Esnoga Bet Emunah - 227 Millset Chase# - San Antonio, Texas 78253

San Antonio. Texas - Candle lighting times:

Friday, March 17, 2006 Light Candles at: 6:25 PM

Saturday, March 18, 2006 – Havadalah 7:19 PM

Brisbane, Australia - Candle lighting times:

Friday, March 17, 2006 Light Candles at: 5:46 PM

Saturday, March 18, 2006 – Havadalah 6:37M

Singapore, Singapore

Friday, March 17, 2006 Light Candles at: 7:00 PM

Saturday, March 18, 2006 – Havadalah 7:49 PM

For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp

Week Forty-three of the Cycle

Coming celebrations: Pesach – Passover

Wednesday the 12^th of April in the evening – Thursday 20^th of April in the evening

For more information see:

http://www.betemunah.org/passover.html; http://www.betemunah.org/chronology.html ;

http://www.betemunah.org/redemption.html

http://www.betemunah.org/haggada.html

http://www.betemunah.org/seventh.html

Next Shabbat: Shabbat HaHodesh – The New Sabbath

Tekufah of Nisan (Vernal equinox) – Adar 21, 5766 – March 21, 2006

Shabbat:	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
פָרָה אֲדֻמָּה
“Parah Adumah”	Reader 1 – B’midbar 19:1- 4	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 4:18-23
“Red Heifer”	Reader 2 – B’midbar 19:5-9	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 4:24-26
“Vaca roja”	Reader 3 – B’midbar 19:10-13	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 4:27-31
B’midbar (Num.) 19:1 – 20:13	Reader 4 – B’midbar 19:14-17
Ezekiel 36:16-38	Reader 5 – B’midbar 19:18-22
	Reader 6 – B’midbar 20:1-7	Reader 1 – Sh’mot 5:1-4
	Reader 7 – B’midbar 20:8-13	Reader 2 – Sh’mot 5:5-9
	Maftir – B’midbar 20:11-13	Reader 3 – Sh’mot 5:10-13
N.C. Bereans (Hebrews) 9:1-28	Ezekiel 36:16-38

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honour Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and beloved family, as well of Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and beloved family. For their regular and sacrificial giving, we pray G-d’s richest blessings upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael, amen ve amen! Also a great thank you to His Excellency Adon Stephen Legge and beloved family for making available at short notice computing facilities to produce this week’s Torah Commentary.

Targum Pseudo Jonathan for:

B’midbar (Num.) 19:1 – 20:13

XIX. AND the Lord spoke with Mosheh and Aharon, saying: This is the decree, the publication of the law which the LORD has commanded, saying; Speak to the sons of Israel, that they bring to you from the separation of the fold a red heifer, two years old, in which there is neither spot nor white hair, on which no male has come, nor the burden of any work been imposed, neither hurt by the thong, nor grieved by the goad or prick, nor collar (band) or any like yoke. And you shall give her unto Elazar, the chief of the priests, who shall lead her alone without the camp, and set round about her a railing (border) of the branches of fig trees; and another priest shall slay her with the two signs before him, after the manner of other animals, and examine her by the eighteen kinds of divisions. And Elazar, in his priestly dress, shall take of her blood with the finger of his right hand, without (first) containing it in a vessel, and shall sprinkle the border of fig branches, and (afterwards) from the midst of a vessel on one side towards the tabernacle of ordinance, with one dipping, seven times (shall he sprinkle). And they shall bring her out from the midst of the railing and another priest, while Elazar looks on, shall burn the heifer, her skin, flesh, and blood, with her dung shall he burn. And another priest shall take a piece of cedar wood and hyssop, and (wool) whose color has been changed to scarlet, and throw them into the midst of the burning of the heifer; and he shall enlarge the burning, that the ashes may be increased. [JERUSALEM. And throw into the midst of the ashes of the burning heifer.] And the priest who slew the heifer shall wash his dress in forty satas of water, and afterwards he may go into the camp; but the priest before his ablution shall be unclean until the evening And the priest who was employed in the burning shall wash his dress in forty satas of water, and his flesh in forty satas, and before his ablution shall be unclean until the evening

And a man, a priest who is clean, shall gather up the ashes of the heifer in an earthenware receptacle, its opening covered round about with clay; and shall divide the ashes into three portions, of which one shall be placed within the wall (of Jerusalem), another in the Mount of Olives, and the third portion be in the custody of the Levites; and it shall be for the congregation of Israel, for the Water of Sprinkling: it is the heifer (immolated) for the remission of sins.

And the priest who gathered up the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and before his ablution be unclean till the evening. And this shall be for the cleansing of the children of Israel, a statute for ever.

Whoever touches the body of a dead man, or of a child of some months old, either his body or his blood, shall be unclean seven days. He shall sprinkle himself with this water of the ashes on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean. But if he sprinkle not himself on the third day, his uncleanness will remain upon him, and he will not be clean on the seventh day. Whoever has touched the body of a dead man, or of a child nine months old, either the body or the blood, and will not sprinkle himself, he has defiled the tabernacle of the LORD, and that man shall be cut off from Israel; forasmuch as the water of sprinkling is not sprinkled upon him, he is unclean, his uncleanness is yet on him, until he shall sprinkle himself; yet may he sprinkle and make ablution on the seventh evening. This is the indication of the law concerning a man when he has died under the outspread tent every one who enters into the tent by the way of the door, but not from its side, when its door is open, (or when one has opened its door,) and whatever is in the tent, its floor, stone, wood, and vessels, shall be unclean seven days. And every earthen vessel which has no covering fastened upon its mouth, which would have kept it separate from the uncleanness, is defiled by the uncleanness of the air which touches its mouth, and its interior, and not the outside of it (only). [JERUSALEM. And every open vessel which has no covering of stone upon it shall be unclean.] And whoever shall touch not one who has died in his mother's womb, but who has been slain with the sword on the face of the field, or the sword with which he was slain, or the dead man himself, or a bone of his, or the hair, or the bone of a living man which has been separated from him, or a grave, or a shroud, or the bier, shall be unclean seven days. And for him who is unclean, they shall take of the ashes of the burnt sin offering, and put spring water upon them in an earthen vessel. And let a man, a priest, who is clean, take three branches of hyssop bound. together, and dip (them) in the water at the time of receiving the uncleanness, and sprinkle the tent and all its vessels, and the men who are in it, or upon him who has touched the bone of a living man that has been severed from him, and has fallen, or him who has been slain with the sword, or has died by the plague, or a grave, or a wrapper, or a bier. And the priest who is clean shall sprinkle upon the unclean man on the, third day, and on the seventh day, and shall make him clean on the seventh day; and he shall sprinkle his clothes, and wash himself with water, and at eventide be clean.

But the unclean man who will not be sprinkled, that man shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he has defiled the sanctuary of the LORD; the water of sprinkling has not been sprinkled upon him, he is unclean. And it shall be unto you an everlasting statute. The priest, also, who sprinkles the water of sprinkling shall sprinkle his clothes, and he who touches the water of sprinkling shall be unclean until evening. And whatever the unclean person has touched, though he carry it not, shall be unclean; and the clean man who touches him shall be unclean till evening.

XX. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel came to the desert of Zin on the tenth day of the month Nisan. And Miriam died there, and was buried there. And as on account of the innocence of Miriam a well had been given, so when she died the well was hidden, and the congregation had no water. And they gathered against Mosheh and Aharon, and the people contended with Mosheh, and said, Would that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD! And why have you brought the congregation of the LORD into this desert, that we and our cattle may die here? And why did you make us come up out of Mizraim., to bring us to this evil place, a place which is not fit for sowing, or for planting fig trees, or vines, or pomegranates, and where there is no water to drink? And Mosheh and Aharon went from the face of the murmuring congregation to the door of the tabernacle of ordinance, and bowed upon their faces, and the Glory of the LORD'S Shekinah was revealed to them.

And the LORD spoke with Mosheh, saying: Take the rod of the miracles, and gather the congregation, you, and Aharon your brother, and both of you adjure the rock, by the Great and manifested Name, while they look on, and it shall give forth its waters: but if it refuse to bring forth, smite it once with the rod that is in your hand, and you wilt bring out water for them from the rock, that the congregation and their cattle may drink.

And Mosheh took the rod of the miracles from before the Lord, as he had commanded him. And Mosheh and Aharon gathered the congregation together before the rock. And Mosheh said to them, Hear now, rebels: is it possible for us to bring forth water for you from this rock? And Mosheh lifted up [JERUSALEM. And Mosheh lifted up] his hand, and with his rod struck the rock two times: at the first time it dropped blood; but at the second time there came forth a multitude of waters. And the congregation and their cattle drank.

But the LORD spoke to Mosheh and Aharon with the oath, Because you have not believed in My Word, to sanctify Me in the sight of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this congregation into the land that I will give them. These are the Waters of Contention, where the sons of Israel contended before the Lord on account of the well that had been hidden; and He was sanctified in them, in Mosheh and Aharon, when (the waters) were given to them.

Ashlamatah: Ezekiel 36:16-38

16 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

17 'Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their way and by their doings; their way before Me was as the uncleanness of a woman in her impurity.

18 Wherefore I poured out My fury upon them for the blood which they had shed upon the land, and because they had defiled it with their idols;

19 and I scattered them among the gentiles, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

20 And when they came unto the gentiles, whither they came, they profaned My holy name; in that men said of them: These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of His land.

21 But I had pity for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the gentiles, whither they came. {P}

22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel: Thus says the LORD GOD: I do not this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the gentiles, whither you came.

23 And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the gentiles, which you have profaned in the midst of them; and the gentiles shall know that I am the LORD, says the LORD GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

24 For I will take you from among the gentiles, and gather you out of all the countries, and will bring you into your own land.

25 And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean; from all your uncleanness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

27 And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep Mine ordinances, and do them.

28 And you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God.

29 And I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

30 And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that you may receive no more the reproach of famine among the gentiles.

31 Then shall you remember your evil ways, and your doings that were not good; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

32 Not for your sake do I this, says the LORD GOD, be it known unto you; be ashamed and confounded for your ways, O house of Israel. {S}

33 Thus says the LORD GOD: In the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will cause the cities to be inhabited, and the waste places shall be built.

34 And the land that was desolate shall be tilled, whereas it was a desolation in the sight of all that passed by.

35 And they shall say: This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the waste and desolate and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.

36 Then the gentiles that are left round about you shall know that I the LORD have built the ruined places, and planted that which was desolate; I the LORD have spoken it, and I will do it. {S}

37 Thus says the LORD GOD: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them; I will increase them with men like a flock.

38 As the flock for sacrifice, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed seasons, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the LORD.' {P}

Commentary

For more information about the relationship between the slaying of the red heifer and the death of Messiah please see: http://www.betemunah.org/east.html

Rabbi Zera said: On the day that Moses finished setting up [the Tabernacle] - on the day that its erection was completed. On the first of Nisan the Tabernacle was set up, on the second the red heifer was burned, on the third he sprinkled of it on the Levites as it is written (Numbers 8) - Sprinkle on them water of purification (Num. 8:7)

- Numbers Rabbah 12.15 -

"This is the decree of the Torah, which Ha-Shem has commanded, saying: Speak to the Children of Israel, and they shall take to you a completely red cow, which is without blemish, and upon which a yoke has not come." (B’midbar 19:2)

This is an example of Law of the Torah which is considered completely above human comprehension. The paradox is that those who are involved in the preparation of the ashes of the cow become ritually impure, while the sprinkling of water with those ashes is used to remove contamination! It is an example of a Law which must be accepted on trust alone.

On the Sabbath after Purim, in the annual cycle of Torah reading, two Torah Scrolls are removed from the Ark. The Sidrah of the week is read from the first, and from the second, the chapter of Parah Adumah, the Red Cow (or Red Heifer), is read. It gives the procedure through which people can purify themselves from the contamination caused by a human corpse. In the three and a half year cycle of Torah readings the Seder of B’midbar (Numbers) 19:1 – 20:13 is read only.

The reading of this chapter was instituted for this time of the year because Jews were required to purify themselves before coming to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festival of Passover. The Ashlamatah read on the Sabbath of the Red Heifer contains the verse, "And I shall sprinkle pure water upon you, that you be cleansed. From all your contamination and from all your filth I will cleanse you" (Ezekiel 36:25). There are other parallels in the Ashlamatah between the concepts of sin represented by contamination, and atonement represented by purity.

This idea is discussed in the commentary to the Art Scroll Ezekiel (pp.534-5), as follows:

“Freedom of will in moral matters is the first and irreplaceable condition for living one's life on the higher plane demanded by the Torah. Belief in man's freedom of action, however, is endangered by the fact that man cannot avoid death and that he is subject to the superficial limitations imposed by the forces of nature.

This belief is particularly shaken by the sight of a dead human being. If the whole human being has succumbed to death, been overpowered by physical forces - If man, like all other organic beings, cannot escape the spell of an overpowering force - then there is no room for the moral "you shall" next to the physical "you must." Moral freedom of will would then be an illusion, and the Divine law of morality with its demand for total free-willed devotion to the illuminating, purifying fire of its sanctuary would be incomprehensible.” (R'Hirsch, Numbers 19:22)

Thus, sin is related not only to death, but also to contamination, which is closely associated with death. Because the sinner is shackled by his desires, he loses spiritual control of actions. He is swept along by the physical lusts that have overpowered his spiritual self. Consequently, the most meaningful part of life, the spiritual, has been killed. Thus Hakham Ya’aqov HaTsadiq (Rabbi James the Just) writes:

“Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted from G-d; for G-d is incapable of being tempted by [what is] evil and He Himself tempts no one. But every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.” James 1:13-15

And similarly Hakham Shaul states:

“Now the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death [death that comprises all the miseries arising from sin, both here and hereafter]. But the mind of the [Holy] Spirit is life and [soul] peace [both now and forever]. [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to G-d, for it does not submit itself to G-d's Law; and indeed it cannot.” Romans 8:6-7

According to Jewish law, death is considered the "Father of Fathers" of impurity, and a person who has come into contact with death becomes impure. Spiritually, this contact with death means that the person has become affected by the law of entropy. At some level, he has integrated into his own soul that there is no eternity in reality, leading to inner, spiritual despair and consequent willful transgression of G-d’s Law (i.e. sin).

For this reason, when G-d forgives man's sin and grants him a new heart and a new spirit, He is imbuing him with purity, the state of mind in which man is the sole master of his actions. A living (and therefore a pure) person uses his body as he wills; it is his tool to use as he sees fit. The regenerate sinner, upon returning to the state of purity, joins once more the state of the living - and the free. Such a person has achieved the highest form of freedom and the ultimate form of life – the freedom to faithfully obey and live by G-d’s Laws (since they are now written in his heart and mind) with great joy and compassion.

As with the other of the Four Parshiyot, a boy who is not yet of Bar-Mitzvah age should not be called to the Torah readings on Shabbat Parah, nor should he read the Seder for others. For since he is free of the obligation of Mitzvoth (commandments), he cannot enable others to fulfill their obligation through him.

Some have erroneously taught that since they are followers of the Master of Nazareth, G-d has given them a new heart (Ezekiel 36:26) and therefore are free from the obeying the commandments of G-d’s Law. This is nothing but an obvious gross representation of Scripture since the prophet states than when G-d, most blessed be He, gives a person a new heart, He: “will put His spirit within such person, and cause that person to walk in His statutes, and such person shall keep G-d’s ordinances, and do them!” (Ezekiel 36:27). Freedom from G-d’s Law is not freedom but bondage to death – i.e. he has integrated into his own soul that there is no eternity in reality, leading to inner, spiritual despair and consequent willful transgression of G-d’s Law (i.e. sin).

Now let me state loud and clear that salvation and forgiveness is by grace alone. There is nothing we can do to earn or merit salvation or forgiveness. But what good is a salvation which is not followed by SANCTIFICATION – a willful faithful obedience to G-d’s will as expressed in the commandments of the Torah? Hakham Shaul posits similarly:

“Since it is one and the same G-d Who will justify the circumcised by faithful obedience [which germinated from Abraham] and the uncircumcised through their [newly acquired] faithful obedience. [For it is the same trusting faithful obedience in both cases, a firmly relying faithful obedience to G-d] Do we then by [this] faithful obedience make the Law of no effect, overthrow it or make it a dead letter? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law.” (Romans 3:30-31).

The ashes of the Red Heifer have the power to clean a person from the contamination of death, not of themselves, but rather the act of obedience to G-d when these were available, is what cleansed the person! This principles was enunciated by a Gentile G-d fearer to the Master of Nazareth:

“As Yeshuah went into K'far-Nachum (Capernaum), a [Roman] centurion came up to Him, begging Him, and saying, Master, my servant boy is lying at the house paralyzed and distressed with intense pains. And Yeshuah said to him, I will come and restore him. But the [Roman] centurion replied to Him, Master, I am not worthy or fit to have you come under my roof [for I am a Gentile]; but only speak the word, and my servant boy will be cured. For I also am a man subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it. When Yeshuah heard him, he marveled and said to those who followed Him [who adhered steadfastly to him, conforming to His example in living obedience and, if need be, in dying obedience also], I tell you truly, I have not found so much faithful obedience as this with anyone, even in Israel!

We can rationalize as much as we want, and bring up wonderful explanations of why we need to observe each of the commandments that G-d has revealed, but the simple truth is that the prophetic commandments have no powerful dynamic effects until we internalize them and put them into practice faithfully over time. And this is the chief meaning of the great commandments of the ashes of the Red Heifer – the carnal mind can’t explain it, but the spiritual mind can assimilate it, and obey it and thus releasing the great prophetic and healing power inherent in each of the commandments.

This commandment of the Red Heifer nowadays we observe by being faithfully obedient without compromise or shame to the Master of Nazareth, following his living example of faithfully obeying G-d’s holy prophetic and healing commandments. May G-d, most blessed be He gives us grace to do so and to enable many others to do likewise, amen ve amen!

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai

Note:

Many translate the Hebrew word EMUNAH as “faith” or “believe,” however the correct translation of this term should be “faithful obedience.” What many understand as “FAITH” is nothing but “TRUST” which in the Hebrew is BITACHON. Let us prophesy correctly and use correct terminology, and not twist the meaning of words to conform to their pet theological sand-castles.