We pray every week for the leaders of the Jewish Ministry,
Shabbat Shalom Newsletter
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. •
Professional Urban Development: The WJAFC provides: - Professional Urban training for Jewish Ministry - Teaching for theological students - Help to plant new congregations. - Support for AdventistJewish dialogue with scholars and rabbis
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. • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WJAFC: If you would like to share with people, this forum on facebook is a good place for that. • Photos on Google+: http://picasaweb.google.com/jewishadventist: We have posted a lot of pictures on Internet during the last years. Don’t hesitate to look at them.
• WebRadio: www.shema-israel-radio.com
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: http://wjafc.adventistmission.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.
678
23-30 April / 15-22 Nissan 2016 / 5776
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
week for leaders of the Let’s pray on this special week of Pesach people in the world. May the Almighty gives
Jael Wells Cuellar English Edition: Richard-Amram Elofer
Richard Amram Elofer
Russian Edition: Alexandra Obrevko French Edition: Sabine Baris Spanish Edition: Jael Wells Cuellar Portuguese Edition: Carlos Muniz Dutch Edition: Hubert Paulleta
Hubert Paulleta 8
them an accu-
Carlos Muniz Emails: English: richard@elofer.com Russian: sashok_l@mail.ru French: sabinebaris@gmail.com Spanish: jael_wells@hotmail.com Portuguese: cdmuniz@gmail.com Dutch: hpauletta@hotmail.com
Credit photos: Richard Elofer, Alexandra Obrevko, Jael Wells Cuellar Hubert Paulleta, Laurent Baris and Advent Digital Media
for more information: contact us at www.jewishadventist.org
Alexandra Obrevko
rate and special need of the true deliverance which is given by Yeshua the Messiah of
Sabine Baris
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
We pray every
for the Jewish
Journal of Information and Training — Issue 678 — 23-30 April 2 0 1 6 / 1 5 - 2 2 N i s s a n 5 7 7 6
This issue
Weekly Jewish-Adventist Journal of Information
Jewish Ministry.
WJAFC
Shabbat Hagadol — Pesach
Israel.
NEWS
Chag Pesach Sameach Happy Passover
a This week is the special week for the Jewish
people. Indeed they are celebrating the great deliverance of G-d from the slavery of Egypt from April 23 to 30. This celebration of Pesach is so important that even secular and atheist Jews have a celebration of the seder and of the feast, it is a cultural and historic celebration. In fact, this celebration is also the celebration of all the liberations, deliverances and freedom the Jewish people has experimented during their history. They were enslaved in Egypt, during the time of the Pharaohs, they were taken in deportation by the Assyrians, the Babylonians in the time of Daniel. They were dominated by the Medes and Persians in the time of Esther. They were under the power of the Greek and the Romans who tried to humiliate them by a deep profanation or destruction of their temple and the city of Jerusalem, they were humiliated by Christendom and Islam for centuries, but the Jewish people is still here after 4,000 years of existence celebrating their devotion to G-d, their thanks for just being here and free to celebrate (or not to celebrate) and to give freedom of worship to everyone who is living in the land of Israel in the 21st century.
Pesach On Shalom Adventure
a I hope that each one of you is used to con-
nect to Shalom Adventure and to advertize about this website linked to the Jewish Adventist Friendship Center. At www.ShalomAdventure.com You can see the Ultimate Passover that Charles Lawson (who just passed away) produced in cooperation with Jeff Zeremski during Passover week (it will be posted by Thursday of this week) with many other interesting Passover videos, articles, recipes, posted every day starting this coming week. Here are information about the celebration of Passover in Florida.
Next Shabbat will still be Passover, there will be no regular Parasha reading, and no Newsletter.
“The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
Pesach Exodus 12
Passover’s Calendar
A
ccording to the Jewish tradition, the way the Hebrew calendar is set, there are three nights in the week in which the first Seder cannot fall. Remember that a day in the Jewish tradition is from evening to evening. The first day of Pesach cannot be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Knowing that all Jewish holidays begin with the night before, the first Seder cannot fall Sunday night, Tuesday night or Thursday night. That is an argument to say that Yeshua who celebrated, according to the gospel, the Seder with his disciples on Thursday, did it one day before the regular day of the Jewish calendar. If Thursday evening was the Seder evening for the Jewish people, it would have been impossible on that very day to arrest him, to meet the Sanhedrin, to deliver him to the Romans for the trial, and to let the Romans crucify him on the first day of Pesach. It is impossible to imagine such a scenario. The truth is that Yeshua deliberately celebrated the Seder one day before the Jewish people, and was then
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arrested on that night, that means the day before the Passover, and died at the exact time of the Pesach sacrifice on “Erev Pesach”. So all the Jewish people had their seder on Friday evening, and the day after was a double great Sabbath, first because it was the seventh-day of the week and because it was the Sabbath of the Passover. We then understand better why Yeshua did not want to break this great Sabbath and rested in the tomb until the end of the Shabbat and his resurrection was declared on the first day of the week, on Sunday.
Pesach-Passover
T
he Jewish people interrupt their reading of the parashot (plural of parasha) during the Shabbat of the feasts. The days of the feasts between the first and the last days of the feast are called Chol Hamoed (Shabbat included) and are dedicated to reading texts related to the feasts. As everybody knows, this week is the special week of Pesach (Passover). The Jewish people celebrate Friday (22) evening and Shabbat (23) the first night and day of Pesach, and the Exodus is celebrated by the feast of unleavened bread the following days of the feast.
The first night is celebrated with a special meal called the Seder which means “order” in Hebrew because everything is done according to a specific order to remember the Exodus and all the miracles G-d performed for Israel in Egypt. Each month of the Jewish calendar is numbered according to its order in the year except the month of Pesach, which is the month of Nissan (before the Exodus, this month was known as the month of Abib, which means Spring). The word Nissan comes from the Hebrew word ness which means “Miracle”. Nissan is the first month of the year. “The L-rd said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: This month shall mark for you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year for you” (Exodus 12:1-2). It is the month of reference for the entire Jewish calendar. When the Bible says that Yom Kippur is on the tenth day of the seventh month, it is the seventh month from Nissan. Which lessons can we draw from the month of Nissan? First, it is the first month of Israel, the very beginning of its existence. That means that Israel’s birthday is connected with miracles. Israel would not exist with-
out perpetual miracles from G-d. The second lesson is that when Israel organized their calendar and when they count their days and months it is always in reference to the miracle of their birthday. Since G-d’s people (Romans 11:1) are still alive today after almost four thousand years, it is because G-d performs miracles every day. Are we aware of this privilege as we belong to the modern people of G-d?
A Sacred Assembly
I
n the second text of our reading, we have the description of the feast of Pesach, especially the sacrifices and assembly the people of Israel must gather. The Torah states, “In this way prepare the food for the offering made by fire every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the L-rd; it is to be prepared in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. (Num. 28:24-25). The feast of Pesach should and was pleasant to G-d, it was the time that G-d gave salvation to his people. To bless his people G-d asked Israel to make a sacred or spiritual assembly. This year, the first and last day of the
feast are Shabbat. It is a good opportunity for us to gather in a spiritual assembly and to please G-d through our songs and praise.
Pesach Reading
T
hose who would like to follow the Jewish reading during this week of Passover can do it according to this list: 1st Day: Ex. 12:21-51 נא- כא,שמות יב, Numbers 28:19-25, כה- יט,במדבר כח, (Ashkenazi) Joshua 5:2-6:1 א, ו- ב,יהושע ה, (Sephardi) Joshua 5:2-6:1; 6:27 כז, ו: א, ו- ב,יהושע ה, 2nd Day: Lev. 22:26-23:44 מד, כג- כו,ויקרא כב, Numbers 28:19-25 כה- יט,במדבר כח, 2Kings 23:1-9; 21-25 כה- כא: ט- א,מלכים ב כג, 3rd Day: Ex. 13:1-16 טז- א,שמות יג, Numbers 28:19-25 כה- יט,במדבר כח, 4th Day: Ex. 22:24-23:19 יט, כג- כד,שמות כב, Numbers 28:19-25 כה- יט,במדבר כח, 5th Day: Ex. 33:12-34:26 כו, לד- יב,שמות לג,
Numbers 28:19-25 כה- יט,במדבר כח, 6th Day: Num. 9:1-14; יד- א,במדבר ט, Numbers 28:19-25 כה- יט,במדבר כח, 7th Day: Ex. 13:17-15:26; כו, טו- יז,שמות יג, Numbers 28:19-25 כה- יט,במדבר כח, 2Samuel 22:1-51 נא- א,שמואל ב כב, 8th Day: Deut. 15:19-16:17 יז, טז- יט,דברים טו, On Shabbat: Deut. 14:2216:17 יז, טז- כב,דברים יד, Numbers 28:19-25 כה- יט,במדבר כח
Passover and Education
T
he directions that Moses gave concerning the Passover feast are full of significance, and have an application to parents and children in this age of the world. “Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out
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“They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.” (Exodus 12:8–9) of the door of his house until the morning. For the L-rd will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the L-rd will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you’.” (Exodus 12:21–23). The father was to act as the priest of the household, and if the father was dead, the eldest son living was to perform this solemn act of sprinkling the door-post with blood. This is a symbol of the work to be done in every family. Parents are to gather their children into the home and to present Mashiach before them as their Passover. The father is to dedicate every inmate of his home to G-d, and to do a work that is represented by the feast of the Passover. It is perilous to leave this solemn duty in the hands of others. This peril is well illustrated by an incident that is related concerning a Hebrew family on the night of the Passover. The legend goes that the eldest daughter was sick; but that she was acquainted with the fact that a lamb was to be chosen for every family, and that its blood was to be sprinkled upon the lintel and side posts of the door so that the L-rd might behold the mark of the blood, and not suf-
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fer the destroyer to enter in to smite the first-born. With what anxiety she saw the evening approach when the destroying angel was to pass by. She became very restless. She called her father to her side, and asked, “Have you marked the doorpost with blood?” He answered, “Yes; I have given directions in regard to the matter. Do not be troubled; for the destroying angel will not enter here.” The night came on, and again and again the child called her father, still asking, “Are you sure that the door-post is marked with blood?” Again and again the father assured her that she need have no fear; that a command which involved such consequences would not be neglected by his trustworthy servants. As midnight approached, her pleading voice was heard saying, “Father, I am not sure. Take me in your arms, and let me see the mark for myself, so that I can rest.” The father conceded to the wishes of his child; he took her in his arms and carried her to the door; but there was no blood mark upon the lintel or the posts. He trembled with horror as he realized that his home might have become a house of mourning. With his own hands he seized the hyssop bough, and sprinkled the door-post with blood. He then showed the sick child that the mark was there.” (RH, May 21, 1895).
Questions / Answers
From Jewish Tradition about Passover Q. How many days after the Exodus from Egypt did the miracles of the splitting of the sea happen? A. The splitting of the sea took place on the seventh day after the Exodus. Q. On Passover Jews celebrate the Exodus from Egypt. Do they celebrate the miracle of the splitting of the sea? A. Yes. On the seventh day of Passover, known as Shvii shel Pesach, Jews celebrate the miracle of the Jewish people walking through the sea on dry land. Q. How many people left Egypt at the time of the Exodus? A. About six hundred thousand men (ages 20-60). Then there were the women, children, and a multitude of [converts] from other nations that left with them. The total must be much more than two million people. Q. The reason to eat matzah on Passover is because the Jewish people left Egypt in such a hurry that their dough didn’t have time to rise. How long did the people eat of these matzot which they brought from Egypt. A. The matzot lasted for one month. Then G-d sent them the manna “Bread from heaven.”
P
Apostolic Writings — John 14:1-4
assover is in the Brith Hachadasha or Apostolic Writings the manifestation of G-d’s love for his people. In the Torah G-d delivered his people from the bondage of Egypt on Pesach, That is why in the cosmic fulfilment of this feast G-d delivers his people from the bondage of sins and ultimately will deliver him from death and sufferings. In the Jewish tradition the last and ultimate deliverance will be on Passover. Thus, the long evening of the Seder of Passover Yeshua spent with his disciples was to demonstrate his love for his people. The last Seder Yeshua celebrated with his disciples was introduced in this way “It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love. (John 13:1). Each one of us know that the Seder of Pesach ends with this wish Next Year in Jerusalem, even the Jews who live in Jerusalem pronounce this wish, because in fact, this Jerusalem hoped by everyone is not the current earthly Jerusalem, it is the Yerushalayim Haba’a (Jerusalem-to-come) it is as it is sung in the beautiful song the Yerushalayim Shel Zahav (the Golden Jerusalem) the one which is in heaven and will come on earth one day. The prophet Isaiah has spoken about this wonderful time saying: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and
the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17), it will not be the earth we know, it will not be an earth where suffering, wars, calamities and catastrophes dominate. No, it will be new heavens and a new earth, where man and animal will live again in harmony. And these new earth and new heaven will last forever, for eternity “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the L-rd, so shall your offspring and your name remain.” (Isaiah 66:22), not only the new heavens and new earth will stand forever but G-d’s people will stand forever too. This promise was confirmed by Shim’on, one of Yeshua’s talmidim saying in his second letter “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13). It is His promise that one day we will see new heavens a new earth where righteousness will dwell forever. When did Yeshua give this promise? During the last Seder he celebrated with his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in G-d; trust also in me. In my Father’s house (Jerusalem from Above) are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there (in Jerusalem from above) to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:1-3).
Another talmid of Yeshua gives more information about this promise, he said: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from G-d, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of G-d is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and G-d himself will be with them as their G-d. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away’.” (Revelation 21:1–4) That is the new Jerusalem which will come from above. This teaching was very common among the Jews, all were waiting for this special time when the Kingdom of G-d would be established, that is why just before the ascension of Yeshua to heaven the disciples asked this question to Yeshua: “L-rd, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) Yeshua answered: “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:7). Jews have been waiting for the establishment of Gd’s kingdom for millennia, that is why when he gave the promise of his return and the establishment of G-d’s kingdom he added: “You know the way to the place where I am going.” (John 14:4).
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Stories and Traditions
Man of Miracle
I
Inspirational Corner
v The directions that Moses gave concerning the Passover feast are full of significance, and have an application to parents and children in this age of the world.... The father was to act as the priest of the household, and if the father was dead, the eldest son living was to perform this solemn act of sprinkling the doorpost with blood. This is a symbol of the work to be done in every family. Parents are to gather their children into the home and to present Messiah before them as their Passover. The father is to dedicate every inmate of his home to G-d and to do a work that is represented by the feast of the Passover. It is perilous to leave this solemn duty in the hands of others. (AH 324).
t was midday when an elderly traveler entered the Jewish quarter of Baghdad. The marketplace, where merchants from many lands sold their fabrics, spices and other wares, seemed strangely empty for such a day. He sighted the grandest building in the section, and determined that must be the great synagogue. He continued his trek towards it until he entered its courtyard and sat down to rest, opening his small sack to take out a few dried figs to refresh his strength. Yet no sooner had he started his lunch than he became aware of a commotion from within the sanctuary. He peeked inside, and beheld a moving spectacle—hundreds of Jews fervently chanting Psalms amidst tears and sobs. “What has happened?” he asked of the first Jew whose attention he could grasp. Hurriedly, and in a voice or desperation, the man told him the story as best he could. The Sultan had decreed that the Jewish people of Baghdad must produce a leader who could perform miracles as Moses had done. Since Moses was the leader of the Jewish people in Egypt, and he was able to do miracles, the Sultan expected the same from the leader of the Jews of Baghdad. If they would not produce such a miracle-maker, the Jews would be expelled from Baghdad. Therefore, all of the Jews were fasting and praying to G‑d for salvation. In his calm and patient disposition, the wise traveler approached yet more Jews, until he had finally pieced together the entire story: The Sultan’s chief advisor, Mustafa, was a vicious Jew-hater whose mission it was to destroy the Jews, or at least to have them banished from Baghdad. He had convinced the Sultan that the Jews were not only infidels for denying the prophet Mohammed, but that they were thieves and liars as well, deserving immediate expulsion.
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At first the Sultan was hesitant to believe Mustafa; however, the Sultan was told about what had happened when the Jews left Egypt and what Moses did to Pharaoh. He began to worry that perhaps one of the Jewish leaders of Baghdad would attack him with plagues, and decided he did not want to take any chances. Therefore, he issued a decree that the Jews had to produce a leader like Moses, or leave Baghdad immediately. The wise, elderly traveler sat in contemplation for several moments, and then approached one of the rabbis at the front of the synagogue and whispered in his ear. Soon all the leaders of the community were talking quietly, and then suddenly there was a loud clap on the lectern, and one of them spoke. “This man who is visiting our town says that he has a plan. He will travel to the Sultan immediately to try and save us. If he is successful, we will rejoice. However, if he fails, he will tell the Sultan that he acted alone. Meanwhile, we will continue to pray for his success!” The man headed for the palace, pounded on the entrance gate, and said, “I am a Jew who can do miracles, and I demand to see the Sultan immediately.” Before long, he found himself face to face with the ruler of Baghdad. “So,” said the Sultan, “You claim you can do miracles like Moses. What can you do?” Dozens of people, from the baker and the court jester to the royal guards and advisors, stared at the old man with the white beard and piercing eyes. “If you would be so kind,” said he, “I will perform a miracle akin to those which Moses himself did. Before your very eyes, I will cut off a man’s head with a sword, and then put him back together and make him live!” The Sultan smiled nervously and glanced around, not knowing what to think or make of the situation. Perhaps the fellow was completely crazy. Or perhaps he was telling the truth. After all, he seemed extremely confident, and spoke with such conviction.
What if he was telling the truth? If he doubted him, then who knows what kind of wrath would be unleashed on the Sultan and his kingdom. He continued, “There is but one condition. The man whose head I cut off must be truly wise. In fact, he must be the wisest man in the realm. If not, his head will not properly reattach.” Intrigued, the Sultan decided he must see for himself if the Jew was telling the truth. He looked around the room until his eyes fell on Mustafa, his chief advisor and the wisest man in the kingdom. Before the Sultan said a word, Mustafa cried out, “No, he is lying! The Jew is an impostor! He can’t really cut someone’s head off and reattach it.” “That might be true,” said the Sultan, “but what if he is telling the truth and we don’t accommodate him? Surely you don’t want to put the whole kingdom at risk! After all, were you not the one who had advised me to expel the Jews, lest we be put in danger?” “Bring the sword immediately,” cried the Sultan. “Mustafa has volunteered!” With that, Mustafa began to tremble and yelled out, “No, I admit it. I was both wrong and very foolish. The Jewish people do not have extraordinary powers!” Mustafa ran out of the palace, never to be seen again. The Sultan annulled the decree, thanked the Jew for coming, and said that the Jews were welcome to live in Baghdad as long as they desired. The man returned to the synagogue to share the good news. Immediately, there was unbelievable rejoicing, and a banquet was held in honor of the miracle that G‑d had done for His people. Then quietly and quickly, the old man slipped out and left the town before anyone could even get his name. Some people say that he was Elijah the Prophet. Some say he was a great mystic. Yet others believe that he was just a Jew who simply cared about his fellow Jews as much as he did about himself.
Kids Passover Inspirational Corner
v Messiah was stand-
Exodus 12
“At midnight the L-rd struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the L-rd, as you have said. Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!” (Exodus 12:29–32) http://www.bnai-tikkun.org.nz 7
ing at the point of transition between two economies and their two great festivals. He, the spotless Lamb of G-d, was about to present Himself as a sin offering, that He would thus bring to an end the system of types and ceremonies that for four thousand years had pointed to His death. As He ate the Passover with His disciples, He instituted in its place the service that was to be the memorial of His great sacrifice. The national festival of the Jews was to pass away forever. The service which Messiah established was to be observed by His followers in all lands and through all ages. (CCh 298)