We pray every week for the leaders of the Jewish Ministry,
• 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
Shabbat — Bechukotay
Shabbat Shalom Newsletter
Resources:
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.
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4 June / 27 Iyar 2016 / 5776
This issue
week for lead-
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
ers of the Jewish Ministry, According to our list of prayer for
Journal of Information and Training — Issue 683— 4 June 2 0 1 6 / 2 7 I y a r 5 7 7 6
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
We pray every
WJAFC
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2016, I suggest that our partners
NEWS
Shoa’s Survivor in Florida
i Jeff Zeremski shared this news with us:
Two weeks ago (May 14, 2016) at Beth-El Shalom Congregations in St. Petersburg & New Port Richey FL, and in connection with Yom Hashoah, we had a holocaust survivor share God’s miraculous hand of protection in his life.
pray from May 29 to June 4, for 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
Olaf Clausen, 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
John & Catherine Alexandra Obrevko
are leading the in Alberta. Olaf is the leader of Jewish ministry for the Canada
Sabine Baris
Hebrew Israel Field Website
DuBort who Jewish ministry
Union. Let’s pray for their ministry.
him (and many of us) to tear up several times during the service. We encourage everyone to watch at this 45 minutes documentary of his story at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=w9es0TQkj8s He said it has moved him towards a belief in God. He asked me about our faith and he readily accepted the Jewish Heritage Scripture Studies and said he is reading it. We also gave him Rachel Hyman’s CD of songs of the Holocaust which he said he is enjoying. About 150 people came out for the two services at the different locations.
Jerry Rawicki survived the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. When I was told of him my first thought was, “no one survived the Warsaw Ghetto uprising.” And it is true, almost no one did. The Warsaw Ghetto was close to 400 acres in size. The Nazi’s were deporting people to the death camps. Some people smuggled in some weapons and a three day uprising took place (which was an amazing feat). The Nazi’s then burned the entire ghetto. Jerry survived by one miracle after another. His is a powerful moving story that caused
i Shalom David, the Publishing director of the Israel field shared with us a new Hebrew Website. It is interesting for each one who reads Hebrew, but also for each one who is looking for spiritual Hebrew Songs. Shalom David has done a great work in this website, not only does he give Hebrew words of songs from the book of Psalms, but also each one will discover that Shalom recorded 23 songs with his family. The quality is not the one of professional CD, but it is acceptable and we can follow them as we are singing with them in our congregations. Here is the URL of this new website: http://www.adventist.org.il/
Parasha for this Week Bechukotay
Parasha Overview
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Bechukotay
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he Torah promises prosperity for the Jewish People if they follow G-d’s commandments. However, if they fail to live up to the responsibility of being the Chosen People, then chilling punishments will result. The Torah details the harsh historical process that will fall upon them when Divine protection is removed. These punishments, whose purpose is to bring the Jewish People to repent, will be in seven stages, each more severe than the last. Sefer Vayikra, the book of Leviticus, concludes with the details of erachin— the process by which someone vows to give the Beit Hamikdash (Temple the equivalent monetary value of a person, an animal or property.
“If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season,” (Leviticus 26:3–4)
Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34
Bechukotai
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he name of this parashah, Bechukotai, means “in accordance with My rules.” “Rules” (chukim) are those commandments for which no reason is given, and which indeed make no logical sense. The Jewish tradition says that we observe them, not because there is a reason for them, or because we understand them, but just because, they are G-d’s Words. This category of commandments contrasts with the other two broad categories of commandments: “laws” (mishpatim)—which human reason can understand and would even dictate on its own, and “testimonies” (eiduyot)—ceremonial institutions that human reason would not necessarily dictate but can understand and appreciate. In the Jewish tradition, it is specially by observing the Torah’s chukim that we express our total sub- mission to God’s will, our readiness to follow His directives even when doing so flies in the face of logic or reason.
Engraved
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he Parasha starts saying: “If you walk in My statutes” (Leviticus 26:3). In the Jewish tradition: The word chok (“statute” or
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“decree”), which gives the Parasha’s title Bechukotai its name, literally means “engraved.” Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi says: The Torah comes in two forms: written and engraved. On the last days of his life, Moses inscribed the Torah on parchment scrolls. But this written Torah was preceded by an engraved Torah: the divine law was first given to us encapsulated in the Ten Commandments, which were etched by the hand of G‑d in two tablets of stone. When something is written, the substance of the letters that express it—the ink—remains a separate entity from the substance upon which they have been set—the parchment. On the other hand, letters engraved in stone are forged in it: the words are stone and the stone is words. By the same token, there is an aspect of Torah that is “inked” on our soul: we understand it, our emotions are roused by it; it becomes our “lifestyle” or even our “personality”; but it remains something additional to ourselves. But there is a dimension of Torah that is chok, engraved in our being. There is a dimension of Torah which expresses a bond with G‑d that is of the very essence of the believer soul. Let’s remember the inten-
tion of G-d for his people: “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the L-RD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts.” (Jeremiah 31:33).
Our Service to G-d
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he Jewish people describes G-d’s ideal service in the Pirkei Abbot in this way: “Do not be as servants who serve their master for the sake of receiving a reward; but rather be as servants who serve their master not for the sake of receiving a reward” (1:3) The service of G-d should be a service without any interest. However the text of the parasha Bechukotai starts saying “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit” (Leviticus 26:3–4). This apparent contradiction pushes many commentators to struggle with this emphasis on material reward for the observance of the mitzvot. Some Rabbi have said that we must look at the relationship between God and men on a legal level using
Torah law as our criterion, “what would G‑d’s obligations toward us be when we fulfill the tasks He demands of us?” Is there any legal basis to our petitions to G‑d in our daily prayers for material life, health and sustenance? In fact G-d and Israel contracted a covenant, to sign or contract a covenant, there is a need of two partners, and each partner has some obligations to each other. In this context we should define the type of relationship the believer has with Him. There are, in fact, three models for this relationship: the slave, the employee, and the partner. Which of these models our individual life fits into ? According to the Jewish tradition it is entirely up to us. It is to us to define our vision of life and our relationship with Him. So it is up to us whether to perceive — and thus define — the labor of life via the mentality of the “slave”, the attitude of the “employee”, or the perspective of the “partner.” In fact our relationship with G-d could evolve in time, at first we could consider ourselves as a “slave” later as an “employee” and finally while our relationship with Him goes deeper as a partner. So when we ap-
proach G‑d in prayer we can do so with the confidence that no matter what level we have attained, whether we have achieved the commitment of a partner, or only the responsibility of an employee, or merely the resignation of a slave or beast-of-burden, He will surely heed our requests and bless us with a health, sustenance and tranquility.
Promises for the Messianic Period
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t is interesting to notice that the sages of Israel teach that even though these verses describe rewards which are overwhelmingly and conspicuously material— there is almost no mention of spiritual reward. This seems strange, particularly when we recall that these rewards are promised in return for our dedication to God. That is why the sages of Israel have seen besides describing the material rewards that God promises us in the present order, these verses also refer to the even more miraculous material bounty that will characterize the messianic future. According to the Jewish tradition, entire trees will be edible, not only their fruit; even non-
fruit-bearing trees will bear fruit; the earth will produce delicacies and silk clothing.
Wild Beasts
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he Torah affirms “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land,” (Leviticus 26:6) Rabbi Shimon comments: wild beasts will still exist but their nature will change. Inasmuch as our lives now, during the exile, should emulate post-messianic reality as far as possible—both in order to ready us for the future and to hasten its arrival—we should also follow Rabbi Shimon’s view: instead of destroying the wild and untamed elements of ourselves and our world, we should transform them and channel them for goodness.
Father Suffering
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he Baal Shem Tov says about the text: I will punish you, I too (26:28) “When a father punishes his child, the suffering he inflicts on himself is greater than anything experienced by the child. So it is
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Haftara Overview
“and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:4)
Jeremiah 16:19-17:14
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eremiah lived in a time of trouble. Jerusalem was about to be taken by the Babylonians, and he was himself misunderstood by the people of Israel and her leadership, but his confidence and strength were in the L-rd, that’s why he says, “O L-RD, my strength and my stronghold, my refuge in the day of trouble’” (Jer. 19:19). Jeremiah encourages everyone who stays faithful to the L-rd, even though they are in a time of trouble. He says, “Blessed are those who trust in the L-RD, whose trust is the L-RD. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8). But at the same time he reminds the unfaithful that they will receive the consequences of their actions. “whose hearts turn away from the L-RD. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.” (Jer. 17:5b-6). The L-rd is a faithful G-d who does not punish the innocent and continues to give choices. Everyone has
with G‑d: His pain is greater than our pain.”
A Light to the Nations
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he Torah States: “And you I shall scatter amongst the nations (26:33) The Talmud give several reading of this text, first Pesachim 87b suggests that G‑d did a kindness to the people of Israel, that He scattered them amongst the nations. For if they were concentrated in one place, the heathens would make war on them; but since they are dispersed, they cannot be destroyed. And the same Talmudic text emphasizes on the mission of Israel: “The people of Israel were exiled among the nations only in order that converts should be added to them.” It is the role of Israel to be a light to the nations, they could not fulfill this mission while they were in Israel, G-d allowed the exile of Israel to be this light for all the nations.
G-d’s Love For His People
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he parasha gives punishments and rewards to Israel, But G-d continues to love his people and continues to make wonderful promises “Yet for all
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that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the L-RD their G-d. But I will for their sake remember the covenant with their forefathers, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their G-d: I am the L-RD.” (Leviticus 26:44–45) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: Come and see how beloved are Israel in the sight of G‑d, in that to every place to which they were exiled the Shechinah (Divine Presence) went with them. They were exiled to Egypt and the Shechinah was with them, as it says, “Did I reveal myself unto the house of your father when they were in Egypt” (I Samuel 2:27). They were exiled to Babylon and the Shechinah was with them, as it says, “For your sake I was sent to Babylon” (Isaiah 43:14). And when they will be redeemed in the future, the Shechinah will be with them, as it says, “Then the L‑rd your G‑d will return with your captivity” (Deuteronomy 30:3). (Talmud, Megillah 29a)
Final Commandments
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he final two topics in parashat Bechukotai are firstborn animals:
“But a firstborn of animals, which as a firstborn belongs to the LORD, no man may dedicate; whether ox or sheep, it is the LORD’s.” (Leviticus 27:26). And tithed animals: “And every tithe of herds and flocks, every tenth animal of all that pass under the herdsman’s staff, shall be holy to the LORD.” (Leviticus 27:32). The former must be offered up as sacrifices (the priests are given part of the flesh to eat); the latter must be eaten by their owners in Jerusalem. These two commandments reflect the two complementary dynamics that characterize the entire sacrificial enterprise, which, as we know, is the subject of the opening of the Book of Leviticus as well as the theme underlying its entire contents. As such, these two commandments form a fitting conclusion to the Book of Leviticus, the book in which we hear God calling out to us, challenging us to take life seriously and live in full understanding of our own potential as God’s people, thereby transforming ourselves into “a kingdom of priests” who sanctify mundane reality. In this way, we fulfill the purpose of creation: making the world into God’s true home.
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Apostolic Writings — Revelation 21:1-8
he parasha for this week, Bechukotai is about rewards and punishments G-d promised to Israel and his people if they follow or not follow the Torah: “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.” (Leviticus 26:3– 4). The text gives us more pictures of these rewards: “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land. . . . “I will make my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.” (Leviticus 26: 6, 11–12). These promises of Leviticus 26 are very important promises for the people of Israel, knowing that G-d will not give up His people. This point is crucial to understand the destiny of God’s people. We have a tendency to look at these promises, only as earthly promises, ignoring that God made also promises for the future, for the Messianic time when there will be peace. Many Jews have made this mistake in refusing Yeshua as the Messiah, saying they don’t see the fulfillment of Messianic peace. Many Christians have made this mistake, saying that Israel has not seen the fulfilment of these promises because they were not faithful and then forsaken by God. The text of the parasha
is here to affirm the opposite: “I will not spurn them, neither will I abhor them so as to destroy them utterly and break my covenant with them, for I am the LORD their God.” (Leviticus 26:44) Analyzing these promises, someone can argue that these promises were never realized and will never. On a humanly point of view we can agree; it is right, but when we look at the global promises of the Bible we can affirm with the Jewish people that many of these promises will be fulfilled in the Messianic future, in the Kingdom of Mashiach. Commenting these verses and applying them in the Messianic time, Rashi said: “In the days of Mashiach, every species of tree will bear edible fruit.” Thus when the parasha says there will be enough food for everyone or there will be no more “wild beasts”, it reminds us the beautiful prophecies of Isaiah: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.” (Isaiah 11:6) or “I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. …… They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (Isaiah 65:19–21). These same promises were given to Yochanan, who saw in his book of Revelation a vision of the ‘olam Habaa,
he said “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.” (Revelation 21:1) It is really a vision of the ‘Olam Habaa, he clearly said that the first earth (the one we know today) had passed away. He saw the same Jerusalem, Isaiah saw “But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.” (Isaiah 65:18) the Yerushalayim Shel Zahav the golden Jerusalem coming from heaven “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from G-d, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” (Revelation 21:2) This bride of this text reminds us the Kabbalat Shabbat song, Lecha Dodi. There, in that new Yerushalayim we will see the fulfillment of G-d’s promises, all of them, as they are written in the Tanach and the Brit Hachadasha. We recognize the promises of our parasha in these words “Now the dwelling of G-d is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and G-d himself will be with them and be their G-d.” (Revelation 21:3). And if today there is a discussion between Jews and Christians about the coming of Messiah, there everyone will adore and worship the Lord without asking if he came for the first or the second time, he just came for this people and everyone will worship him with joy.
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the possibility of following him and bearing fruit. “I the L-RD test the mind and search the heart, to give to all according to their ways, according to the fruit of their doings” (Jer. 17:10). The structure of this text is in A-B-C - C’-B’-A’ that means it is an alternate focus on righteous and weak and comes back in reverse. Thus Jeremiah praises the L-rd again for his righteousness “O glorious throne, exalted from the beginning, shrine of our sanctuary! O hope of Israel! O L-rd!” (Jer. 17:12). Then he comes back to the weak to tell them that running away from the source of life is not the best choice they can make. He is the sustainer of the universe. “All who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be recorded in the underworld” (Jer. 17:13). The text finishes with a positive statement and praise. “Heal me, O L-rd, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.” (Jer. 17:14)
Stories and Traditions
Inspirational Corner v The Lord de-
sires us to rest in Him without a question as to our measure of reward. When Christ abides in the soul, the thought of reward is not uppermost. This is not the motive that actuates our service. It is true that in a subordinate sense we should have respect to the recompense of reward. God desires us to appreciate His promised blessings. But He would not have us eager for rewards nor feel that for every duty we must receive compensation. We should not be so anxious to gain the reward as to do what is right, irrespective of all gain. Love to God and to our fellow men should be our motive. (COL 398)
Each One Has A Unique Mission
A
wealthy businessman and his coachman arrived in a city one Friday afternoon. After the rich man was settled at the best hotel in town, the coachman went off to his humble lodgings. Both washed and dressed for Shabbat, and then set out for the synagogue for the evening prayers. On his way to shul, the businessman came across a wagon which had swerved off the road and was stuck in a ditch. Rushing to help a fellow in need, he climbed down into the ditch and began pushing and pulling at the wagon together with its hapless driver. But for all his good intentions, the businessman was hopelessly out of his depth. After struggling for an hour in the knee-deep mud, he succeeded only in ruining his best suit of Shabbat clothes and getting the wagon even more hopelessly embedded in the mud. Finally, he dragged his bruised and aching body to the synagogue, arriving a scant minute before the start of Shabbat. Meanwhile, the coachman arrived early to the synagogue and sat down to recite a few chapters of Psalms. At the synagogue he found a group of wandering paupers, and being blessed with a most generous nature, invited them all to share his meal. When the synagogue sexton approached the paupers to arrange meal placements at the town’s householders, as is customary in Jewish communities, he received the same reply from them all: “Thank you, but I have already been invited for the Shabbat meal.” Unfortunately, however, the coachman’s means were unequal to his generous heart, and his dozen
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guests left his table with but a shadow of a meal in their hungry stomachs. Thus the coachman, with his twenty years of experience in extracting wagons from mud holes, took it upon himself to feed a small army, while the wealthy businessman, whose Shabbat meal leftovers could easily have fed every hungry man within a ten-mile radius, floundered about in a ditch. “Every soul,” said Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak in conclusion, “is entrusted with a mission unique to her alone, and is granted the specific aptitudes, talents and resources necessary to excel in her ordained role. One most take care not to become one of those ‘lost souls’ who wander through life trying their hand at every field of endeavor except for what is truly and inherently their own.”
Rabbi Akibba
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he days between Passover and Shavuot are known as the days of the Omer. These 49 days are counted as we anxiously await the 50th day – Shavuot – (this year June 8-9) when we commemorate the giving of the Torah. It was said that Rabbi Akibba had 24,000 disciples from Gabbatha to Antipatris; and all of them died at the same time because they did not treat each other with respect. The world remained desolate until Rabbi Akibba came to our Masters in the South and taught the Torah to them. These were Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yose, Rabbi Shimon and Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua; and it was they who revived the Torah at that time. A Tanna taught: “All of them died between Passover and Shavuot”. Rabbi Hama ben Abba or, it might
be said, Rabbi Hiyya ben Abin said: “All of them died a cruel death.” What was it? Rabbi Nahman replied: “Croup.” (Yevamot 62b) Rabbi Akiva was an ignorant shepherd who worked for Kalba Savua, one of the wealthiest men in Israel at that time. Kalba Savua had a beautiful and talented daughter, Rachel, who recognized Akiva’s spiritual qualities. They married without her father’s knowledge. When Kalba Savua found out, he drove the couple away from his home to live in great poverty. Rachel encouraged her husband to study Torah. Akiva, who was 40 years old, didn’t even know the Hebrew Aleph Bet! Our Sages tell us that Akiva was so sensitive about his ignorance that he actually hated Torah scholars! Rachel, however, urged him to study Torah in Jerusalem, but Akiva was hesitant. He didn’t believe that at the age of forty he still had a chance. One day, Akiva passed a large rock on which drops of water continuously fell. Upon closer examination, Akiva noticed that the water made an indentation in the rock. Akiva thought, “If water, which is so soft, can make an impression on a rock, surely the Torah can make an impression in my heart and mind!” Akiva then decided to listen to his wife and left for the Yeshiva. Upon being accepted in the Yeshiva, he sat together with little children and learned the Aleph Bet. Akiva dedicated his entire being to studying Torah and excelled. He eventually became one of the leading Sages in Israel.
Kids Parasha Bechuktay
yAtO;qUjV;b
Leviticus 26:3 - 27:34 “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall last to the time of the grape harvest, and the grape harvest shall last to the time for sowing. And you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land securely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid. And I will remove harmful beasts from the land, and the sword shall not go through your land.” (Leviticus 26:3–6) http://www.bnai-tikkun.org.nz 7
Inspirational Corner v In the Bible
every vital principle is declared, every duty made plain, every obligation made evident. The whole duty of man is summed up by the Saviour. He says, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.... Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (Matthew 13:37, 39.) In the word the plan of salvation is plainly delineated. The gift of eternal life is promised on condition of saving faith in Christ. The drawing power of the Holy Spirit is pointed out as an agent in the work of man’s salvation. The rewards of the faithful, the punishment of the guilty, are all laid out in clear lines. The Bible contains the science of salvation for all those who will hear and do the words of Christ. (CE 84)