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Shabbat BemidbarShabbat 26 May 2012

5 Sivan 5772

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NewsBekerley Adventist

congregation

It was with pleasure that I visited a church in West-Virginia. the Adventist congregation o Bekerleyon May 12, 2012. I preached on the morning andled a meeting on the aternoon. Tese meetings arealways interesting, rst or the Jews who attend thecongregation, and this church is not an exception, evenar away rom a big city there are Jews who are interestedby the Adventist message. Tese meetings are alsointeresting or our members who are in contact with

Jews. Most o the time, they dont know how to behave,what to say, how to present Jesus to their Jewish riends.And o course or the Jews who are already members othe congregation. Tis Bekerley congregation has some

Jews as members, they came to me to say how they haveappreciated my sermon and my aternoon meeting.

Russian AmericanAdventist congregation in

Glendale, CA

On Sabbath May 19, 2012 I had the pleasure to

visit the Russian American Adventist churchin Glendale, Caliornia. Tis visit was very

pleasant, among the 60-70 members about 20 o themare Jewish and are very dedicated to the Adventistmessage.

I had the privilege to visit this congregation withRick McEdward, who also address the congregation onthe mission o the church and the role o his departmentas director o the Study Center at the ofce o AdventistMission.

During the meeting o the aternoon, I presented ourJewish outreach ministry in the context o the Adventistmovement. It was a very good discussion o more than2 hours and at the end the members were happy tounderstand our ministry towards Jews.

I would like to add that some Jewish members came tome at the end to share with me their joy to have a meetinglike this one. Some had tears in their eyes showing theiremotion and happiness or what had been said.

In most o these meetings the typical topics raisedby the members are the supersessionism or replacement

theology, which says that Israel has been rejected andreplaced by the church, the topic o the 70 weeks oDaniel 9 and the role o Israel at the end o time. It isalways an animated discussion and dialogue but at theend the members are happy to have an opportunity tospeak about these topics.

Shavuot or Pentecost,startsonSaturday26evening. Te frstdayis Sunday27 and it is

celebrated on two days May27 and May28.

Happyeast to everyone.ChagSameach.

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Bemidbar

Numbers 1:1-4:20

he Book o Bamidbar In the desert

begins with G-d commanding Moshe totake a census o all men over age twenty

old enough or service. Te count reveals justover 600,000. Te leviim are counted separatelylater because their service will be unique. Tey

will be responsible or transporting the Mishkan(sanctuary) and its urnishings and assemblingthem when the nation encamps. Te 12 ribes oIsrael, each with its banner, are arranged aroundthe Mishkan in our sections: east, south, west and

north. Since Levi is singled out, the tribe o Yoseis split into two tribes, Ephraim and Menashe,so there will be our groups o three. When thenation travels, they march in a ormation similarto the way they camp. A ormal transer is madebetween the rst-born and the leviim, wherebythe leviim take over the role the rst-born wouldhave had serving in the Mishkan i not or thesin o the golden cal. Te transer is made usingall the 22,000 surveyed leviim rom one month

old and up. Only levi im between 30 and 50 willwork in the Mishkan. Te remaining rst-bornsons are redeemed with silver, similar to the way

Jews redeem their rst-born today. Te sons oLevi are divided in three main amilies, Gershon,Kehat and Merari (besides the kohanim thespecial division rom Kehats amily). Te amilyo Kehat carried the menorah, the table, the altarand the holy ark. Because o their utmost sanctity,the ark and the altar are covered only by Aharonand his sons, beore the leviim prepare them ortravel.

In the Desert

his parasha begins the book Bemidbar(Numbers) and means in the desert. TeSas Emes, a book publish by Tora.org

ocuses on the meaning o the key word: midbar(desert). On the midrashim says that the midbar

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as the place where Bnei Israel welcomed HaShemsPresence and Words. Tat is why we must rememberthat even though the desert means or us silenceand desolate place where nothing can grow, inthe Hebrew mind, the word midbar is related to the

Word (DBR) and to speak (MeDaBer), thats whyit is in the desert, in the place o silence that Godspeaks and gives his word, that is why the rabbishave linked the root DBR with lashon Hakodeshthe holy language. Te Sas Emes points to anothermeaning o the root DBR, saying that it means also

to lead and to his Aramaic orm to be led. Tus,Te people o Israel, on their way to the promise land,in the desert (bemidbar) were completely led by G-d.He was their leader, and the will o G-d or them wasto give up their own will to be led by the Almighty.Similarly we could rom time to time go through adesert, a place o desolation, silence, perplexity, what

is our behavior? Are we ready to give up our will andto be led by the Almighty?Now it is interesting to read that Rabbi Packouz

says in the name o Rabbi Pliskin: Why does theorah speciy the wilderness o the Sinai desert? Itwould have been sucient to say in the Sinai desert;everyone knows that deserts are wildernesses. TeMidrash Bamidbar Rabbah comments on this verse,Whoever does not make himsel open and ree likea wilderness will not be able to acquire wisdom and

orah. Tis reers to having the trait o humility

which allows a person to learn rom everyone and toteach everyone.

Rabbi Packouz continues: An arrogant personwill only be willing to learn rom someone he eelsis betting his honor. A humble person is onlyconcerned with gaining orah knowledge and will begrateul to learn new ideas even rom one who has lessoverall knowledge than himsel.

Te Midrash teaches that the orah was given onMt. Sinai because Mt. Sinai was the lowest o all the

mountains. Tis symbolizes that i a person wants toreceive wisdom he must be humble. I he is ull ohimsel there is little room or anything else.

Our Human Nature

For the Jewish people, the book o Bamidbar isperhaps one o the saddest, so to speak, o all othe Holy Scriptures. Whereas the book o Shemot,

which records or us the sin o the Golden Cal also gives

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Te almudic sage RabbiYitzchak says, I a persontells you, I have made an efort

in the study o orah, but Ihave not succeeded, do notbelieve him. I a person tellsyou, I didnt make any efortand I have succeeded, do notbelieve him. When a persontells you, I have made an efort

and I have succeeded, believehim! In order to succeed andunderstand orah one needs toput in time and efort.

us pause, it concludes with the nal construction o theMishkan and Gods Presence, so to speak, resting withinthe encampment o Israel. But the book o Bamidbar, whichbegins on a high note o numerical accomplishment andthe seemingly imminent entry o the Jewish people intohe Land o Israel, ends on a very sour note. It records thedestruction o the entire generation including its leadership

without their entrance into the Promised Land.

For rabbi Berel Wein rom Genesis.org Te narrativeo the book o Bamidbartells us o rebellionand constant carping,military deeats and

victories, alse blessings,human prejudices andpersonal bias. But the

orah warned us in itsvery rst chapters thatthis is the book o humanbeings. And all o the

weaknesses exhibitedby Israel in the desert oSinai, as recorded or usin the book o Bamidbar,are denitely part o theusual human story andnature.

A Token of

Love

he parashaBamidbar hasa particular rel-

evance to the estival oShavuot. In general, ev-ery parasha has a connec-tion with the time o the

year when it is read, andBamidbar is usually read

on the Shabbat beoreShavuot. And in particular, Shavuot, which commemo-rates G-ds giving o the orah to Israel, is called the wed-ding o Israel to G-d; and on the Shabbat beore a wedding,the bridegroom is called to the orah as a preparation orthe wedding. So Bamidbar is, as it were, a preparation orthat special union between G-d and his people which cameupon their receiving the orah. Tat is why Rashi says thatthe counting o Israel in the wilderness was token o G-ds

love or Israel. Rabbi Marozov says Our sages ex-plain that these counts were to express G-ds love orthe Jewish people. Tis expression o love was espe-cially important when only 40 days ater receiving the

orah, they made and worshipped the Golden Cal.o express His great love or His people, Israel, evenater all they did, G-d wanted them counted.

Individuality

Rabbi Zweig says Veryoten when a per-son is part o a large

group, he senses a loss ohis individuality and sel-expression. o compensateor this, he has a tendency tobreak away rom the group.

Te message o the countingin Seer Bamidbar is thatthere is room or individual-ity and sel-expression with-in the connes o the group.Indeed, interpersonal rela-tionships within the groupcan enhance individualityand oer the opportunityor sel-expression.Tis explains why the di-

vision o tribes and theirbanners are mentioned inthe census o Bamidbar, andnot in that o Shemos. Teability to identiy onesel inconnection with a particu-lar tribe and represented bya particular banner, urtherenhances a persons sense oindividuality.

Sources: Tese commentso the parasha are based on comments publishedby Rabbi Kalman Packouz, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin,Rabbi Ozer Alport, Rabbi Ari Kahn, Rabbi Noson

Weisz, Rabbi Natali Reich, Rabbi Berel Wein,Rabbi Yochanan Zweig, Rabbi Yissocher Frand,Rabbi Yaakov Asher Sinclair rom Ohr Somayach,Rabbi Mordechai Kamenetzky. and Rabbi ZalmenMarozov.

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Honesty in Business

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his story is given by Rabbi YitzchakBuxbaum rom Chabad. Te BaalShem ov was once shown romheaven that a certain simple man calledMoshe the Shepherd served G-d, blessed

be He, better than he did. He longed tomeet this shepherd, so he ordered his horsesharnessed to his coach, and traveled, witha ew o his disciples, to the place where hewas told the shepherd lived.

Tey stopped in a eld at the oot o ahill, and saw, on the hillside above them,a shepherd who was blowing his horn tocall his fock. Ater the sheep gathered tohim, he led them to a nearby trough to

water them. While they were drinking,he looked up to heaven and began to callout loudly, Master o the world, You areso great! You created heaven and earth,and everything else! Im a simple man;Im ignorant and unlearned, and I dontknow how to serve You or praise You. I

was orphaned as a child and raised amonggentiles, so I never learned any orah. ButI can blow on my shepherds horn like ashoar, with all my strength, and call out,

Te L-rd is G-d! Ater blowing withall his might on the horn, he collapsed tothe ground, without an ounce o energy,and lay there motionless until his strengthreturned.

Ten he got up and said, Master o theworld, Im just a simple shepherd; I dontknow any orah, and I dont know howto pray. What can I do or You? Te onlything I know is to sing shepherds songs!He then began to sing loudly and ervently

with all his strength until, again, he ellto the earth, exhausted, without an ounceo energy.

Ater recovering, he got up again andbegan to call out, Master o the world!

What is it worth that I blew on my hornand sang songs or You, when Youre sogreat? What more can I do to serve You?He paused or a moment and said, Teres

something else I know how to do, and Ill do itor Your honor and glory! He then stood on hishead and began to wave his eet wildly in theair. Ten he did somersaults one ater the other,until he collapsed on the ground, exhausted.

Te Baal Shem ov and his disciples watchedall this rom a distance, in amazement.

Te shepherd lay there silently until hisstrength returned. Again, he began to speakand said, Master o the world, Ive done whatI can, but I know its not enough! What morecan I do to serve You? Ater pausing to refecthe said, Yesterday, the nobleman who ownsthe fock made a east or his servants, and

when it ended, he gave each o us a silver coin.Im giving that coin to You as a git, O G-d,because You created everything and You eedall Your creatures, including me, Moshe the

little shepherd! Saying this, he threw the coinupward.At that moment, the Baal Shem ov saw a

hand reach out rom heaven to receive the coin.He said to his disciples, Tis shepherd hastaught me how to ulll the verse: You shalllove the L-rd your G-d with all your heart,

with all your soul and with all your might.

ChagShavuotSameach

A newsletter published by the

World Jewish Adventist Friendship Center

Under the umbrella o theGeneral Conerence Ofce o Adventist Mission

EDITOR

Tel. +972 2625 1547Fax +972 2625 1319

email: richard@eloer.comweb: jewishadventist.org

Richard-Amram Eloer4, Abraham Lincoln94186 JerusalemIsrael

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Acts 2:1-47

Shavuot will start on Shabbat evening. it is,or the Jewish people, the anniversary andcelebration o the giving o the orah on Mt.

Sinai to the Jewish people about 3,500 years ago.For the Jewish people It is a time o dedication andcommitment to learning orah. Te orah callsShavuot the Festival o Weeks (Numbers 28:26).Te very word Shavuot is Hebrew or weeks; itreers to the seven weeks that one counts rom thesecond day o Passover (the day ater the Sabbatho the east) until the holiday o Shavuot. It is oneo the three pilgrimage easts, holidays. Everyman was commanded to come up to Jerusalem tocelebrate the east in Jerusalem.

Tis east was an important event or thetalmudim o Yeshua. We read in the BrithHachadasha: When the day o Shavuot came,they were all together in one place. (Acts 2:1). Teeast were important or the disciples o Yeshua,and since it was a east o pilgrimage, they all camerom Galilee to Jerusalem to celebrate the east. Tetext indicates that they were all in one place. Tatmeans they ound a place o worship big enough tomeet together (about 120) to have their worship.

On Shavuot there is a custom to stay up allnight reading and learning orah. Another customis to read the book o Ruth which occurred onShavuot. Tis night o reading and learning was inremembrance o the Jewish people who waited allthe night the maniestation o God on the MountSinai.

However a very special event happened inJerusalem upon this assembly o the disciples.Suddenly a sound like the blowing o a violentwind came rom heaven and lled the whole house

where they were sitting. Tey saw what seemed tobe tongues o re that separated and came to reston each o them. All o them were lled with theHoly Spirit and began to speak in other tongues asthe Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:2-4) Te RuachHakodesh came upon them and helped them toshare the Good News o Yeshua and to understandthe anach. It was the ulllment o two texts: Joel2:28-32 but also Jeremiah 31:33.

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Hosea 2:1 - 22

Hosea is a man who loves his people and hiswife. His wife is unfaithful as the people ofIsrael is. Speaking to this children, he said

to them: Plead with your mother, pleadfor she isnot my wife, and I am not her husbandthat sheput away her whoring from her face, and her adulteryfrom between her breasts, (Hos. 2:2). His wifebecome an illustration of the unfaithfulness of Israel.Hosea says to his wife the words G-d addresses toIsrael, Now I will uncover her shame in the sightof her lovers, and no one shall rescue her out of myhand. I will put an end to all her mirth, her festivals,her new moons, her sabbaths, and all her appointedfestivals. (Hos. 2:10-11).

What a wonderful love. In spite of her unfaithfulnesshe wants to love her, Terefore, I will now allure her,and bring her into the wilderness, and speak tenderlyto her. (Hos. 2:14).Te Bible is also a romantic book.From there I will give her her vineyards, and makethe Valley of Achor a door of hope.. (Hos. 2:15).

It is clear that Hoseas wife represents Israel. Tereshe shall respond as in the days of her youth, as atthe time when she came out of the land of Egypt. (Hos. 2:15).Ten the prophet plays with Hebrew words, the

Hebrew word Baal means husband or master andit is also the name of an idol worshiped by Canaanitepeople. On that day, says the LORD, you will callme, My husband, and no longer will you call me,My Baal. (Hos. 2:16). All idols will be removed.For I will remove the names of the Baals from hermouth, and they shall be mentioned by name nomore. (Hos. 2:17). And will make a covenant withIsrael. I will make for you a covenant on that daywith the wild animals, the birds of the air, and the

creeping things of the ground; and I will abolishthe bow, the sword, and war from the land; and Iwill make you lie down in safety. (Hos. 2:18).Whata wonderful promise for Israel in this text. And Iwill take you for my wife forever; I will take you formy wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfastlove, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife infaithfulness; and you shall know the LORD. (Hos.2:20-21).

Brit Hachadasha