One of the most interesting suggestions I’ve received lately is a bit unique. At my congregation, I’ve begun having people ask me when I’m going to do a study like those our Rabbi does. And I hope to begin doing that one day soon.

But at least one request was a lot more specific… but no, it didn’t have to do with air filters; it had to do with a study on how to study the Bible… specifically, the weekly Torah portions.

While that’s a tall order for any Torah teacher, I felt complimented by the request. Certainly, there are habits I’ve picked up along the way, sources I turn to more than others, methods of reading, praying, re-reading and so forth.

But to create a study about studying is a bit of a challenge; for one thing, what works well for me in terms of study habits might not work for someone else. However, as I’ve given the topic more consideration, I do think there are some ideas that are somewhat universal in this area, and I could foresee doing a two or three week study on the topic.

That might not be as juicy as a study on the book of Galatians or something exciting like that; but I could see how it would be of use to people and that’s what excites me about it. It means there would be people attending it who are hungry to learn how to dig in more deeply to God’s Word themselves… exactly what all believers ought to be doing!

If you’re looking to buy insurance online, there are better places for you to be, but if you’ve come seeking Torah wisdom, settle down and read my 2009 Torah commentary on VaYetze. Or listen to it!

Shabbat Shalom.

Our parashah for today is VaYetze, a Hebrew word that means “And he went out.” It covers Genesis chapter 28, verse 10 through chapter 32, verse 2. This is another Torah portion rich in narrative, symbolism and meaning, and what I’d like to concentrate on is Jacob’s relationship to Leah and Rachel.

As we recall from last week’s Torah reading, Jacob has triumphed over his brother Esau, Rebekah learned that Esau sought to kill Jacob as soon as Isaac was gone, and so both Isaac and Rebekah urged Jacob to leave the area until Esau has forgiven him, and not to take a wife from among the Hittites, as Esau had done, but to return to the family of Rebekah, to her brother – Jacob’s uncle – who has two daughters.

So, as we begin this week’s reading, Jacob has traveled east, beyond the land promised to Abraham, and as Jacob enters the lands where his grandfather Abraham once dwelled, we read this in:

Genesis 29:1-3
Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. There he saw a well in the field, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

Jacob has come to the lands belonging to Laban, his mother’s brother, and I find it interesting that what he encounters are sheep, and a well, covered with a stone that must be rolled away for the water to flow. Let’s read on:

Genesis 29:7-8
“Look,” he [Jacob] said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.” “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

Now, on the pashat – the literal level – this is simply what is happening as Jacob enters the land of his mother’s brother, the lands of Laban. Yet I believe that as we begin to search for the sod – the deeper meaning, and begin to remez – to see what this passage brings to mind, we’ll find much more going on in these seemingly mundane actions.

So on seeing what is before him, what does Jacob say? It’s not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water them and send them back out into the fields. But this cannot be, he is told, until what else happens? Until the stone is rolled away. Only then can there be access to the water, and the sheep need to be watered before they can be sent back into the field.

From a Messianic mindset, this entire passage is highly suggestive of the first appearance of Messiah. When Jacob sees the flocks being gathered, he says it is not yet time for them to be gathered. This should remind us of how the Jewish people of the first century were looking for the appearance of the Messiah, and expecting an earthly deliverance – the establishment of an earthly kingdom with Messiah as king. In other words, they were expecting to be gathered and delivered but, as Jacob points out, from the L-RD’s perspective the sun was still high in the sky, the day not yet over, and there was more work yet to be done in the fields.

Would the appearance of Messiah in the first century be the right time to expect Messiah’s earthly reign? No.

Even rabbinic tradition teaches about the seven thousand year plan of the L-RD for His creation; in the first century, they were completing the fourth day of that plan, the fourth one-thousand-year period, and bringing to an end a two-thousand year period the Sages described as the Era of Instruction. And since there was another two thousand year period remaining – the Era of Messiah or Salvation – we can look at Jacob’s words here as a gentle reminder of that.

Yet what ushers in the Messianic era? That is alluded to here as well. “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone is rolled away … then we will water the sheep.” Does this align with what we know of Messiah’s time? It does. Under Roman rule, nearly the entire world was under one authority and all the nations to which the tribes of Israel had scattered spoke a common language. So, in a sense, the flocks were gathered; yet that alone was not enough. What else had to happen? The stone had to be rolled away. This clearly alludes to Messiah’s resurrection from the dead.

And what would these conditions being met allow? For the flocks to be watered – refreshed. And then what? Sent back out into the fields. In the same way, Yeshua’s time on earth was a time of refreshing for the people of the L-RD, a long-awaited fulfillment, and something that empowered those who clung to the Messiah – the Living Torah of the L-RD – to complete the work ahead, the work of the dawning Messianic era.

Taken to its deeper meaning and its allusions to Messiah, this seemingly mundane moment from the life of Jacob is suddenly filled up with new meaning and significance. And there’s more to come, as we read on in:

Genesis 29:9-11
While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess. When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of Laban, his mother’s brother, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud.

Here, Rachel becomes an allusion to Messiah – the Great Shepherd. As she arrives with her father’s sheep – an allusion to those who trust in the shepherd and who belong to the father of the shepherd – this is just rich, isn’t it? – what is Jacob’s response? In this Torah picture, Jacob represents Israel, eagerly rolling the stone away and embracing the Messiah, weeping for joy at Messiah’s arrival.

Now, I’d like to move on to another part of this week’s portion, and explore another part of Jacob’s life and relationship with his wives; we’ll find that it paints a different Torah picture than this one, but one that is still important to notice. Let’s move on to:

Genesis 29:16-17
Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.

Now many people have speculated as to what is meant when the Torah describes Leah as having weak eyes. Some Bible encyclopedias will talk about poor eyesight being a blemish according to the Near Eastern standards for beauty. Rabbi Stan has suggested it might be an indirect way of saying that Leah was “hard on the eyes.” And one Jewish midrash I read suggested that there had been an original plan between Rebecca and Laban to have Rachel given to Jacob, while Leah, the older of the two sisters, would be given to Esau, the older of the two brothers; as the midrash explains, Leah’s eyes had grown weak from a lifetime of weeping over her fate, horrified she should be promised to such a corrupt man as Esau.

But let’s see what exactly “weak eyes” means in Hebrew. There are two words that represent the concept translated as weak eyes; they are rak and ’ayin. Here’s the insights we gain from the Strong’s:

STRONG’S H7390 rak {rak}
• AV – tender 9, soft 3, fainthearted + 03824 1, one 1, weak 1, tenderhearted + 03824 1; 16
• 1) tender, soft, delicate, weak 1a) tender, delicate (of flesh) 1b) weak of heart, timid 1c) soft (of words) 1c1) gentle words (subst)

STRONG’S H5869 `ayin {ah’-yin}
• AV – eye 495, sight 216, seem 19, colour 12, fountain 11, well 11, face 10, pleased + 03190 10, presence 8, displeased + 03415 8, before 8, pleased + 03474 4, conceit 4, think 4, misc 66; 887

The most common definitions of both words would give us the rough translation of “tender-eyes” or “delicate eyes.” So perhaps this suggests vision impairment. But some of the alternate definitions could suggest here a timid presence; perhaps she was painfully shy.

One possibility I like is that she had a gentle conceit – suggesting humility. And this interpretation would make sense, because although she is not loved, each time she bears Jacob a child, she expresses her hope that maybe this time, she’ll capture her husband’s devotion. Even when that doesn’t seem to happen, she bears the pain of his love for her sister Rachel in relative silence. That would suggest a gentle conceit.
And there’s another possibility.

Growing up, I often would rush home from school to watch my favorite after-school TV show – reruns of Gilligan’s Island, which ran for several years in syndication back then. Anyone who has seen that show will remember that there are two younger women among the castaways; Ginger, the movie star, and MaryAnn, the Kansas farm girl. Now Ginger was the eye-catching beauty on the show; the one everyone would notice first. But as you watched, you began to realize it was humble MaryAnn who seemed more pleasant to be around.

Perhaps that is what the Torah is also telling us about Leah and Rachel; while Rachel is an eye-catcher, could it be that Leah is actually the better wife?

Let’s explore this further and more deeply, because there’s some significance here beyond the debate over which sister – Leah or Rachel – was cuter. So let’s read on in:

Genesis 29:18-20
Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.” Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

So, it’s obvious Jacob was in love with Rachel first and foremost. And anyone who has read the parashah knows how the story plays out; after working for Laban for seven years, Jacob ends up with Leah as his wife, rather than Rachel. When he confronts Laban about the deception, Laban gives him this evocative explanation in:

Genesis 29:26-28
Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.” And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.

Whenever one encounters sevens in Torah, it is significant and naturally brings to mind the time of Jacob’s Trouble. Here, we are told Jacob should finish his bridal week with Leah, then he can have Rachel, his desired bride, in exchange for seven more years of work.

In this Torah picture, Leah becomes representative of those who come to faith in Messiah before the time of Jacob’s trouble – the tribulation period of Revelation – who are taken in the catching away of the righteous to the wedding supper of the Lamb. Jacob becomes the shadow of Messiah, desiring the bride promised to him. Rachel is representative of the Tribulation saints, but especially of the fullness of Israel, those who recognize Messiah after the catching away of the righteous; they endure the time of Jacob’s trouble, but are ultimately united with their bridegroom, the Messiah Yeshua. The wedding week of Leah alludes to the seven year period of Jacob’s trouble at the end of the sixth millennium; the additional seven years of work for Rachel alludes also to this.

Now, one can overthink such Torah pictures. For example, does Rachel’s theft of her father’s household gods allude if Israel’s unfaithfulness to the L-RD or not? Does Leah’s vast fertility – she personally bears half of the twelve tribes of Israel – signify that the pre-Jacob’s Trouble believers are superior to those who come to faith in Messiah in that time, or simply that they had longer to work in the field, as in the parable Yeshua told of those who labored in the final hour of the day were paid the same as those who labored from the start of the day?

When considering these questions, we must always keep in mind that these are shadows, not fulfillments; they are the lives of real people, as well as allusions to future events. Because of this, not all details may fit; but that is the way of shadows, as compared to the reliable consistency of our Fulfilled Promise, the Messiah Yeshua.

Shabbat Shalom.

I bet a GPS device would have come in handy back in Moses’ day, don’t you think? Here’s my commentary on Toldot. Or listen to it!

Shabbat Shalom.

Our parashah for today is Toldot, a Hebrew word that means “generations,” and covers Genesis chapter 25, verse 19 through chapter 28, verse 9. Now, this week’s Torah portion is rich with events that are deep, meaningful, full of symbolism and significance. We witness the birth of the twins who are so unlike each other – Esau and Jacob – and their struggle with each other for position from their birth well into their adult lives. And while there is a lot to learn from their story, today I would like to concentrate on a less explored and often overlooked aspect of this week’s Torah portion.

The situation I would like to spend our time on today begins in:

Genesis 26:7-11
When the men of that place asked him about his wife, he said, “She is my sister,” because he was afraid to say, “She is my wife.” He thought, “The men of this place might kill me on account of Rebekah, because she is beautiful.” When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah. So Abimelech summoned Isaac and said, “She is really your wife! Why did you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac answered him, “Because I thought I might lose my life on account of her.” Then Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the men might well have slept with your wife, and you would have brought guilt upon us.” So Abimelech gave orders to all the people: “Anyone who molests this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”

Now, does this story sound familiar at all? It should, because very similar episodes took place in the life of Isaac’s father, Abraham – not just once, but twice. In Genesis 12, Abram conspires with Sarai to tell the Egyptians he is her brother rather than her husband, because he fears they will kill him if he reveals himself as her husband rather than her brother, due to Sarai’s great beauty. Sure enough, Pharaoh abducts Sarai and attempts to take her as his wife, but the L-RD intervenes. The fact that Sarai was abducted despite Abram’s lie should have shown Abram that trusting in the L-RD, not in deception, was the key to his safety. After all, Abram’s lie did not prevent Sarai’s abduction, but it was the L-RD Himself who inflicted the house of Pharoah to prevent him from violating Sarai.

But did Abram learn his lesson? No, for in chapter 20, Abraham runs the same gambit while in Gerar. The leader there, Abimelech, responds more righteously than Pharaoh, but is offended by Abraham’s deception once he learns the truth.

So, lesson learned, right? No, for we see in this passage from Genesis 26 that Isaac has followed in the footsteps of his father Abraham, and tells Abimelech of Gerar that Rebecca is his sister and not his wife!

Now, this raises a lot of questions. Let’s begin with one of the simplest ones: who is this Abimelech, and just how old is this guy who is around long enough to be offered the same fib by both Abraham and Isaac, father and son? Well, we learn this from the:

Strong’s H0040 ‘Abiymelek
• Abimelech = “Melek is father” or “my father is king” 1) king of Gerar in Abraham’s time 2) king of Gath in David’s time; maybe title of Philistine kings

So, it could be that both Abraham and Isaac attempted the same deception on the same king of Gerar – for Abimelech was indeed a Philistine king – or, if the name is indeed a title rather than a name – like Pharaoh or Caesar – the perhaps Abraham and Isaac dealt with different men bearing the title of Abimelech – which means “my father is king.”

Now that this source of possible confusion is dealt with, let’s explore what this pattern teaches us. The pattern begins with Abraham, who lies not just once, but twice, about his wife being his sister. Of course, this is apparently a half-truth, for, as we read in:

Genesis 20:11-12
Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife.

So, Abraham’s wife was his half-sister; it wasn’t a complete lie, but it wasn’t exactly the truth, either. However, this is not the case with Isaac and Rebecca. You see, Abraham had a brother, Nahor, and with his wife, Milcah, they had a son, Bethuel. Rebekah was the daughter of Bethuel. That means she’s the daughter of Abraham’s brother’s son. So Bethuel is Isaac’s cousin, and therefore Bethuel’s daughter Rebekah is Isaac’s second cousin – I think. All that first cousin, second cousin stuff has always made my head hurt.

Anyway, what is clear is that Rebekah is definitely not Isaac’s sister, as he claims to Abimelech. So why would Isaac make this completely untrue claim, when at least in his father’s case the claim was partially true?

Well, we do know that much of what people learn about how to interact with others and how to get along in the world is learned first and often most powerfully by the example set by parents. This is supported by this passage from:

Exodus 34:6-7
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The L-RD, the L-RD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

In this passage, where the L-RD is revealing his character to Moses, we see this phrase, that children are punished for the sins of the fathers for several generations from the original sin. A similar phrase shows up in the Ten Commands, which should tell us that the L-RD is sharing with us an important truth; and it’s a truth that goes against the conventional wisdom of the world: no sin is committed in a vacuum; it has consequences that can reverberate down throughout several generations.

The lie we too often tell ourselves when we allow ourselves to slip into a sinful choice is all too familiar, isn’t it? “Oh, well, no one will know. I’m only hurting myself.”

Yet that’s not the truth, is it? And it’s not just that the same sin is repeated, but it snowballs throughout the generations; it gets worse and worse and worse.

Consider the example of David, who is called a man after God’s own heart. His sin with Bathsheba was a major sin, but it was also one of the few times he did not obey the L-RD’s commands to that point in his life.

What was the cost to him? Most people would say that it’s the death of David and Bathsheba’s first-born son, the product of their initial, sinful union. But did it end there? No.

David’s core sins were wanting a woman who was not his wife, and committing murder to get her. Let’s look at David’s sons. One of them, Amnon, lusts after his own sister so much that he rapes her. In response, one of David’s other sons, Absalom, eventually kills Amnon out of a desire for vengeance that David never delivers himself. These are ripples of the same sins David committed, repeated in his sons, only magnified.

To this list, David’s son Solomon adds a sin of his own – worshipping false gods, despite ruling from Israel’s throne is wisdom and fairness and faith in the God of Israel for many of his years, because he disobeyed the L-RD when the L-RD told him not to take too many wives, for they would lead his heart astray and cause him to worship other gods.

By the time we get to the sons of Solomon, virtually none of them follow the L-RD, and sins like rape, murder and incest abound, as well as adding to that a split in the kingdom of Israel. It gets really messy quickly, doesn’t it? I think you get the idea.

And we can see this in our own lives and the lives of those we know, can’t we? A parent might read pornography; their child does that, plus is prone to affairs; the grandchild embraces even worse perversions.

Or perhaps a parent has an occasional drink or experiments with drugs; the child becomes a drunk or an addict and by the time the grandchildren grow up, there’s an unusual tendency toward all that and more – be it selling drugs or abusing loved ones. It continues and it snowballs if left unchecked.

Does the old excuse sound a little hollow yet? “Oh, no one will ever know. And besides, I’m only hurting myself.”

History argues against that; the Bible instructs against it. Abraham’s “little white lie” – telling a half-truth about how he was related to Sarah – is already turning into a full-fledged deception by the time his son, Isaac, is married. So, where does our help come from? Who can deliver us from this “body of sin and death?”

We read this cry for help in:

Psalm 79:8-9
Do not hold against us the sins of the fathers; may your mercy come quickly to meet us, for we are in desperate need. Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for Your name’s sake.

Those words are inspiring, especially for those of us who know Who our Savior, our Messiah, is. And the L-RD will indeed forgive us, just as He did David, just as He did Abraham and Isaac, just as He has throughout history.

Yet that inspiring Psalm was written by David who, although forgiven by God, saw so much generational corruption seep into the lives of his direct descendants. Sure, David is the “father” of Messiah Yeshua, but he is also the father of Amnon, Absalom and Solomon, isn’t he? What’s the missing element? Is it only trusting in Messiah Yeshua? After all, David lived generations before Yeshua; he didn’t have the Messiah like we do, right?

Not exactly. David had the promise of Messiah; the only difference between David and ourselves is that David looked forward to the promised Messiah, while we look back to the fulfilled promise of Messiah in the person of Yeshua.

So, what is the missing element? What can help us avoid David’s fate and escape our own generational curses? Well, notice that after David’s sin with Bathsheba, after losing his first son to her, his obedience begins to wane; by the time Amnon has raped his own half-sister, it is David’s lack of response, his lack of concern for judging Amnon that drives Absalom to murder. So could it be that he became less and less obedient to the Torah as time went on?

Gaining not just the forgiveness, but the favor of the L-RD has never been a mystery, it’s just challenging to live out, and a key reminder of how to gain the L-RD’s favor is found right here in this week’s parashah, as the L-RD speaks to Isaac in:

Genesis 26:3-5
Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.”

There it is. That’s the key. Abraham obeyed the L-RD and kept His requirements and commands, His decrees and laws. While we need the forgiveness offered by Yeshua’s sacrifice to make up for our failings, the only way to minimize our failings, and therefore minimize the generational curses we pass on to our children, is to pursue not just salvation, but holy living – sanctification – by seeking to embrace the Torah of God, which is the mind and will of the L-RD for our lives, the mind and will of our Living Torah, the Messiah Yeshua.

Shabbat Shalom.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have three commentaries and two sermons to write and deliver over the next few weeks. The progress report so far? I have two commentaries done or nearly done, one revving its engine, and then I’ll be free and clear to work on the sermons.

That’s a work load that makes me long for a retreat to a Myrtle Beach vacation condo rental, at least in my daydreams. But even without that, it’s quite an honor to be entrusted with two sermons and three deliveries of said sermons by around the time of the first of the year.

I’m glad my prayer life is better now than it was a year ago, or I’d be more stressed out by this; as it is, the writing is going pretty smoothly, and feels like a natural outgrowth of the study and prayer involved. Praise the L-RD!

Toward the end of December, I’ll have the privilege of preaching a full-length sermon… Not once, not even twice, but three times. Well, one of the messages will be preached twice … once each in two different locations … but it’s the most responsibility I’ve been given thus far and I’m certainly looking forward to it.

Of course, I have three commentaries to write before that, but I’m almost done with one and well-studied up on another, so it’s not going to be long before I can zero in on the sermons.

I’m contemplating doing a two-part message and then doing a condensed version of it at the second location. But I’m not sure yet. Several ideas have already occurred to me, including Making It Real, a study of Jonah and a couple other ideas. None of those ideas involve Anilox cleaning, but hey, you can’t have everything, right?

But seriously… I’m leaning right now toward Making It Real… a very ripe topic when it comes to living out one’s faith, rather than just professing it.

It looks like I might be writing a few more Torah commentaries this year than I thought. While I welcome the extra study and opportunities, I’m still glad to see other people involved this Torah year.

Finding good, willing and available Torah commentators is a bit easier than finding quality Ferrari parts, but not by much. It takes a lot of study, and even people who are good at it don’t always have the time to make the commitment.

If I were pursuing any other career, I’m not sure I would, either. It’s completely understandable.

It was a few days late, but on Sunday I was able to throw a nice little birthday get-together for my wife, Andie. She’s not had many good celebrations, so it was nice to surround her with plenty of friends from the congregation we attend, as well as from her earlier life.

The turnout was fantastic; we had 14 people altogether. Because I didn’t stay for service on Shabbat, my wife had to finish out some of the inviting tasks, but it all worked out fine. She was surrounded by friendly faces who wished her well and let her know they appreciated her for who she was.

What more can one ask? Design furniture? I think not!

One thing the last week’s taught me is that the seasonal flu shot is no cure for the common cold. I had my flu shot early this year so when it tried to take me down last week, I had the antibodies built up to largely fight it off within 24 hours.

On the downside, while my bodies defenses were busy with that, a cold/sinus-infection snuck in behind the flu attack and settled in. So, for the first time in nearly a year, I missed service this past Shabbat. Actually, I was there for set-up early on, but I wanted to set an example and protect the health of others by staying home when I know I’m sick. Why spread illness among a group of people that are nearly as close as family?

So my Sabbath was a literal day of rest for me this week, and while that’s fun, I certainly hope this cold/sinus infection goes away soon; I don’t want to repeat this, not even if I received Orlando vacations in return!