Resources: • Adventist Mission Website: http://wjafc.globalmissioncenters.org/
This website is the new resource provided by the Office of Adventist Mission of the General Conference of the Seventh-day
• Website: www.jewishadventist.org
We pray every week for the leaders of the Jewish Ministry,
Pinchas
Shabbat Shalom Newsletter
739
sDj◊nyIÚp
15 July 2017 2 1 Ta m u z 5 7 7 7
This issue
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:
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: https://get.google.com/albumarchive/1131446298409925652
- Professional Urban training for Jewish Ministry
91?source=pwa We have posted a lot of pictures on Internet during the last years. Don’t hesitate
- Teaching for theological students
• Russian Website: http://www.boruh.info/ This website is in Russian, many articles
- Help to plant new congregations. - Support for AdventistJewish dialogue with scholars and rabbis
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
Carlos Muniz English Edition: 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
Weekly Jewish-Adventist Journal of Information
to look at them.
Journal of Information and Training — Issue 739 — 15 July 2017 / 21 Tamuz 5777
Richard Amram Elofer
News 1 Parasha’s comments 2-4 Haftarah 4-5 Apostolic Writings 5 Stories & Traditions 6 Inspirational Corner 6, 7
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
Sabine Baris
We pray every week for the Jewish Friendship Ministry. I suggest our partners to pray from July 16 to 22 for Sergey Gregorev who is Pastor in Haifa and the North of Israel. Let’s pray for his ministry and his family.
News Fast of the 17th of Tammuz
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he 17th Tammuz was this year, Tuesday July 11. It is a biblical day of fast for the Jewish people, “fast of the fourth month” (Zecharia. 8:19). On the 17th of Tammuz five bad events occurred throughout history: • Moshe broke the first Tablets of the Ten Commandments when he descended from Mt. Sinai and saw the worshipping of the Golden Calf. • The Daily Sacrificial Offerings ceased in the First Temple due to lack of sheep. • The walls of Jerusalem were breached during the siege of the Second Temple. • Apustumus-the-Wicked burned a Sefer Torah (scroll). • An idol was placed in the Sanctuary of the Second Temple. Let’s remember that fasting is a preparation for repentance. If this fast has been a way to be in contact with Jews, let us know.
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About this Newsletter
t is always pleasant to receive some email of appreciation from our readers. We received from London, an email saying this: “Shabbat Shalom! Thank you for your consistent service, support
and training! Your weekly newest letter is such a blessing to my friends and me! I would not be without it and look forward to receiving it each week.” Another subscriber from the States wrote: “Thank you again Richard. I am blessed by these each time I read them. This time two things especially caught my attention: - How the one trumpet call instead of a messenger helped to foster unity among the leaders - Eldad and Medad being an illustration of trusting God as He leads the church through elections and appointments Thank you again for all these thoughts.” Another e-mail expressed: First, let me express my appreciation for the parasha Newsletter that we have been receiving now for some time (and we read the archived newsletters prior to signing up for email delivery). We enjoy the news, the commentary on the weekly portion, and the Stories and Traditions. From time to time we receive an email with just one sentence, such as: “I always am blessed by reading these and I learn a lot. Thank you again for the work you put into them.” But that is enough for us, it encourages us to continue this big work. Thanks, from the bottom of our heart for your support in this ministry.
Parasha for this Week
-d tells Moshe to inform Pinchas that he will receive G-d’s “covenant of peace” as reward for his bold action — executing Zimri and the Midianite princess Kozbi. G-d commands Moshe to maintain a state of enmity with the Midianites who lured the Jewish People into sin. Moshe and Eleazar are told to count the Jewish People. The Torah lists the names of the families in each tribe. The total number of males eligible to serve in the army is 601,730. G-d instructs Moshe how to allot the Land of Israel to Bnei Yisrael. The number of the Levites’ families is recorded. Tzlofchad’s daughters file a claim with Moshe: In the absence of a brother, they request their late
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Pinchas
Numbers 25:10 - 30:1
A New Beginning
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he parasha starts, in the chapter 25 of Numbers, with a reminding of Pinchas who killed the people responsible for sexual sin with the midianites. Because of this act of courage G-d made a covenant of peace with Pinchas and gave him the privilege of being a priest forever, that means he and his descendants would be priest. After this, a new story begins for Israel, that is why G-d asks Moses and Eleazar to organize a new census of the people of Israel: “Take a census of the people, from twenty years old and upward,” as the L-rd commanded Moses. The people of Israel who came out of the land of Egypt were:” (Numbers 26:4) in his commentary Rabbi Hirsch affirms: “The fact that every individual could be counted, as has been done forty years earlier, following the exodus from Egypt, proved that there could be no doubt concerning the paternity of any child in Israel, and that the orgy of Pe’or worship had been only an isolated exception, whereas the prophecy regarding the households of Israel (cf. 24:7) was a true reflection of reality.” That is why the purpose of this census was not really to count the
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people of Israel, but to call each member of G-d’s people by his name, to relate him to his family, his clan, and his tribe. Each one must recognize that his contribution to the mission of G-d’s people is crucial for the success of the plan of G-d for humanity.
Pinchas and Elijah
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he Jewish tradition has made a parallel between Pinchas and the prophet Eliyahu (Elijah). Elijah protested strongly against the false prophets of Baal, and challenged them on Mount Carmel. When it was clear for everyone that Elijah was a true prophet, he slaughtered the false prophets: “And Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered them there.” (1 Kings 18:40). As G-d made a covenant of peace with Pinchas, he made a covenant of peace with Elijah, that is why Elijah would have the privilege to announce the coming of the Messiah, who will inaugurate a new world, with a new earth and new heavens of peace.
The Sons of Korach
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n the middle of this genealogy and census of the chapter 26, there are three verses which seem to be out of context, “The sons of Eliab:
credit: ynet.org
Parasha Overview: Pinchas
“Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad … And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the chiefs and all the congregation, at the entrance of the tent of meeting, saying, ‘Our father died in the wilderness. … Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers’.” (Numbers 27:1–4)
Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the L-rd and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, and they became a warning [Ness]. But the sons of Korah did not die.” (Numbers 26:9–11), these verses recalled the story given in parasha Korach with the description of another painful rebellion against G-d. The verse 10 ends with the word Ness which is translated by the ESV as “warning”, but this word is much more than a “warning,” literally it means “sign” and by extension it is the word used for a “miracle.” Later the Hebrew word nessim will be a common term for all prominent acts of G-d in favor of his people. In the verse 11 we understand why this clause is added here, it tells us that “the sons of Korach did not die” with their father after his rebellion. This affirmation gives us a great lesson, G-d does not punish the innocent with the guilty. The sons of Korach did not fol-
low their father, they certainly told him that he was mistaken. Moses and Aaron were chosen by G-d to be the leaders of Israel, it was not good to challenge their leadership. G-d rewarded them, they were rescued, they did not die with their father, and when we look carefully at their future genealogy we discover that Shmuel Hanavi (the prophet Samuel) was one of their descendants.
Shimon Remnant
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e are not going to draw a conclusion from each description of the tribes, clans, and families, but it is interesting to look at the tribe of Shimon (Simeon), here at the second census, there is a great difference with the first one. At the first census it is said: “Simeon were 59,300.” (Numbers 1:23), and now at the second census: “The sons of Shimon . . . . are 22,200.” (Numbers 26:12–14), they decreased by thirty-seven thousand. Shimon’s population is the smallest of all the tribes. According to the Jewish commentators (Sanhedrin 82a), the princes of Shimon and their tribe, participated actively to the various sins and rebellion against Moses and Aaron. It is not difficult to assume that a large part of
the twenty four thousand who died in the last plague were from the tribe of Shimon.
Sons of Issachar
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n this parasha, Pinchas, we again have the lists of the tribes with their clans. Among them was Issachar, his clans were listed as following: “The sons of Issachar according to their clans: of Tola, the clan of the Tolaites; of Puvah, the clan of the Punites; of Yashub, the clan of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the clan of the Shimronites. These are the clans of Issachar as they were listed, 64,300.” (Numbers 26:23–25), When Israel arrived in Egypt, Issachar is listed with four sons Tola, Puvah, Yov, and Shimron. In this text Yov is listed as Yashub (let’s remember that “J” does exist in Hebrew, it is always the transliteration of “Y” and “V” and “B” are the same letter). The difference between Yov and Yashuv is the “Shin,” the Jewish tradition says that when Israel arrived in Egypt, Yov discovered that the Egyptians had a G-d called “Yov” or Yah represented by an ibis bird, thus he asked Issachar, his father to change his name, Issachar agreed and added a Shin in the middle of his name, which is the initial
of the name of G-d, Shaddai, Al-Mighty. That is why in the list of Numbers we don’t have Yov, but Yashub.
Manashe & Benyamin
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he two smallest tribes of the first census, Menashe and Benyamin, experienced a significant increase. It is written at the first census: “Manasseh were 32,200.” (1:35) and “Benjamin were 35,400.” (1:37). Then at the second census, Manasseh is listed as 52,700 (26:34), that means an increase of 20,500, the largest increase of all the tribes and Benjamin is listed as 45,600 (26:41), an increase of 10,200. These increases of their population is a great testimony of the their faithfulness during the 40 years in the wilderness.
Sharing the Land
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he sharing of the Land of Israel must not have been easy. They had to know the size of the land in order to share it between the tribes. But not only that, because we have two ways of sharing the land: first at the beginning of the book of numbers the sharing is called “individuals” (Numbers 1:4), that means the division of the land would be in a very small portions: divided between each tribe, family and
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father’s portion in the Land. Moshe asks G-d for the ruling, and G-d tells Moshe that their claim is right. The Torah teaches the laws and priorities which determine the order of inheritance. G-d tells Moshe that he will ascend a mountain and view the Land that the Jewish People will soon enter, although Moshe himself will not enter. Moshe asks G-d to designate the subsequent leader, and G-d selects Yehoshua bin Nun. Moshe ordains Yehoshua as his successor in the presence of the entire nation. The Parasha concludes with special teachings of the service in the Beit Hamikdash (Temple).
1 Kings 18:46-19:21
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he Parasha is about Pinchas who killed Zimri and the Midianite princess Kozbi. “The name of the slain Israelite man, who was killed with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, head of an ancestral house belonging to the Simeonites. The name of the Midianite woman who was killed was Cozbi daughter of Zur, who was the head of a clan, an ancestral house in Midian. “ (Num. 25:14-15). G-d congratulated Pinchas for his action. The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: “Pinchas son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, has turned back my wrath from the Israelites… Therefore say, ‘I hereby grant him my covenant of peace. (Num. 25:10-12). The haftara reminds us of the story of Elijah who performed great deeds as Pinchas did. Elijah killed the priests of Baal. “But the hand of the L-rd was on Elijah; he girded up his loins and ran in front of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel. Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. (1Kings 18:46-19:1). The leaders of Israel at the time of Elijah were not faithful to G-d. The queen wanted to kill Elijah, not to reward him. “Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, say-
credit: swordofthespirit.net
Haftarah Overview
“So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey.” (Numbers 27:18–20)
individual, every male over twenty years of age receives his own defined piece of land. But after the plague of Baal Peor it is not according to the individuals listed by families, and the attribution of the land is given by “lot” (Numbers 25:55). Rabbi Hirsch gives an example of the difficulty of this distribution he said two brothers, A and B, where among those counted in the first census after the coming out of the land of Egypt. A had one son, and B had nine sons, and these sons are taking possession of the Land. In one case the sons of B would receive only one share and the son of A would receive also one share, both share of the same size, and in the other case, as heir of their fathers would receive ten shares, nine for the nine sons and one for the only one son. And Hirsch concludes that actually they inherited the share that fell to their fathers from their grandfather. “Therefore A’s one son inherited from him one half, which includes five shares, whereas B’s nine sons inherited from him the other half, so that they, too received only five share. This system of division is called Chazarah (return). Careful consideration of this system of division reveals that the Land was considered the legacy of the generation that preceded the ‘coming out of Egypt,’ only that their fathers received a share in the Land according to the num-
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ber of their grandsons, twenty years of age and older, who reached the Land. Two lessons: First, G-d’s promise will definitely be fulfilled; hence, it is regarded as an accomplished fact even before it is fulfilled. Second, the greatest attainment of parents is children and grandchildren who prove themselves loyal and true to their heritage. Our faithfulness is also evaluated through the faithfulness of our children and grandchildren.
A Leader According to Hashem
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s Israel arrived close to the Jordan River, Jericho and the land of Canaan, Moses knew that he would not lead Israel in the Holy Land. His concern was about the next leader of Israel. He prayed G-d saying: “Let the L-rd, the G-d of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the L-rd may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” (Numbers 27:16–17). Moses asked G-d a leader who would not walk behind them and keep a low profile, but a leader who would take the initiative and give direction, a leader, in short, who would always be an innovative person, with a clear vision where to lead the people and that G-d’s people would
follow with pleasure.
Praying for the Nations
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n the description of Sukkoth, the Torah says: “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the L-rd seven days. And you shall offer a burnt offering, a food offering, with a pleasing aroma to the L-rd, thirteen bulls from the herd, two rams, fourteen male lambs a year old; they shall be without blemish; and their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for each of the thirteen bulls, two tenths for each of the two rams, and a tenth for each of the fourteen lambs; also one male goat for a sin offering, besides the regular burnt offering, its grain offering and its drink offering.” (Numbers 29:12–16). During the seven days of the festival of Sukkoth a total of 70 bullocks were offered as sacrifices. Seventy is, according to the Jewish tradition, the symbolic number of the nations of the world (Sukkah 55b), that is why Israel says that during the feast of Sukkoth, they prayed for the nations of the world, and these 70 sacrifices were for all the nations of the world.
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Apostolic Writings — Revelation 21:22
n our parasha G-d has made a covenant of peace (brit shalom) with Pinchas son of Eleazar. This covenant of peace is the prototype of the new covenant that G-d wants to make with his people. He already said through Jeremiah “’The time is coming,’ declares the L-rd, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.’” (Jeremiah 31:31). This covenant is the covenant of peace, “I will make a covenant of peace with them” (Ezekiel 34:25), but it is a special covenant because the king of this covenant will be David “My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd.” (Ezekiel 37:24), but what is strange is that David was already dead. David lived in the 10th century BCE and Ezekiel lived in the 6th century that means about 400 years after king David. According to the prophets, David, is the ancestor of the Messiah and the prototype of the Messiah, that means the only king and only shepherd G-d’s people will have will be the Messiah. This Messiah is called in Hebrew Mashiach ben David, (Messiah son of David). In Jeremiah, we have the characteristics of this covenant, “‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the L-rd. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their G-d, and they will be my people’.” (Jeremiah 31:33). The law will have a central place in this covenant of peace. In fact it is impossible to have peace,
to make peace without laws, and the best laws ever given to human beings is the law of G-d, which are called by the Jewish people the Torah. In the same way the prophet Ezekiel says, “They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.” These laws of G-d given by Moshe, have inspired the laws of almost all the countries of the world, that is why we can say that the Torah could be qualified as modern. Another quality of this covenant is that this covenant will be forever lasting, never did G-d say that there would be another covenant after this one. That is why we can be sure that this new covenant will be also the covenant of the “World-tocome,” because it lasts forever, it is an everlasting covenant, as it is written: “They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant.” And the text continues “I will put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their G-d, and they will be my people” (Ezekiel 37:27–28). It is an important reflection, because so many people are waiting for a 3rd Temple, thinking that the coming back of the Jewish people to their land, is the sign for the building of this 3rd temple. But those who believe in the 3rd temple, forget some important biblical truth. The purpose of the temple
was for G-d to dwell among his people (Exodus 25:8) that means to establish the temple as a dwelling of G-d among his people, in one word, to be present permanently, forever with his people. But this plan of G-d failed, because of the failure of humanity. From the very beginning, in Eden, it was clear that human beings would not be able in this world to live in the presence of G-d. It was the failure of Israel who said Naase Venishma “we will do and we will listen” and it was the failure of the church who thought to build the kingdom of G-d in the earth during all the Middle Age. The true vision of G-d for today and the future is not to build a 3rd temple, which only would be a denying of the sacrifice of the Messiah, because, rebuilding the temple, and renewing the sacrifices as described in the Hebrew Bible, would be denying all the teaching of the Bible about the sacrifice of the Messiah who fulfilled the Hebrew rituals. It is the main reason why the book of Revelation gives us a crucial information about the “World-to-Come” “I did not see a temple in the city, because the L-rd G-d Almighty and the Lamb are its temple” (Rev 21:22). What a wonderful promise, the Messiah, who was the lamb slew on the cross will be with G-d representing the temple. And our worship place will be before the throne of G-d, praising him for our redemption.
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ing, ‘So may the G-ds do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.’” (1Kings 19:2). No prophet like Moses was there to protect Elijah and he was afraid of the reaction of Jezebel, the cruel queen. Then he was afraid; he got up and fled to save his his life, he went to the wilderness, and sat down under a solitary broom tree and was ready to die: “It is enough; now, O L-rd, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” (1Kings 19:3-4) Elijah was a great man. He was one who had the privilege of going to heaven without dying, but he was a human being and became depressed. The Tanach that he slept and during his sleep G-d spoke to him through an angel: “Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.”” (1Kings 19:5). What a great encouragement for us; the L-rd is taking care of us too. From time to time we might think that we alone are faithful to G-d. Elijah had the same feeling, but G-d told him that there was a remnant of 7,000 who also were faithful.
Inspirational Corner v The point to be
marked is, that Moses’ prayers were not heard, neither his weeping nor the sorrow and prayers of those who had maintained their integrity, until justice was executed upon that demoralized Gd-defying prince. G-d says of Phinehas, He “hath turned away my wrath from the children of Israel.” It was the greatest mercy that Phinehas could do to Israel, to deal promptly and decidedly with the guilty, and thus be instrumental in turning the wrath of G-d from the congregation of Israel. Something besides prayers and tears are needed in a time when reproach and peril are hanging over G-d’s people. The wicked works must be brought to an end. The very work of justice done by Phinehas was an atonement for Israel. (RH May 17, 1887)
Stories and Traditions
Mixing Business With Friendship
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eivel came to seek the help of the famed “Tzemach Tzedek” (Rabbi Menachem Mendel, 1789–1866). Feivel was almost weeping as he entered the rebbe’s room. He was inexplicably being evicted from the inn he’d been running for over twenty years. He couldn’t understand it; the poritz (landowner) liked him, he always paid his rent on time, and he never made any trouble. But a week ago the poritz suddenly came and gave him one month’s notice. He had no other recourse than to travel to the rebbe for help. When Feivel finished his story, the rebbe took out a piece of paper and a pen, wrote a short letter, put it in an envelope and addressed it. He then blessed Feivel with success, and instructed him to deliver the letter as swiftly as possible He thanked the rebbe and backed out of the room. He glanced at the envelope and his heart sank: the rebbe seemed to have mistakenly addressed it to the wrong man! In Feivel’s village there were two men by the name of Shmuel. The first, nicknamed Shmuel Hagadol (“Big Shmuel”), was a rich, influential Jew who had close connections with all the landowners and nobles, and some said even with the czar himself! If anyone could help Feivel, it would be him. But the rebbe had addressed his note to Shmuel Hakatan (“Little Shmuel”)—a simple old Jew who used to be a woodcutter and still lived with his wife in his small hut in the woods. The rebbe must have intended to write the big rich guy. Little Shmuel was a virtual nobody! So, with a heavy heart, Feivel made his way to Little Shmuel’s house in the middle of the forest
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and knocked on the door. The old man invited Feivel in and asked him what he wanted. When he heard the reason for the visit and saw the rebbe’s letter asking him to help Feivel in his predicament, he admitted that he had no idea what the rebbe meant. He suggested that Feivel be his guest for a few days and see what would happen. A week passed. Feivel began to become depressed. What would become of him? In another two weeks he would have to forfeit his livelihood and vacate his home. Winter was approaching; the weather outside was cold and miserable, adding to his melancholy. Where would he go? What would he do? What would become of his wife and children? The wind and rain were pounding on the roof and the walls. He put his head in his hands and wept. Suddenly the front door rattled and thundered; someone was pounding and shouting outside. “Help! Help! Let me in!” Little Shmuel ran to the door and opened it as Feivel looked on from his room. It was the poritz, drenched to the bone, shivering and blue with cold. It seems that he had been on his way home and the storm caught him unexpectedly. He had been wandering in the cold, lost in the forest for hours, and was on the verge of death. He fell to the floor in exhaustion. Shmuel helped him to the fireside, brought him a change of clothes (his Shabbat garments, the only change of clothes he had), some warm blankets and hot soup, and in no time the poritz was sitting bundled up near the stove and showering old Shmuel with praises and promises. “You saved my life! I owe you my life!” he exclaimed. “Tell me how to repay you.”
“Listen,” Shmuel answered. “If you truly wish to reward me, then you can do me a big favor.” “Well” Shmuel gave a glance at Feivel peeking from behind his door, “a few days ago you told my good friend Feivel that he has to vacate his inn. I want you to let him stay.” “So it shall be!” shouted the poritz. “It just so happens that Feivel is here in the other room,” continued Little Shmuel. “Will you put it in writing?” Feivel came out of his room, and the poritz immediately shook his hand warmly, asked for pen and paper, and wrote out a contract giving him and his offspring sole rights on the inn for all generations. And for good measure, he gave him the next three years rent-free. “One thing is bothering me,” said Feivel after he thanked the poritz and tucked the cherished contract securely into his pocket. “Why did you evict me in the first place? After all, I always paid rent and never gave you any trouble. What made you do it?” “You’re right,” answered the poritz. “You were the perfect tenant, and I would never have even thought of throwing you out. But someone came to me and demanded that I rent the inn to his son-in-law. He promised to pay more rent, and even threatened that if I refused, he would use his influence with my business partners to make trouble for me. It was none other than Big Shmuel! I don’t know what got into him and made him so hard-hearted. I even asked him how he could do it to his own fellow Jew, and he said he didn’t mix business with friendship. But I’ll take care of him. I’ll tell him to go find another establishment for his son-in-law!
Kids Parasha Pinchas
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Inspirational Corner
v One of the nobles
Numbers 25:10 - 30:1
“The L-rd spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel and say to them, ‘My offering, my food for my food offerings, my pleasing aroma, you shall be careful to offer to me at its appointed time.’ And you shall say to them, This is the food offering that you shall offer to the L-rd: two male lambs a year old without blemish, day by day, as a regular offering. The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight; also a tenth of an ephah of fine flour for a grain offering, mixed with a quarter of a hin of beaten oil. It is a regular burnt offering, which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the L-rd.” (Numbers 28:1–6 ESV) http://www.bnai-tikkun.org.nz 7
of Israel came boldly into the camp, accompanied by a Midianitish princess, whom he gallantly escorted to his tent. This daring outrage stirred the indignation of all Israel, and swift retribution followed the offenders. Phinehas, the son of Eleazar the high priest, rose up from among the congregation, and slew them both. This prompt and determined act evinced a just abhorrence of the sins which had brought so great calamities upon Israel. G-d approved the course of Phinehas, and the plague was stayed; while the priest who had so zealously executed the divine judgment was honored before all Israel, and the priesthood was confirmed to him and to his house forever. (ST December 30, 1880)