Chag Purim Sameach - World Jewish

We pray every week for
the leaders of the Jewish
Ministry,
Resources:
• Website: https://jewishadventist-org.gcnetadventist.org
A must website. To subscribe to our newsletter. To download some resources (Hebrew Sabbath School,
and other documents). To order the book “Comfort, Comfort my people…” and many other things.
•
Development:
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training for Jewish
Ministry
- Teaching for
theological students
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congregations.
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scholars and rabbis
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pictures on Internet during the last years. Don’t hesitate to look at them.
This issue
News
P.1
Parasha’s comments P.2-4
Haftara P.4-5
Apostolic Writings
P.5
Stories
P.6
Inspirational Corner P.6,7
Color Sheet for Kids
P.7
Weekly
Jewish-Adventist
Journal
of Information
If you would like to listen Jewish or Messianic songs. If you want to be used to ear modern Hebrew of the
Apostolic Writings, it is the right radio to listen on the web.
• Adventist Mission Website: https://jewish-adventistmission-org.lifehopecenters.org/ This
website is the new resource provided by the Office of Adventist Mission of the General Conference of
the Seventh-day Adventists.
• Russian Website: http://www.boruh.info/ This website is in Russian, many articles and the
parasha are posted on it every week.
WJAFC
Paris
A weekly Journal of information and training published by the
World Jewish Adventist Friendship Center
Under the umbrella of the
General Conference —Office of Adventist Mission
English Edition:
Richard-Amram Elofer
Russian Edition:
Alexandra Obrevko
Emails:
English: richard@elofer.com
Russian: sashok_l@mail.ru
web: jewishadventist.org
Credit photos: Richard Elofer, Alexandra Obrevko, Advent Digital Media
8
wAx
15 March / 13 Adar II
2014 / 5774
• WebRadio: www.shema-israel-radio.com
Journal of Information and Training — Issue 572 — 15 March 2 0 1 4 / 1 3 A d a r I I 5 7 7 4
Richard Amram Elofer
572
Shalom Adventure Magazine online: www.ShalomAdventure.com
If you would like to read articles, watch videos, learn things about Judaism and Israel, this website is just
for you.
Professional Urban
Shabbat Zachor - Tsav
ISSUE
for more information: contact us at www.jewishadventist.org
Alexandra Obrevko
We pray every
week for leaders of the
Jewish Ministry,
According to
our list of prayer
for 2014, I suggest that our
partners pray
from March 16
to 22 for Maksim
Gordiienko who
is right now
leader of the
Jewish Adventist
ministry, Maksim
has decided
to go back to
study, that is why
this summer he
will go to study
at Andrews
University,
let’s pray for
the future o f
Maksym.
News
Training in Venezuela
v As I said it last week the InterAmerica Division is growing very fast
about 10% of the population of this
Division are Seventh-day Adventists.
And this Division continues to look
for new population to present Yeshua
Hamashiach.
It is in this context that I was invited
by the leaders of the Inter American
Division to go to Venezuela from
February 28 to March 3, to organize a
training for global mission pioneers who
are willing to witness to Jews. I did this
trip with Dr Samuel Telemaque, Personal
ministries director for that Division.
University. 200 global mission pioneers
attended this session in addition of the
presidents of the Unions, Conferences
and many pastors.
Among these 200 pioneers, 40
attended my seminars, and on the last
day when Dr Samuel Telemaque made a
call for those who would like to dedicate
their life and ministry to the Jewish
people, 25 of them come in front and
asked us to pray for them. It was a great
privilege for me to pray for each one of
them. We also shared our e-mails and I
said to them that I will be available for
them at any moment if they need any
advise. I also gave them David Barzola’s
e-mail address who has done a great job
in Argentina and can help other Spanish
speaking countries. (more pictures are
available at picasa)
Chag
It was a surprise for me to see that
it was a great event for a large country.
Venezuela has two unions,ten conferences
and two mission fields. The training was
organized at the Venezuelan Adventist
Purim
Sameach
Parasha
Overview
Parasha for
this Week
Tsav
Tsav
T
he Torah
addresses
Aharon and
his sons to teach them
additional laws relating
to their service. The
ashes of the korban olah
(the offering burnt on
the altar throughout
the night) are to be
removed from the area
by the Cohen after he
changes his special linen
clothing. The olah is
brought by someone
who forgot to perform a
positive commandment
of the Torah. The Cohen
retains the skin. The fire
on the altar must be kept
constantly ablaze.
The korban mincha
(offering) is a meal
offering of flour, oil
and spices. A handful
is burned on the altar
and a Cohen eats the
remainder before it
becomes leaven.
The Parasha describes
the special korbanot to
be offered by the Cohen
Gadol each day, and by
Aharon’ sons and future
descendants on the day
of their inauguration.
The chatat (the korban
or offering brought
after an accidental
transgression), is
described, as are the
laws of slaughtering and
sprinkling the blood
“This is the law
of the burnt offering.
The burnt offering shall be
on the hearth on the altar all
night until the morning,
and the fire of the altar
shall be kept burning on it.”
(Leviticus 6:9 ESV)
a∂rVqˆ¥yÅw
Leviticus
6:1—8:36
fering shall be on the hearth
on the altar all night until the
he reference of the
morning, and the fire of the
parasha is not the
altar shall be kept burning on
same in the Engit.” (Leviticus 6:9 ESV). The
lish version and the Hebrew
offering had to be on the altar
version of the Bible. It starts
all the night, until the mornin verse 8 in English. It haping. Night is the time when
pens from time to time that
things are “commingled”,
Jews and Christians don’t
when man, too, reverts to the
give the same reference to
bondage of physical forces.
the biblical text.
H e n c e
the night
Tsav
brings
The significance
ashi exheathen
of the priestly
plains:
m a n
garments is not
“Tsav is
close
to
outward,
a very powerful
his gods;
for the eyes
word. It means
at night
‘command’ with
he sensof others,
es
their
a charge that is
but inward,
power, as
to be executed
for the
he is held
with speed and
consciousness of
in
their
diligence. The
sway
along
word
“tzav,”
the Kohen himself.
with all
Rashi continthe other
ues, “is also used
creatures.
only for situaDuring the day however, man
tions that have eternal ramwalks upright. Rabbi Hirsch
ifications.”
reminds us that the word
“day,” in Hebrew Yom is relatAll Night
ed to Kum to stand up. Man
he Torah states
“becomes aware of himself,
“Command (Tsav)
and he struggles to subdue the
Aaron and his sons,
world, Hence, to the heathen
saying, This is the law of the
mind, the day is the time of
burnt offering. The burnt of-
Par asha Tsav
T
R
T
2
man’s struggle with the gods.”
In the heathen perception, the day is the struggle
of mortals against the power
of the gods. To the believers,
day means serving G-d and
trough his work he brings G-d
satisfaction. Rabbi Hirsch says
that in the Sanctuary Yom
(days) does not follow night,
rather, night follows day. For
the night, which symbolizes
the stillness of death, cannot
drag the day down after it;
rather, the day, which symbolizes a life of closeness to G-d,
raises with it the night.
It was always possible for
believers to present an offering during the day time, but
according to the halacha, at
sunset, the avodah of the altar
was closed, and new offering
were no longer accepted upon
it. But the fire kept burning on
the altar kol halaylah (throughout the night), to complete the
avodah of the offering of the
day. These offering fueled dd’s fire, until the morning, and
then the altar fire was to be
kindled afresh for the avodah
of the next day, knowing that
the fire must be kept continually burning and must never
be allowed to go out (Yoma
45a).
The Priest’s
Garments
T
he Torah says that
the garments of the
priest are important
and have some significance
at each moment of his ministry: “And the priest shall
put on his linen garment
and put his linen undergarment on his body, and he
shall take up the ashes to
which the fire has reduced
the burnt offering on the
altar and put them beside
the altar. Then he shall
take off his garments and
put on other garments and
carry the ashes outside the
camp to a clean place.” (Leviticus 6:10–11 ESV). The
significance of the priestly
garments is not outward,
for the eyes of others, but
inward, for the consciousness of the Kohen himself.
When he puts on his robe,
he is to wrap himself in the
purity of the holy, according to Rabbi Hirsch all the
priestly garments are required in the service (Yoma
23b). The verse refers to the
kotonet, the robe that covers the whole body down to
the feet. Here, this robe is
called in Hebrew Mido (his
measure) to teach us that it
must be “made to measure”
neither too short nor too
long, Its purpose is to cover
the body, not to add external dignity. That is why it
may not be too short, but
also not too long. A trailing
train would give it a different meaning.
Early in the
Morning
T
he Torah has a special way to designate
“early in the morning” the text says “The fire
on the altar shall be kept
burning on it; it shall not
go out. The priest shall burn
wood on it every morning
(baboker, baboker), and he
shall arrange the burnt offering on it and shall burn
on it the fat of the peace offerings.” (Leviticus 6:12
ESV). Our translation says
“every morning” but the
Hebrew text repeats twice
“Baboker” in order not to
say every morning, but very
early in the morning.
The Perpetual
I
n the next verse it is
about the “perpetual”
“Fire shall be kept
burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.”
(Leviticus 6:13 ESV) the
Hebrew word for continually is “Tamid ” which is the
key word to designate the
perpetual sacrifice, Rabbi
Hirsch affirms that “The
bringing of the ‘Olah Tamid ” (Olah is the Hebrew
word which designate the
completely burnt offering)
was the culmination and
objective of the building of
the Dwelling Place and the
sanctification of the Altar
and the Kohanim” and he
also explains that it is with
this offering that the daily
Service of the offerings
started every day. The “Olah
Hatamid ” is the olah, the
olah par excellence. Rabbi
Hirsch says that the Tamid
formed the base for all the
offerings that followed it.
The morning daily offering
was arranged on the fire and
all the other offerings were
burned upon the morning daily offering. Thus the
Service of the offering of
each day concluded with
the afternoon daily offering, after which not other
offering could be brought or
expounds.
3
of the asham (guiltkorban).
The details of
shelamim (various peace
korbanot) are described,
including the following
prohibition: leaving
uneaten until morning
the remains of the
todah (the thanksgiving
korban).
All sacrifices must be
burned after they may
no longer be eaten. No
sacrifice may be eaten if
it was slaughtered with
the intention of eating
it too late. Once they
have become ritually
impure, korbanot may
not be eaten and should
be burned. One may not
eat a korban when he is
ritually impure.
Blood and chelev
(forbidden animal fats)
are prohibited to be
eaten. Aharon and his
sons are granted the
breast and shank of every
korban shelamim.
The inauguration
ceremony for Aharon,
his sons, the Mishkan
and all of its vessels is
detailed..
Commentary based on:
Hirsch, Samson Raphael.
2008. The Hirsch Chumash:
The Five Books of the
Torah, Sefer Vayikra I.
Translated by D. Haberman.
Third ed. Edition in 6
volumes, Vol. 3. Nanuet,
NY: Feldheim Publishers.
Haftara
Jeremiah
7:21- 9:23
“Then he presented
the other ram,
the ram of ordination,
and Aaron and his sons
laid their hands
on the head of the ram.”
(Leviticus 8:22)
G
-d speaks to the
prophet Jeremiah
just before the
destruction of Jerusalem,
saying to the people of
Israel that he prefers
obedience rather than
sacrifice: “Add your burnt
offerings to your sacrifices,
and eat the flesh. For in
the day that I brought your
ancestors out of the land of
Egypt, I did not speak to
them or command them
concerning burnt offerings
and sacrifices. But this
command I gave them,
“Obey my voice, and I
will be your G-d, and you
shall be my people; and
walk only in the way that
I command you, so that it
may be well with you.” (Jer
7:21-23). G-d’s appreciation
of Israel is strong. “Yet they
did not obey or incline their
ear … For the people of
Judah have done evil in my
sight” (Jeremiah 7:24; 30).
Israel is full of illusion,
they don’t see their spiritual
condition: How can you
say, “We are wise, and the
law of the L-RD is with
us,” when, in fact, the false
pen of the scribes has made
it into a lie? (Jeremiah 8:8)
That’s why G-d allows
Babylon to come and to
punish Israel for her sins.
“Therefore I will give
their wives to others and
their fields to conquerors”
(Jeremiah 8:10).
The Almighty
continues his reproaches
towards Israel, “oppression
The Significance
T
he Tamid offering, then, began
and concluded the
Service of the altar, and
all the other offerings fit
in between the two “tamidim.” That is why the whole
service of the altar was regarded as one continuous
national offering that lasts
the whole day. The Olah Tamid represented unceasing
consecration of the nation’s
actions. Rabbi Hirsch says
that “It is the element with
which everything begins
and ends, and upon which
all other aspects of national
and private life depend.”
For the Jews the Olah
Tamid expressed the meaning of every Jewish day: to
continuously ascend to the
height of the Torah ideal
with all the powers and talents inherent in the nation.
In this way G-d’s presence
will dwell on earth. At the
time of the sanctuary and
the temple it was a privilege for a believer to see
the burning of the Tamid,
the perpetual, the believer
was full of joy, dedicating
his life, because it was the
symbol of the consecration
of the nation. Rabbi Hirsch
says that the “Olah Risho-
4
nah” the first burnt offering was the basis and the
objective of everything. In
this consecration, the aims,
aspiration, and happiness of
each individual were to be
spent or invested. The consecration of the nation all
the individuals who lived
and strived in its midst —
is Israel’s task before G-d.
That is what was represented by the morning and
afternoon daily offerings,
with all other offerings in
between.
The Passover
Lamb
A
ccording to Rabbi
Hirsch there was
only one offering
that was brought after the
afternoon daily offering
— namely the Passover
sacrifice. With this offering the nation of Israel
returned each year to the
hour of her birth; in awe it
awaits the hour of exodus.
All its members offer their
Pesachim (Pesach offerings)
as one man and go off to
meet the night in which
they went forth — and
continue to go forth —
from death unto life and
from bondage unto eternal
freedom.
Food Offering
T
here was also some offering of food “And
this is the law of the
grain offering. The sons of
Aaron shall offer it before the
LORD in front of the altar.
And one shall take from it a
handful of the fine flour of
the grain offering and its oil
and all the frankincense that
is on the grain offering and
burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a pleasing
aroma to the LORD. And
the rest of it Aaron and his
sons shall eat. It shall be eaten
unleavened in a holy place.”
(Leviticus 6:14–17 ESV). It
is important to consider the
G-d has not only ordained
blood sacrifice but also offering of food. Eating this
offering was a symbolic act
and it was the conclusion of
the offering procedures and
their culmination. It shows
the nature of the closeness
to G-d that a person attains
via the preceding offering
procedures: Even personal
enjoyment can become a way
of serving G-d in priestlike
sanctity and does not distance
a person from the sphere of
the Sa,ctuary.
L
Apostolic Writings — Acts 13:1-5
ast year, we presented
as a parallel of parasha
Tsav the immersion of
Yeshua in the Jordan River.
The ordination of Aaron in
parasha Tsav and the ordination of Yeshua in the Jordan
river are the fundamental
texts to understand “ordination” in the movement of Yeshua, from the time of Yeshua’s talmidim to our days.
The text of Acts of Apostles, or the book of “Maasei
Hashlichim” as it is called in
Hebrew describes the ordination of some of these shlichim
(plural of shaliach). “Now
there were in the kehilah at
Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who
was called Niger, Lucius of
Cyrene, Manahen a lifelong
friend of Herod the tetrarch,
and Saul. While they were
worshiping the L-rd and fasting, the Ruach Hakodesh
(Holy Spirit) said, “Set apart
for me Barnabas and Saul
for the work to which I have
called them.” (Acts 13:1–2).
As the ordination of Aaron
and his sons were organized
in the middle of the assembly
of Israel, and the ordination
of Yeshua was done publicly
at the Jordan river, the ordi-
nation of the modern talmidim and shlichim must be
done publicly.
It is the kehilah that receives a special inspiration
from the Ruach Hakodesh
to ordain their shlichim or
Apostles. How they were ordained? we read in the verse
3 “Then after fasting and
praying they laid their hands
on them and sent them off.”
(Acts 13:3), The talmidim
have already been immersed
in the water, and already received the Ruach Hakodesh
when they were immersed,
because the immersion in
Yeshua is done in the name
of Hashem, in the name of
Yeshua and in the name of
the Ruach HaKodesh, thus
when the kehilah decides
to set them apart, they just
need, prayers and imposition of hands to receive the
charge of shlichim. That is
exactly what happened for
Rabbi Saul and his friends,
and they were sent: “So, being sent out by the Ruach
Hakodesh they went down to
Seleucia, and from there they
sailed to Cyprus. When they
arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in
the synagogues of the Jews.”
(Acts 13:4–5)
Here it seems to me that
it is very important to make a
difference between the Zakenim (Elders) who have a local ministry and the Shlichim
who are sent to plant new
kehilot (congregations) where
there is not kehilot, at this
level it seems to me that we
are in confusion in our time
between the zaken (elder)
and the shaliach who is called
“pastor.” Most of pastors who
are shlichim (emissaries or
apostles) confuse their ministry with the local ministry
of an elder, serving the same
congregations for 10 or 15
years, when it was clear in the
Brith Hachadasha that the
Shlichim or Apostles were
“itinerant pastors” planting kehilot and then moving
from one city to another one,
planting and ordaining local
pastors and going on in this
way during all their life.
When each “pastor” will
understand that his ministry is
not to take care of one or two
congregations (that is the ministry of elders) but to plant new
congregations every where,
then a great progress will be
done in the proclamation of
the name of Yeshua to Jews.
5
upon oppression, deceit
upon deceit! They refuse
to know me, says the
L-RD” (Jeremiah 9:6).
The consequences
are clear. Here is what
the Lord declared about
Jerusalem and Judah, “I
will make Jerusalem a
heap of ruins, a lair of
jackals; and I will make
the towns of Judah a
desolation, without
inhabitant.” (Jeremiah
9:11).
It is difficult to be
G-d’s people; it gives
responsibilities. They
are accountable for their
actions, and because of
their disobedience the
punishment is terrible. “I
will scatter them among
nations that neither they
nor their ancestors have
known; and I will send
the sword after them,
until I have consumed
them” (Jeremiah 9:16).
What about us today?
It is good to read what
happened three thousand
years ago but only if we
receive the lessons that
the L-rd wanted to give
us for today. Are we
faithful to our covenant
and our commitment? It
is a question for each one
of us to answer.
Stories and Traditions
Modern Haman
S
Inspirational
Corner
v We must get away
from our smallness
and make larger plans.
There must be a wider
reaching forth. We
must work for those
“who are near, and
those who are far off.
(PH114)
ixty-five years ago, a
young yeshiva student
who had escaped from
Nazi Europe with the Mir
Yeshiva was walking through
the streets of Shanghai. He
was stopped in his tracks by
hysterical ranting coming
from a radio in an upstairs
apartment. The voice sounded like a wild animal. And
then he realized he could
understand what was being
said: The voice was shrieking in German, “Come, let
us obliterate from the world
that nation that will not let us
live in peace!” A sea of voices
swelled behind him chanting,
“Seig Heil! Seig Heil!”
The young man was shaken
to the depths of his soul; he had
never heard such a statement.
He ran immediately to the
mashgiach (spiritual mentor)
of the Mir Yeshiva,
Rabbi
Yechezkel
Levenstein, zatzal, and
repeated what he had heard.
“For once,” responded the
mashgiach, “for once, he’s
telling the truth.”
The Jewish People will not
let the world live in peace.
The Jewish People proclaim
to the world, by our very
existence, that many things
the world holds extremely
dear are, in fact, worthless.
When Haman looks at
Mordechai he sees someone
to whom all his power and
money and status is a joke —
Mordechai negates his entire
existence. For this, the Jewish
People have been hated down
throughout the generations.
6
Foolish Bird
T
he Midrash relates the
following parable about
Haman’s plan to destroy
the Jewish people: A bird once
made its nest near the sea. A
wave came and washed away the
nest. The bird became very upset
at the sea and decided to teach it
a lesson. With it’s beak, it started taking water from the sea and
spitting it onto shore.
“What are you doing?” asked
another bird.
The first bird told the bird
what happened and said that he
was determined to punish the sea
by drying it up!
“You are very foolish,”
answered the second bird. “You
are no match for the mighty
sea. All you will do is exhaust
yourself!”
The same was with Haman,
explain our sages. G-d said,
“You want to destroy My people?
All you will accomplish is to
destroy yourself! But the people
of Israel will last forever!”
Purim customs
T
here are five mitzvot
Jews must do on Purim:
1) Listening to the
Megilah reading. This mitzvah
applies to Purim night (Saturday
night) and again in the morning
(Sunday morning). The Megilah
is the story of Purim hand written by a scribe on parchment. It
is important to hear every word.
When the congregation makes
noise at the mention of Haman’s
name, the reader has to wait until all the noise stops, before continuing.
2) Reciting the Al HaNisim. “Al HaNisim” is a prayer
in which Jews thank G-d for
the great miracle of Purim. Al
haNisim is recited during the
Amidah prayers on Purim and
in the Grace-after-meals.
3) Mishloach Manot (sending gifts). This mitzvah applies
only to Purim day (Sunday).
Jews send gifts of kosher readyto-eat foods to friends. Jews send
at least two kinds of food, ready
to eat (cooked already or don’t
need cooking), to at least one
person.
4) Matanot LaEvyonim
(gifts to the poor). On Purim
(Sunday), Jews give charity to
at least two poor people. It is
a mitzvah to increase in giving
charity on Purim to show that
Jews care for each other.
Although one fulfills the
mitzvah when giving to two
poor people, Israel’s sages say
that on Purim it is preferable to
give to “whoever stretches out
their hand.” Thus, it is customary that on Purim Jews distribute
more charity than usual.
5) Seudat Purim (Purim
meal). Purim (Sunday) afternoon, Jews eat a festive meal as
befitting the celebration of this
great miracle. It is customary to
invite family, friends and needy
to partake in the Purim meal.
Purim is a time when Jews demonstrate unity and caring.
Kids Parasha: Tsav
wAx - Myîr…wÚp
Inspirational
Corner
Leviticus 6:1—8:36
“The LORD spoke
to Moses, saying,
‘If anyone sins and
commits a breach
of faith against the
LORD by deceiving his neighbor in a
matter of deposit or
security, or through
robbery, or if he has
oppressed his neighbor or has found
something lost and
lied about it, swearing falsely—in any
of all the things that
people do and sin
thereby— if he has
sinned and has realized his guilt and
will restore what he
took by robbery or
what he got by oppression or the deposit that was committed to him or the
lost thing that he
found or anything
about which he has
sworn falsely, he
shall restore it in
full and shall add a
fifth to it, and give
it to him to whom
it belongs on the
day he realizes his
guilt. And he shall
bring to the priest
as his compensation to the LORD a
ram without blemish out of the flock,
or its equivalent for
a guilt offering. And
the priest shall make
atonement for him
before the LORD,
and he shall be forgiven for any of the
things that one may
do and thereby become guilty.”
(Leviticus 6:1–7)
Purim — Myîr…wÚp
“These days of Purim should be observed at
their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and
Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had
obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices
of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.”
(Esther 9:31–32)
http://www.bnai-tikkun.org.nz
7
v Yeshua’s method
alone will give true
success in reaching the people. The
Messiah mingled
with men as one
who desired their
good. He showed
His sympathy for
them, ministered
to their needs, and
won their confidence. Then He
bade them, “Follow
Me.” (MH 143)