha.
Ya’er YHVH panav eleycha viyechuneka.
Yissah YHVH panav eleychha veyasem lecha shalom.
This prayer is all about understanding YHWH’s blessing! He has commanded
His blessing on and to us –
Tehillim / Psalms 133:3
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descends upon the mountains
of Tzion: for there YHWH commands the bracha / blessing, even chayim le-olam-va-ed
/ life forever. Shalom be upon Yisrael!” Concerning the nation of
Yisra’el, YHWH gets involved and offers His blessings!
YHWH has proclaimed and even “commanded” this blessing upon
us. The “aharonic b’racha” was given to set the nation
of Yisra’el apart as the blessed seed of the righteous!
By simply being the nation WE are blessed! Don’t doubt it –
“If you belong to Messiah / Christ then you are Abraham’s
seed and heirs according to the promise,” Galatians 3:29. We are
blessed because we are YHWH’s chosen people – 1 Peter 2:9.
There were NO preconditions for this blessing other than being the nation
of Yisra’el. This blessing is absolute and unconditional! The Encyclopedia
Judaica says, “The priestly blessing does not simply call for YHWH
to bless out of his goodwill. Rather, the blessing calls for YHWH to have
an attitude of goodwill toward the persons blessed. The benefit which
the blessing called upon YHWH to bestow does not consist of fertility,
prosperity, or dominion, but YHWH's favor itself. “
This is not some magical practice on the part of the priests, nor do the
priests have some power over the divine. The text makes it very clear
that while the priests may pronounce the words of blessing, it is YHWH
who does the actual blessing.
This blessing is one of the best examples of the ultimate use of the power
of speech. Life and death is in the power of the tongue.
One reason this blessing was given was to place the Name of YHWH upon
the nation. The nation is reminded of YHWH’s greatness as the priests
recited this prayer.
The sections of this prayer start small and then build with meaning and
power.
The blessing also has a simple structure, of YHWH + paired verbs: bless
– keep, shine –grace, and lift – peace. Each phrase
is a bit longer and a bit more expansive and detailed than the previous
one. It has been said that, “The progression in the number of words
mirrors the outward movement and flow of YHWH's blessing through the single
priest to the broader community.”
The first line of the priestly blessing is asking YHWH to bless and keep
us; that is, to do good for us, protect us, sustain us, provide for us
and rescue us from all evil and distress. It’s a blessing for the
physical!
Yevarech’cha YHVH v’yishmerecha.
The first sentence is three words long in Hebrew and is considered to
be a blessing for material success. “YHWH shall bless you and watch
you.”
We are told that the priest invokes YHWH’s goodness to grant material
prosperity and guardianship. Not only should you get an increase, but
this increase should be protected.
YHWH will return, “that which the palmer-worm hath left hath the
locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm
eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten,”
Joel 2:25.
YHWH’s blessing is meant to be kept or stolen BUT shared.
YHWH does want to bless you with material wealth! Just look around and
see that YOU ARE WEALTHY. Whatever you have is your wealth! And your wealth
is given for you to use and to bless others with.
A blessed person has a generous spirit and is always pouring out blessings.
It is only when we empty ourselves that YHWH can fill us again! A person
who does not empty their vessel of their blessings has no room for additional
blessings that YHWH would offer us each day. You also need to make sure
your blessings are not leaking away from debt, problems, waste, etc. A
person whose vessel for reception has a “hole” in it cannot
receive or give blessings. They are always empty for the wrong reasons.
One minister tells the story of one of the first churches he served as
a youth minister. They had a fund called the Emergency Fund and it had
$100 in it. They told him that he could use the fund at his discretion,
provided he dispensed the money according to the conditions. So he asked,
“What are the conditions?” The chairman of the committee said,
“You are not to give the money to anybody who is in need as a result
of laziness, drunkenness, or poor management.” The young minister
said, “Well, what else is there?” Far as he knows they still
have the money.
We are to use the blessings YHWH has given us wisely. We are to share
with the body our physical blessings. And we are to share the blood of
Y’shua with the lost.
Rambam said in Teffilah 15:7, “Do not wonder, "What does this
blessing from ordinary people accomplish?" The blessing is not really
dependant of the Kohanim, but rather on YHWH. The verse says, "They
will place My name upon the Hebrew people, and I will bless them."
The Kohanim need only do what they were told to do. Then YHWH will bless
The Hebrew people as He desires to.”
The first line of this blessing is all about physical prosperity and being
a vessel to share His goodness. The second blessing is five words long
and is a blessing for spiritual development and spiritual growth. YHWH
wants our spiritual life to GROW and not stay stagnant. He does not ant
us to be luke warm! We are to be empowered with the zeal of YHWH and share
His message with others.
Ya’er YHVH panav eleycha viyechuneka.
25 YHWH make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you:
With this portion of the prayer we are receiving divine light from the
very face of YHWH.
This is a blessing to be successful in learning Torah. This is a blessing
for intellectual and spiritual advancement. Rashi explains the shining
of YHWH’s face as a beaming, friendly expression. He paraphrases,
"May YHVH show you a smiling face." YHVH' is looking toward
us, paying attention to us and taking note of us. YHWH lifts up His face
upon in order to show us grace or mercy. This phrase is also found in
Psalm 31:16 and 80:3. The Newer Testament provides another facet with
John 1: 7, “For the Torah was given by Moshe; its unmerited favor
and emet came by Y’shua the Moshiach.”
As we learn the Torah we see our need for YHWH’s grace.
25 YHWH make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you:
The Torah we learn, the more we should realize our sinfulness. This is
one purpose of the Torah! Rabbi Sha’ul / Paul said in Romans 7:7
that he “had not know sin but by the Torah.” 1 John 3:4 shows
us that “sin is transgression of the Torah.” The Torah defines
sin and shows us our sinfulness. The wages of sin is death – the
decree has been made that because we have sinned, we deserve eternal death.
The gift of YHWH is eternal life – Y’shua took our place and
died for us so that we could have eternal life. NOW, we must allow the
Torah to “shine upon us” and illuminate our path. “Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path,” Psalm 119:15.
Our lives are changed by his amazing grace when YHWH shines his face upon
us through His Torah!
Psalm 19:7, “The Torah of YHWH is perfect, converting the soul.”
The Torah converts our soul to be unified with YHWH and more like Him!
“YHWH showed His love / grace / face to us in this way, while we
were still sinners Y’shua died for us,” Romiyah / Romans 5:8.
This is clearly seen in Isaiah / Yesha’yahu 30:18, “YHWH longs
to be gracious to you, And therefore He waits on high to have compassion
on you.”
This blessing of spiritual enlightenment comes from the very face of YHWH.
Remember that the Torah says that “no man shall see YHWH and live.”
YHWH lifts up his face upon us and we hear and obey the very words from
His mouth – the Torah. As this happens we do not live. We die to
ourselves and our ways. No man shall see YHWH and live could also be understood
to mean that “no man shall hear and obey the Torah of YHWH and live
in the flesh.”
Finally, the blessing of shalom is given to us. The peace / shalom of
YHWH passes all understanding. This peace is greater than physical wealth
or spiritual knowledge. This final sentence is seven words long. Of course
seven is a symbolic number of completions.
Yissah YHVH panav eleychha veyasem lecha shalom.
The result of YHWH’s blessings of abundance and spiritual knowledge
should be peace. This peace comes directly from the FACE of YHWH. Remember
that the blessing for wealth is only three short words. The prayer for
spiritual help is five words. The blessing for peace has seven words.
“Material prosperity is fairly easy to come by; its blessing consists
of only three words. Spiritual and intellectual enlightenment is more
difficult, and therefore it requires two more words, a total of seven.
However, peace is the most difficult to realize, it requires the most
words, a total of seven words.”
Peace is a fruit of the spirit. In the Hebrew, the word for peace is “shalom.”
This well known phrase literally means “wholeness.”
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance defines "shalom" as, "to
be well, happy, complete, in good health, prosperous, to be whole, and
wholly.” The events of Luke, chapter 8 shed some interesting light
on this. “But as He went the people thronged Him. And a woman having
an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians,
neither could be healed of any, came behind Him, and touched the border
of His garment; and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Y’shua
said, 'Who touched Me?' When all denied, Peter and they that were with
Him said, 'Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest
thou, Who touched Me?' And Y’shua said, 'Somebody hath touched me;
for I perceive that virtue has gone out of me.' And when the woman saw
that she was not hid, she came trembling and falling down before Him,
she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched
Him, and how she was healed immediately. And He said unto her, 'Daughter,
be of good comfort; thy faith hath made the whole; go in Shalom,’”
– verses 42-48.
In this story, the woman with the issue of blood received her healing
as she touched the tzittzit (fringes) upon the garment of the Messiah.
Her faith led her to reach out for the Savior, and the end result was
her healing. Not only did the flow of blood stop; she was also completely
made whole. Don’t miss this. She was healed and made whole. She
had found the Messiah. The void in her soul was now overflowing with shalom.
Her life was now filled with Him. The woman had come face to face with
the Prince of Peace, Y’shua Sar Shalom, and she would never be the
same.
By the power of Shalom we can walk in faith amidst the troubles of life.
Through His Shalom we can make it though a bad day or a string of terrible
events. The book of Ephesians proves how this is possible. "He is
our Shalom, Who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall
of partition between us." -- Ephesians 2: 14. Our shalom is the presence
of Master Y’shua. It is Him. Nothing more and nothing less. He is
our peace. The Prince of Peace is our wholeness. He is the one that completes
us. To illustrate this, a Jew who accepts Y’shua as Messiah is often
called “completed Jew.” Rav Sha’ul wrote, “For
YHWH was pleased to have all the fullness dwell in Him, and through Him
to reconcile to Himself all things, all things, whether things on earth
or things in heaven, by making shalom though His blood, shed on the execution
stake,” -- Colossians 1:19, 20.
This blessing is for each of us. It was spoken to the nation corporately
but is phrases in the singular. May YHWH bless YOU.
The benefits of this blessing are abundant. We can have physical abundance,
spiritual growth, and shalom forevermore. The price has been paid and
our ticket to YHWH’s goodness waits for us. WE must choose to walk
in His blessing. We must recognize that we are truly “too blessed
to be depressed.” This Christian cliché is absolute truth.
This is how YHWH sees us!
Let us now forget the additional commandment at the end of this verse.
"They shall invoke / put My name on the sons of Israel, and I then
will bless them," Numbers 6:27. The priests were called to put the
name of YHWH upon the people. ONE way they could do this was through reciting
this blessing during times of worship. Sadly both Judaism and Christianity
have failed at this precept.
The Jewish priests and religious leaders shrouded the name in mystery
and forbid its use. Some insist that the name was ONLY spoken on Yom Kippur
and only during this blessing. Christianity has inherited the same lies
and calls upon “god” or “lord” without any distinction
being made of any certain “god” or “lord.” Jeremiah
16:19, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and
things wherein there is no profit.”
Psalm 135:13, “Your Name, O YHWH, endures forever, Your fame, O
YHWH, throughout all generations.”
Exodus 3:15, “And Elohim said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, YHWH Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is My Name forever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.”
Hosea 12:5, “Even YHWH Elohim of hosts, YHWH is His memorial.”
The correct Name is very important to YHWH, it is Who He Is.
Isaiah 42:8,
“I am YHWH: that is My Name: and My honor I will not give to another,
neither my praise to graven images.”
Remember that the Aharonic B’racha was to be spoken by the priests.
Their mouths would pronounce this blessing. A priest’s mouth is
to be surrounded by a beard as Yisraelites are commanded not to shave
their facial hair. It is from the mouth that the priest commands the blessing
from YHWH.
With this verse in mind, let’s turn to the Psalms to grasp another
meaning of the b’racha. Psalm 133:1-3, “Behold, how good and
how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like
the precious oil upon the head, coming down upon the beard, Even Aaron's
beard, coming down upon the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon
Coming down upon the mountains of Zion; For there the YHWH commanded the
blessing-- life forever.”
Here we see that unity is like the precious anointing oil used to set
Aharon apart.
Unity is key to this walk of faith. We must decide to meet and agree with
one another in unity. At the congregation we should put personal differences
and personal convictions aside and come together in unity. We should submit
to leadership, support leadership, and work with leadership to accomplish
YHWH’s will. There is no such thing as the perfect congregation
or the perfect rabbi or teacher. You will never find a group that has
it “all together” or a teacher who is 100% doctrinally correct.
Instead of seeking perfection we should seek unity and a leader with a
heart that longs after YHWH. With unity comes trust. Trust is NOT supporting
the leader when you agree with him. Trust is supporting the leader when
you DON’T agree with him. Y’shua prayed for this type of relationship
in John 17. This is the real Master’s prayer – he wanted us
to be unified! Do you trust your leadership? Have you submitted yourself
to a local congregation? Unity is like the oil of anointing that fell
from Aharon’s beard.
This unity is exactly what the Messiah prayed for in John 17. “"I
do not pray for those alone [meaning His disciples], but also for those
who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as
You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us,
that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave
Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them,
and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world
may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved
Me," ~ John 17:20-23 (NKJ).
What else came from the priest’s beard? This blessing of YHWH and
the name of YHWH! We see another connection in Song of Solomon 1:3, “Your
Name is as anointing oil poured forth.” YHWH’s name is like
the anointing oil. His name is power. His name is powerful. His name and
His blessing is what changes us to be made in His image. We learn in Isaiah
10:27, that the “anointing breaks every yoke."
Whatever is holding you back or causing you pain is broken by the anointing
/ by the name of YHWH! We should take hold of this blessing and His name
and begin to expect! We should start expecting good things to happen!
We should see ourselves as blessed and lay hold of the promises that YHWH
has set before us. Romans 4:21 states that Avinu Avraham was fully persuaded
that what YHWH had promised, YHWH was fully able to accomplish. We too
must be determined to believe YHWH and recognize our lives as blessed
beyond all measure.
The many aspects of the priestly blessing are indeed reminders of our
great High Priest / Kohen HaGadol Y’shua. These blessings flow from
the very mouth of Y’shua! “Therefore, since we have a great
high priest who has gone through the heavens, Y’shua the Son of
YHWH, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a
high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have
one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without
sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that
we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need,”
Hebrews 4:14-16.
Applying the Portion to Life Today
A little boy walked up to his pastor and asked sheepishly, “Why
do we say ‘amen’ instead of ‘awoman’ after prayers?”
The preacher scratched his head as he thought. He finally responded, “I
guess for the same reason that we sing ‘hymns’ and not ‘hers.’
Realistically, the reason why people say ‘amen’ after prayer
is much deeper than this preacher’s smart retort. The concept of
the ending affirmation of ‘amen’ has its origin in this week’s
Torah reading. Titled Nasso, our weekly parasha comes from Bamidbar (Numbers)
4:21-7:89. During this sidrah the Torah teaches about the Nazarite vows,
the priestly blessing, the ordeal of adultery and jealousy, and final
preparation for use of the tabernacle. It is here that the first mention
of the word “amen” is found in the King James Version and
other Bibles.
Bible teachers place much importance on the first time a word or phrase
appears in the original text. This is called the “rule of first
occurrence.” The idea is that the initial mentioning of an expression
explains its future meaning and gives understanding into the phrase’s
significance. A sort of precedence is set when ‘amen’ is first
used in Bamidbar 5:22. (Beware: Continued reading of this teaching might
tip over one of your sacred cows!)
Bamidbar 5 is the chapter about the “sotah” or “suspected
wife.” This chapter teaches that if a woman is suspected of adultery
and cannot be legally proved, then she is to be taken before the priests.
The Cohanim are to perform an odd ceremony of events that will prove her
loyalty or prove her adultery. During this ritual the Cohen mixes set
apart water, ink, the meal offering given by the husband, and dust from
the sanctuary floor. This mixture is then drunk by the sotah. If she is
guilty she will be cursed, if she is innocent a curse will not be upon
her. She agrees to this rite by drinking the mixture. The Torah says that
at this drinking point “the woman shall say, ‘amen, amen!’”
Notice that when the woman says “amen” she is not concluding
a prayer. No - she did not say “in Jesus’ name amen.”
Instead of finishing a prayer, the woman is accepting a type of oath/covenant/curse.
Notice also that she really did NOT say “amen.” Yes, your
Bible says she said “amen” but…the term “amen”
is a transliteration of the Hebrew letters aleph-mem-nun, pronounced “omein”
or “ah-main” She said “omein, omein” and not “amen,
amen.”
Omein or Amein communicates confirmation, hope, endorsement, and approval.
It also is a saying that means “let it be so.” Strong’s
Exhaustive Dictionary defines Amein as “sure; abstract faithfulness;
adverbially truly:-amen, so be it, truth, firm or faithful, to trust or
believe, to be.”
When a person says “Amein” they are literally saying “I
agree that what was spoken is truth and let it be.” When a person
says “amen,” they are saying something totally different.
(more on this to follow!)
Omein is used throughout the Tanakh as “to show the acceptance of
the validity of a curse or an oath as in Numbers 5:22; Deuteronomy 27:15-26;
Jeremiah 11:5. It is used to indicate acceptance of a good message in
Jeremiah 28:6,” says the Holman Bible Dictionary. Evidently those
near the mishkan would respond ‘Amein’ to the songs chanted
by the Levites as found in Tehillim 41:14; 72:19; 89:53; 106:48; and 1
Chronicles 16:36. These people were saying, “we agree and testify
to what the priests are chanting! It is truth and let it be!” Indeed,
Rabbi Sha’ul wrote "For all the promises of Elohim in Him are
yea, and in Him Amein, unto the glory of Elohim by us,” 2 Corinthians
1:20.
The Talmud states that saying omein after a blessing is equivalent to
reciting the B’racha itself. Yet, a person should not say Amein
to every blessing that is spoken nor to every prayer that is uttered.
“A person should not usually respond with “Amein” to
a blessing he himself has recited, the only exception now being the third
blessing of the Grace after Meals. This prohibition may be a reaction
to the Christian custom to conclude every prayer with ‘Amen.’
The early church borrowed the use of ‘Amen’ together with
most of the liturgy, and it is found in the New Testament 119 times,”
says the Encyclopedia Judaica.
Christianity teaches it is proper to end every prayer with ‘amen.”
While Judaism teaches it is proper to say ‘Amein’ only after
certain blessings. “Whenever one hears another recite a blessing,
he should answer ‘Amein’ at its conclusion. The ‘Amein’
constitutes an endorsement and affirmation that the blessing is true,
that I believe it, or that “it should come to pass” where
the blessing is in the form of a prayer petition. A person does not say
‘omein’ after a blessing he recites himself,” says Rabbi
Donin in his book To Be a Jew.
Bible believers are permitted to say omein. Making this statement of faith
is validated throughout the Scriptures, including this week’s Torah
reading. But, devotees are never told in the Scriptures to say “amen.”
There is a difference between ‘amen’ and the Hebrew ‘omein’
just like there is a difference between ‘Amein’ and ‘oh
my!’
Christians and Muslims use the word ‘amen.’ And regardless
of language, various religions around the world end their prayer by saying
Amen. The term ‘amen’ comes from ancient Egypt. There is no
linguistic translation for the Egyptian word ‘Amen,’ because
it is a name and not a word. The origin of “Amen” is Egyptian,
for Amen is the name the pagan sun god Aman-ra, also known simply as Ra
or Aman. According to a web site on Egyptology, the name Amen means the,
“hidden one of Egypt who lives on.” Perhaps this pagan deity
lives on through his name being repeated by millions of people every day.
The Hebrews learned about the god ‘amen’ during their sojourn
in Egypt, which lasted for four generations. Yes, the Yisraelites were
no doubt familiar with this pagan deity. It is to this subject that the
Torah gives a prohibition for saying the name amen and other false idol
names. “Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke
the names of other gods; do not let them be heard on your lips,”
Shemot 23:13. This is very simple. Say “ah-mein.” When you
hear something that ministers to your nefesh (soul) shout “omein!”
But don’t say ‘amen.’ “Don’t do as the pagans
do,” says the book of Yermi’yahu (Jeremiah).
Finally, notice that when you use the correct Hebrew word “Amein”
you are actually referring to YHWH Y’shua Himself. The Talmud teaches
that the etymology of ‘Amein” can be explained as being made
up of the initial letters of El Melekh Ne'eman, meaning “Elohim,
faithful King.” So, any reference to ‘Amein’ is actually
a reference to Elohim.
Y’shua also taught His talmidim and used this word to validate His
own Torah interpretations. In the gospels, Amein is also found over 100
times, always spoken by Y’shua. Y’shua however only used this
term to preface his own teachings with the expression, “Amein I
say to you,” a phrase apparently intended to emphasize the truth
and the importance of the words he was preparing to speak. He would also
say, “omein, omein” which is many times translated “verily,
verily.”
YHWH is called the Elohim of Amein or Elohim of Truth in the scroll of
Yesha’yahu. This passage from Isaiah is an appropriate selection
to meditate upon when considering this important subject because of the
light it shares. You see, saying “amen” verses omein”
is no laughing matter. You are either talking about the real Elohim, the
Elohim Amein or you are talking about a false Elohim.
Please consider this. Study this subject some more. Pray about this issue.
And perhaps end your prayer a little differently – with ‘omein.’
“Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by Elohim Amein,
the Elohim of truth; he who takes an oath in the land will swear by the
Elohim Amein, the Elohim of truth. For the past troubles will be forgotten
and hidden from my eyes. “Behold, I will create new heavens and
a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come
to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I
will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy,” Yesha’yahu/Isaiah
95.
Portion
Points to Ponder
1. The Hebrew name for this portion is “Nasso.” What does
this mean?
2. Read Judges 13:2-25. How does these relate to the story of Numbers
this week?
3. Consider the words found in John 12:20-36. What did you learn from
studying this passage?
4. How does this Torah portion speak of the Messiah Y’shua?
5. What is it about the story, a verse, a word that seems to resonate
with some aspect of your life?
6. How would you describe the characters in the story? Who do you know
who's like them?
7. What is the nazarite vow? Is a nazarite and a Nazarene the same thing?
8. Although we are not subject to the same duties and tasks as were assigned
to the families of the Levites, what tasks has YHWH given us? Do you see
the responsibilities that God gave us as a burden, a discipline, or as
a gift? Can a responsibility or task be a burden and a gift at the same
time? Explain.
9. Jewish tradition remains deeply divided over whether to praise or condemn
the nazir. After reading the opinions of the commentators and studying
this idea, what do you think?
10. One Jewish commentary tells us that an individual takes a nazirite
vow because of a "holy resolve to escape temptation and sin."
Think about some of the problems that exist in our society. Drug abuse
and alcoholism are two examples. Imagine how difficult some people find
it to resist such temptations. What lesson can we learn about these challenges
from the nazir?
11. In addition to abstaining from wine and from contact with the dead,
the nazir also had to let his hair grow in order to fulfill his vow. His
long hair, therefore, was a constant reminder, both to him and to those
around him, of his special status as a nazir. Why do you think it was
important for there to be a distinguishing sign on the nazir which everyone
could recognize?
12. Name two well known Biblical people who took nazarite vows?
13. In Birkat Kohanim the blessing for peace is considered to be the most
important. Imagine a world at peace, what would it be like? If the world
was at peace do you think the other blessings of Birkat Kohanim would
be fulfilled? In what ways? What role and responsibility do we have in
fulfilling this blessing? In what ways can you contribute to the blessing
of peace in your family, in your school, in your community? Sometimes
we are overwhelmed with media descriptions of violence. With your family,
examine a newspaper and find examples of the blessing of peace. Can you
find instances where there was strife and people are working to replace
it with peace?
14. The Torah's description of the ordeal for the woman suspected of cheating
on her husband seems to be very one-sided. Why ?
15. Parshat Naso begins with a command to count the children of Gershon
and the children ofi Merari and instruct them regarding their servie /
avodah. Why is this not placed in Bamidbar, where the command about the
children of Kehat is given?
16. Numbers 5:7, “They shall confess the sin that they committed.
He shall make restitution for his guilt in its principal amount and add
its fifth to it, and give it to the one to whom he is indebted,”
Since only one person dealt dishonestly, why does the verse say "they
shall confess" -- in the plural, and not "he shall confess"
-- in the singular?
17. Numbers 6:23, Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying: "So shall
you bless the Children of Israel." When the kohen recites the Priestly
Blessing why is it tradition for him to remove his shoes. Why?
18. Numbers 6:26, “And establish peace for you.” When the
kohanim conclude their blessing, it is customary for people in a synagogue
to thank them by saying "yasher ko'ach" -- thank you. Why?
19. Numbers 7:12-13, “The one who brought his offering on the first
day was Nachshon the son of Aminadav... and his offering…”
Why is it written "and his offering" regarding Nachshon the
son of Aminadav?
20. In Parshat Naso, we find the famous priestly blessing sandwiched'
between the laws of Nazir (chapter 6) and the story of the dedication
of the Mishkan / Tabernacle(chapter 7). Can you suggest a thematic reason
for the juxtaposition of these three stories?
What is the significance of the number 8,580 in this weeks Parsha?
21. Besides transporting the Mishkan, what other service performed by
the leviim is referred to in this Parsha?
22. On which day did Moshe teach the command to send those who are temeim
(ritually impure) out of the camp?
23. Name the three camps in the desert.
24. Who was sent out of each of the camps?
25. A person stole from another and swore that he was innocent. If he
later confesses his guilt, what are his obligations?
26. Who determines which kohen receives the gifts that must be given to
the kohanim?
27. When a person who is guilty of adultery drinks the water, she dies
in a very specific fashion. What happens to the adulterer?
28. Before the name of YHWH is erased, the adulterer has the option either
to admit guilt or to drink the water. Does she have a third option?
29. What sin does a nazir commit against himself?
30. Where was the cut hair of a nazir placed?
31. What is the meaning of the blessing "May YHWH bless you and guard
you?"
32. What is the meaning of the blessing "May YHWH lift up His countenance
upon you?"
33. The tribe of Yissachar was the second tribe to offer their gifts.
Why did they merit this position?
34. What did you learn from this Open Bible study?
The Open Bible is a teaching series written by Daniel Rendelman of Emet Ministries. Find more teachings, audio messages, videos, and music at www.emetministries.com.
Daniel Rendelman is the founder and leader of Emet Ministries and the author of the book “Finding the Truth.” He, his wife, and five children live in Newberry, South Carolina. He can be reached at emetministries@gmail.com.
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