Olas Shabbos - Parshas Bo

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann and torah.org?

That also through them The האור Light, רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוהYeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

Olas Shabbos by Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann Print Version
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Parshas Bo A Timely Mitzvah In Parshas Bo, the Jews receive their very first mitzvah – Rosh Chodesh: Beis Din (the Jewish court of law) must determine Rosh Chodesh (the first day of the month) by sanctifying the new moon. This month shall be to you the first of months. (12:1) The beginning of the new month is determined by witnesses who testify to having seen the new moon. After Beis Din verifies their testimony, the court formally establishes that day and sanctifies it as Rosh Chodesh. Rashi, at the beginning of parshas Bereishis (1:1), explicitly refers to this mitzvah as the Torah’s very first. But the Rambam (Sefer Ha-Mitzvos) does not count Rosh Chodesh as the Torah’s first mitzvah, opting instead for the first of the Ten Commandments – “to know that there is a G-d.” Clearly, Rashi focuses on the chronological order, in which Rosh Chodesh was given first, while Rambam apparently prefers to count the mitzvos fundamentally, and thus considers believing in G-d – without which all other mitzvos are meaningless – as the primary mitzvah. While both approaches are clearly viable, and aren’t mutually exclusive, it is interesting to consider why the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh was chosen to be the very first of all mitzvos. What is so special about sanctifying the new moon? And what, if any, is the relationship between it and the mitzvah to believe in Hashem, which, as the Rambam writes, is “the basis of all beliefs and the pillar of all wisdom”? According to chassidus, the performance of mitzvos affect not only the person doing the mitzvah, but the object or vessel through which he performs the mitzvah, which becomes holy through its use in doing G-d’s will. To wit, there is nothing inherently holy about challah (the bread we eat on Shabbos, not the small piece that’s separated and given to the Kohen which is also called challah) and wine. But when used to honor Shabbos, they are co-opted as vessels to demonstrate the sanctity of the Day of Rest – and become holy. In aggregate, when we perform mitzvos, we elevate the material world – the lowliest of all spheres – and imbue it with G-dliness. The mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh is unique in that instead of physical objects, it relates to time. Through this mitzvah, we transform a regular day into one with special sanctity. (This is not true of Shabbos. Shabbos does not depend on the Jewish Court to declare it holy; it is holy in and of itself. By guarding the laws of Shabbos, we attune ourselves with the day’s sanctity, but we don’t bring any additional holiness to the day itself.) In this respect, the mitzvah of establishing Rosh Chodesh – which in turn determines the entire Jewish calendar – has an impact not found in other mitzvos. In general, our ability to sanctify the physical world through performing mitzvos is limited to the specific tools we use to perform them. When we do many mitzvos, we elevate the material world on multiple levels. Still, that kedusha (sanctity) is confined to the specific object(s) we use in doing those mitzvos. But the “tool” used to perform the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh is time itself. Beis Din, after verifying that the new moon has appeared, declares the day holy. So while time is one of the few aspects of physical existence over which we have no apparent control (we can neither speed it up or slow it down), the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh gives us control over time – to sanctify it and imbue it with holiness. Ibn Ezra is puzzled by the Torah’s brief treatment of Rosh Chodesh: Moshe doesn’t spell out how years and months are established or what we’re supposed to do if the calendar gets out of sync. How is it possible that he goes to great lengths to explain the laws of the Metzora (leper) – which affects just one man at one time – but is so vague about the laws of Rosh Chodesh, which affect every Jew at every moment? He answers that the Torah is intentionally vague about the details of Rosh Chodesh in order to establish that the final ruling depends on the judgment of Beis Din. In other words, by leaving out the fine details, the Torah is stressing that while Hashem established the framework of Rosh Chodesh, it is up to the Sages of each generation to decide and implement its laws. Indeed, Chazal, our Sages say, that even if Beis Din mistakenly establishes the wrong day as Rosh Chodesh (which could potentially mean we also observe Pesach or Rosh Hashana etc. on the wrong day), their ruling stands. Kedushas Levi explains that our ability to determine the calendar is so powerful that, to the extent that we can express it, it gives us veto power over Hashem: It shall be for you the first of the months of the year. The First, he says, is an allusion to the Holy One, Blessed is He – who precedes time and creation. Through the mitzvah of Rosh Chodesh, The First – that is Hashem, is yours – i.e. the Torah has made you the arbiters of Hashem’s will in this world. A couple months after leaving Egypt, Hashem told Moshe he wanted to give the Jews the Torah. Chazal say Hashem intended to give the Torah on the sixth day of Sivan, but Moshe added another day to give them more time to prepare, and the Torah was ultimately given on the seventh. Mefarshim explain that this is why Shavuos, which coincides with Mattan Torah, is referred to as Zeman Mattan Toraseinu – the time the Torah became ours. When Hashem gave us the Torah, he didn’t just share His blueprint for the world with us; He also put us in control of its interpretation forever more (within the guidelines taught by Moshe). Indeed, we find at times in the Talmud that laws are established according to the understanding of our Sages, even when their interpretation potentially clashes with Hashem’s original intent. So while it’s true that the mitzvah to believe in G-d is the basis of all mitzvos, it’s also true that the understanding and interpretation of G-d’s will – through studying and expounding on the holy Torah – has been transferred to His nation. And thus both mitzvos – belief in G-d and Rosh Chodesh, which establishes our ability to dictate the hows and whens of G-d’s will – rightly deserve a dual billing atop the mitzvah count. Have a good Shabbos. Olas Shabbos, Copyright &copy 2011 by Rabbi Eliyahu Hoffmann and Torah.org Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning Revolution! Torah.org: The Judaism Site brings this and a host of other classes to you every week. Visit http://torah.org or email learn@torah.org to get your own free copy of this mailing. Permission is granted to redistribute, but please give proper attribution and copyright to the author and Torah.org. Both the author and Torah.org reserve certain rights. Email copyrights@torah.org for full information.

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Genetic Memory Part II

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

Key of David - Zechariah's Patrol Report?

That also through them The האור Light, רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוהYeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

Prophetic Insights: Seeing Events From Heaven's Throne Room

Genetic Memory Part II "Etz Yoseph Project" (The Stick of Joseph) by Alex Perdomo M.D., and Georgina Chan Perdomo M.D. Shalom, In Genetic Memory Part I, we saw that after many generations, the 10 northern tribes were scattered throughout the world without knowledge of who they were. At some point, one generation would arise where the dormant memories stored in their genes for many generations would suddenly turn on, and they would: 1) Hear the Word of God and become Biblical Christians; 2) REMEMBER who their ancestors are; and 3) Return to Haaretz (The Land of Israel). The trigger that the Lord uses to turn on that genetic memory is usually the Word of God (the voice of Yeshua); but other times the trigger for that ancient memory may be the Torah, the land of Israel, the love for the Jews, the Hebrew language, the shofar, the music, the dances, the Feasts of the Lord or even Shabbat. We call the above phase one, or the "Faith Phase." Maybe the Lord has designed a phase two, as DNA testing, by allowing us to find the changes in the DNA sequence of the Y-chromosome to identify the twelve tribes of Israel. In the Bible YHVH has established the identification of the Israelites and the tribes through the paternal line. Numbers 1:1 Now the Lord spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 "Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male individually. Following His guidance, we want to ask Family Tree DNA to test 37 markers of the Y-chromosome of those males that believe that they are Israelites by faith. This test will only tell us today, to which geographical group the individual belongs to, by determining the Y- Haplogroup. It may confirm if that person has Jewish ancestors by comparing our 37- genetic markers with those of the 169,000 Jews that have already been tested by Family Tree DNA. Please read in this link the thoughts of Bennet Greenspan, the CEO of Family Tree DNA, regarding: Can DNA testing confirm Jewish ancestry? If you are a female, the DNA test can be done on your paternal brother, paternal cousin, paternal uncle, paternal grandfather or your father. They all have the same Y-Chromosome. Females do not have the Y-Chromosome; they still carry 23 chromosomes of their father, which makes ½ of the DNA make up of the ladies identical to their dads. So you would belong to the same tribe as your Dad. The Lord specifies in the Bible that the 12 tribes will be identified at end times, so at least three prophesies could be fulfilled: 1) Return to Israel... Zechariah 10:6 --"I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; for I am the Lord their God, And I will hear them. 2) Sealed as part of the 144,000... Revelation 7: 4 --And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed. 3) Land allotted during the millennium... Ezekiel 47: 21 --"Thus you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It shall be that you will divide it by lot as an inheritance for yourselves, and for the strangers who dwell among you and who bear children among you. They shall be to you as native-born among the children of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And it shall be that in whatever tribe the stranger dwells, there you shall give him his inheritance," says the Lord God. With the 37 genetic-marker test of the DNA of the Y-chromosome, we will not be able to tell at the present time to which tribe each of us belong. We would only be able to tell if we have Jewish ancestry according to the database built by Family Tree DNA. However, we would have contributed to the process of the identification of the twelve tribes of Israel. The hope is that as we compare the 37-markers in the Y-Chromosome of those people that believe that they belong to the Israelites, that we will be able to identify, something different and specific for each tribe in the Y chromosome. Also, the DNA of each individual that decides to have the test completed will be preserved in the Family Tree DNA Bank for 25 years, if ever further testing is needed in the future to identify the tribes. This is the way that the Kohanim gene of the priests of Israel was identified. They tested the Y-Chromosome of men that claimed that they were Cohen, priest of YHVH, and they found the specific and different genetic marker for the Kohanim priest in 70% of them. If you want to read more go to: More http://www.cohen-levi.org/jewish_genes_and_genealogy/the_dna_chain_of_tradition.htm If the Lord placed a distinct genetic marker or sequence of the letters A C T G in the Y-chromosome (please refer to Genetic memory Part 1) then we hope that He will let us see it in the test. For example, we would find similarities as we compare the sequence of the DNA in all those that believed that they belong to a specific tribe, like Naphtali. To have 12 of these distinct genetic markers means that a change had to occur in the sequence of the DNA, A C T G in 12 cases, one for each tribe. We call these changes mutations. We would need 12 mutations of the DNA. Since it is Jacob, the father of the 12 Tribes, we think the mutation must have happened in Jacob's DNA sperm, before he had his twelve sons. As we read in the Torah, before Jacob begot his 12 sons, one of the most significant encounters of Jacob with YHVH is during his "dream" with the ladder at Bethel. Genesis 28: 10 Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. 11 So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. 12 Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: "I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. 14 Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. 15 Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." 16 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." 17 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!" After Jacob received the blessing a second time from Isaac, and had the dream in Bethel which deals exactly with the descendants of Israel, at the "gate of heaven." It is possible at this point that the Lord may have caused 12 mosaic mutations, so each of the individual sperm of Jacob could have one of these 12 distinctive markers in the Y chromosomes. When Family Tree DNA tests for the 37 genetic markers in the Y-chromosome, they will report to each individual and also to the project manager, the specific sequence of letters of the DNA in the Y-Chromosome on 37 short tandem repetitions of the letters A C T G for that individual. We could look at the sequences and identify common mutations or changes in the letter sequence for each person that claims to belong to each tribe. They would look at the mutations that happened as often as a few hundred generations ago, called the SNP. If a man is able to have his first child by age 20-40, and Jacob lived about 4,000 years ago, then we have about 100-200 genetic generations, which will fit with our hypothesis. In Wikipedia you find the definition of SNP as: "A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP, pronounced snip) is a DNA sequence variation occurring when a single nucleotide - A, T, C, or G - in the genome (or other shared sequence) differs between members of a species or paired chromosomes in an individual. For example, two sequenced DNA fragments from different individuals, AAGCCTA to AAGCTTA, contain a difference in a single nucleotide. In this case we say that there are two alleles: C and T. Almost all common SNPs have only two alleles." Now before we do the Y-Chromosome 37-marker test, we need each person to answer the following five questions. These questions have to do with your genetic memory awakening and hence the belief of belonging to Messiah Yeshua first, then to Israel, and last, to which tribe. The hardest part will be to specifically identify the tribe. We will try to pick one tribe by each person looking at the characteristics of each one according to the Bible, including the blessings given to each of the twelve sons by Jacob in Genesis 30, and then by Moses in Deuteronomy 33. The blessings or gifts from the Lord are irrevocable, and He said that the blessings will pass to the future generations. So, most of us should be able to look at the blessings that we have today and see to which tribe these blessings were given by YHVH. Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Deuteronomy 28:2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God: Notice that the blessings are contingent on obeying the voice of the LORD, which is the Word of YHVH. For example: 1) Do you love boats, navigation, and the seas? That blessing was given to Zebulun, and that may be your tribe. Genesis 49:13 2) Are you involved in the teaching of the Torah? That blessing was given to Levi. Deuteronomy 33:8:11 3) Are you eloquent with words? That blessing was given to Naphtali. Genesis 49:21 4) Do you work with livestock? That blessing was given to Ruben and Gad. Numbers.7:25-35 5) Are you successful with money and happy at the same time? Is there longevity in your family and women with the gift of prophecy? Those blessing were given to Asher. Deuteronomy 33:24-25 (Ana from the N.T. that receives Yeshua as a baby in the Temple and prophesied over Him was from the tribe of Asher. Luke 2:36) 6) Are you involved in the military? That blessing was given to Simeon. "Mighty men of valor fit for war" 1 Chronicles 12:25 7) Are you musicians and/or dancers? Those blessing are given to Levi (Miriam, Moses's sister Exodus 15:20; also the Levites serving at the Temple), and to Judah (King David, 2 Samuel 6:14 & The Psalms). 8) Do you know the times we live in and are hard working? That blessing is given to Issachar. Genesis 49:14-15; 1 Chronicles 7:5 9) Do you have dreams that later on become true? Or are successful in agriculture? Those blessing were given to Joseph. Genesis 37:5; Deuteronomy 33:13-17 10) Are you into archery and are accurate in target shooting, besides being interested in the military? Or are you a leader in your community as was King Saul? Or love the word of YHVH and evangelize the world, even unto death like the apostle Paul? Those blessing were given to Benjamin Genesis 49:27; 1 Chronicles 12:2; 1 Samuel 9:21; Romans 11:1 11) Are you a craftsman with the ability to teach others? That blessing was given to the tribe of Dan. Exodus 35:34 12) Do you have good fortune? That blessing was given to Gad. Genesis 30:11; Deuteronomy 33:20-21 13) Do you believe that YHVH can do great things for His people through you, even though you are weak? That blessing was given to Gideon, of the tribe of Manasseh. Judges 6:15 14) Are you physically strong as Samson, or are you a judge? Those blessing were also given to the tribe of Dan. Judges 13; G49:16-17 15) Is your family numerous? Are there in your family women with leadership and prophecy gifts, able to judge? These gifts were given to Deborah, of the tribe of Ephraim. Genesis 41:52; Judges 4:5; Review the above characteristics of the 12 tribes according to the Word of God, pray on it and let us know. We have set up a DNA study called the Etz Yoseph project with Family Tree DNA, in Houston Texas. Dr. Georgina Chan Perdomo will be the project coordinator. Both Family Tree DNA and the project coordinator will notify you of your results regarding probabilities of having Jewish ancestry. Also we will let you know if we find information that identifies genetically the twelve tribes. Instructions if you want to have the Y- 37 DNA test marker done: A) Notify us by e-mail of your answers to the five questions below, send to Gemelka@yahoo.com: (We thank Angus Wootten who helped us with the composition of the questions below) 1) Do you believe that Messiah Yeshua is the Savior of the World and have submitted to His Lordship under the light of the 66 books found in the Word of YHVH? 2) Do you believe that you are a physical descendant of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? 3) If your answer to question (2) was no, do you believe that in some manner by faith in Messiah Yeshua you have become Abraham's seed? (Gal 3:29). 4) Regarding the present division of Israel, do you feel that you are from the stick of Judah and his companions of Israel, or from the stick of Joseph which is in the hands of Ephraim and his companions of Israel? 5) If you had to pick a tribal gate of the original twelve tribes to enter into the New Jerusalem, which one would you pick? (See twelve tribes' characteristics questions above.) B) Go to www.familytreedna.com 1) Type Etz_Yoseph in the search box for surnames, in the upper right hand side. 2) You will find Etz_Yoseph under projects. (The name will not be under surnames). 3) Click on Etz_Yoseph. There will be information about the project there. 4) You will need to fill the form with some information about your oldest known ancestor, and request to enter the project Etz Yoseph. 5) The project administrator (Georgina Perdomo) will send you via e-mail an acceptance letter with the questions to help you identify the tribe that you may belong to by faith; according to the blessings given to the 12 tribes by Jacob and Moses in the Bible. You will also receive instructions on how to order the DNA kit at that time. It is painless to obtain the DNA samples. The instructions on how to obtain the sample of DNA from your cheeks is given at the www.familytredna.com Etz_Yoseph site, on your right hand side, where it says: DNA Test Kit Instructions, View our test kits. Disclaimer: Alex C. Perdomo M.D. and Georgina Chan Perdomo M.D. do not receive any financial benefit from Family Tree DNA, nor Zachariah Patrol, nor any other entities for our involvement in this project. This is the charge exclusively from Family Tree DNA to do the DNA testing, because it is a group, Family Tree DNA has decreased the price from the original $169.00 to $149.00 per test. May all the glory be to YHVH! 1 Chronicles 29:11 -- Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, And You are exalted as head over all. May the Lord kindle a fire in our hearts to continue working in the restoration of the Kingdom of Israel! Alex C. Perdomo MD Georgina Chan Perdomo MD A web site for information on the project of etzyoseph.org is under construction. Robert Joseph Roy, Professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College, our son in law, will be helping to set up the web-site. This site will include a chart for the twelve tribes' characteristics according to the blessings of YHVH in the Bible. If the 15 questions above are not enough and you need the chart before the site is up, you can answer the first four questions and leave the last one for later...Happy searching for your tribe! Your thoughts and comments. This is a team effort, so we would like to hear your thoughts and comments. To share them, go to ZechariahsPatrol.com. Click on the title of the report you would like to comment on, then go to the end of the report. There, you can post your comments and review comments made by others. And if your comments contain questions we will answer them. At Key of David Publishing words are very important to us. So it is that we are pleased to present to you a new publication. It is a light, and yet most satisfying fare. It is economically priced so you can feed it to the masses. It is pleasing to the eye and pleasant to the palate. It is our newest book, Who Is Israel? Redeemed Israel - A Primer. This powerful and concise 96 page book readily defines our Israelite faith. It lifts up the Messiah and points us toward the restoration of the whole House of Israel. Those who proof-read the manuscript have said that this is Batya's best work ever! It is an easy read that gets the essentials of our faith across in a short time. It includes charts and graphics, plus chapters that can be used as an outline for Bible Studies. Most importantly, this encouraging little book points the way toward the glory that lies ahead for those of Redeemed Israel. You will surely be blessed and inspired as you read this informative little book - so be sure to order additional copies for friends and loved ones! We believe you will want to give a copy of it to everyone you know! Who Is Israel? Redeemed Israel - A Primer, will be rolling off the press tomorrow January 7, 2011, and we will be shipping next week. Who Is Israel? Redeemed Israel - A Primer will be available as a 96 page paperback book, as an audio book on CD, it will be down loadable to Iphones and similar devices, and as an electronic book that can be read on Ipads and similar devices, plus we are making a PowerPoint video teaching that is based on the book. This latest work is now at the printer and is scheduled to be shipped on January 7, 2011. Special prepublication prices are available on all pre-orders placed prior to January 7, 2011. To order books go to Key of David Marketplace To download the Table of Contents, Foreword, Introduction and the First Chapter at no cost go to Book Sample Chapters. Previous Postings Zachariah's Patrol Reports in 2011 DNA Testing for Ephraim and His Companions Zachariah's Patrol Reports in 2010 Peace and Security The Menorah and the Christmas Tree Our Israelite Faith - What Should We Believe? Hanukkah - the Feast of Dedication Decoding the Priesthood Genetic Memory Part I Zionist Christians might be from Israel's "Ten Lost tribes" There is Another... Open Letter to Pope Benedict XVI Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right Fulfilling Your Destiny! Worldwide Response to the Letter to the Prime Minister Mr. Prime Minister, Help Ephraim and Bring Him Back to the Land Lord, Is It Now...? Running Israel's Restoration Marathom Battle for Israel 2010 - The Importance of Numbers Israeli-Palestinian Talks at an Impasse - Time for Decision A Personal Visit to Heaven's Throne Room Why Does God Allow His People To Suffer? Approaching God - Terms and Consequences The Challenge of Being a Watchman The Story of the Rest of Your Life Zachariah's Vision and "The Quartet" Key of David of Publication Updates Who Are You? and Where Are You Going? Ephraim, My First Born, Can You Hear Me? Yom Teruah or Roah HaShanah? The End-time Call of Yom Teruah I Am YHVH We encourage you to listen to a new song, written by Batya and recorded by our friend, Will Spires. The song is titled "I AM YHVH" and it is truly inspiring. You might want to listen to it before you pray. The song is about the Father's heart cry for His chosen people: Judah and Ephraim. You can hear it as you enter the Zachariah's Patrol website or Key of David Marketplace, and it can be downloaded for free at Key of David Marketplace. Several people have asked for the song on a CD so they can play it in their cars. So we have made available at Key of David Marketplace. a CD that has seven renditions of the song for $4 (to cover shipping and handling costs). Upcoming Events The Messianic Israel Alliance Southwest Regional Conference will be held in Henderson, Nevada, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, January 28-30, 2011. For more information go to Upcoming Events Contact Information Key of David Publishing's Books are available at the Messianic Israel Alliance Marketplace (Phone 800-829-8777). They also are available at Key of David Publishing Marketplace, where Bookstores, Ministries, and Way Stations are eligible for a quantity discount. Websites to visit: Messianic Israel Alliance The MIA will help you to understand the Hope of Messianic Israel plus Messianic Israel Inclusion Theology. The MIA gives you the options of being an Ally, Friend or a Partner in restoring the Kingdom to Israel. Bnai' Ephraim International This is the premier online presence that advocates for this generation's sons and daughters of Ephraim. Zechariah's Patrol Reports This exciting site offers an abundance of prophetic insights that will help you see how events on earth and in our own lives are viewed from Heaven's Throne Room. To support Key of David and Zachariah Patrol Reports go to Key of David Marketplace. Or to the Messianic Israel Alliance. Or send snail mail to Key of David, PO Box 700217, Saint Cloud, FL 34770. Or call us at 407-344-7700.

The Timeless Rav Hirsch - Parshas Bo

Can we do תפילות prayers for:

Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein and torah.org?

That also through them The האור Light, רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוהYeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

The Timeless Rav Hirsch by Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein Print Version
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Parshas Bo The Moral High Road is a Two Lane Street1 Please speak in the ears of the people. Let each man request of his fellow and each woman from her fellow silver vessels and gold vessels. Hashem granted the people favor in the eyes of Egypt. Moreover, the man Moshe was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of the servants of Paroh, and in the eyes of the people. It is easy to understand just how Hashem granted His people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. He provided them with a powerful demonstration of the character of the Jewish people. It was so powerful, that it was able to eradicate generations of stereotypes and contempt. For three days, the Egyptians were immobilized by the plague of darkness. Everything they possessed was available to the Jews for the taking. Moreover, they themselves were fair game to anyone seeking vengeance and reprisal for all the horrors inflicted upon the slave-nation by their Egyptian masters. When the Egyptians began to see again, it was not only with a sense of relief at having survived their ordeal, but of disbelief that they and their possessions had emerged unscathed and unmolested. Their dwellings were fully in order; nothing at all was missing. The Jews, free to help themselves of whatever they pleased – and with good reason to do so – had taken nothing at all. In an instant, they comprehended the moral nobility of the people with whom they had dealt so unjustly. Moshe, the leader of that people, achieved stature in their eyes for guiding them to moral greatness. This – not all the plagues he had visited upon them – made him great in their eyes. The Jews must have sensed their triumph, and understood that they had laid firm and unambiguous claim to the moral high road. Once in possession of it, they would not part with it easily. This is why they had to be urged and cajoled (“Please speak”) to ask their newly-found admirers for gifts. Having tasted the sweet taste of moral significance, they were unwilling to trade away any part of it for money. Accepting money – blood money - from their erstwhile oppressors would buy some atonement for the Egyptians, and narrow the moral gap between the two peoples. Why, then, did Hashem want them to accept the reparations? The Jews stood on the threshold of genuine peoplehood. They would cross the border of Egypt as a nation, not a huge collection of individuals. Hashem was already looking towards the future, shaping their future well-being at the very moment that he was sculpting them into a complete nation. He was concerned about their future. Their material prosperity was no small part of it. The foundation of that prosperity should be strong, and He wanted the first deposit into their account to be made by outsiders who had recognized the moral greatness of Hashem’s chosen people. The first installment in their savings plan should be elevated above the ordinary by linking it to a Jewish success in spreading awareness of Hashem and His teaching. We had to make a bit of room on the moral highway for repentant Egyptians to accomplish this, but in His love for His people, Hashem deemed it a price worth paying. Participatory Democracy 1012 Moshe said, “With our young people and with our old people we will go. With our sons and our daughters, with our flock and our cattle we will go, because it is a festival of Hashem for us. Paroh asks, “How many of you, exactly, is this worship service of yours going to involve? Make the number reasonable, and we will think about it.” Moshe responds, “The arithmetic is pretty simple. We all go!” Paroh counters, “That is absurd. It is not going to happen.” Moshe stands his ground. “We’re not negotiating. After all, it is a festival of our G-d. If these negotiations are not going anywhere, it may be time to roll out the next plague.” The exchange strikes us as a battle of wits and determination. Moshe simply raises the ante against whatever Paroh is ready to offer. This really isn’t so, though. Moshe’s insistence that it is a festival of Hashem for us adds nothing to the argument, if we are looking at nothing more than a clash of strong wills. Instead, it is a lesson in comparative religion. Paroh thought that divine service meant discharging some responsibility to the gods. Give these deities what they need, or what they want, and they will reciprocate with their power and influence. There is no reason why the message and the accompanying tribute cannot be brought by suitable representatives acting on behalf of others. Moshe tells Paroh that he has it all wrong. Serving G-d is not about delivering messages and gifts. Therefore, there is no room for priests, intermediates, substitutes. We do not serve Hashem with what we give Him, but with ourselves. When G-d calls us, He wants us, not something from us. There are no exceptions. The smallest baby goes, as well as all our possession, i.e. our extended selves. We are, moreover, a community, and all of our members are equal before G-d. The word festival, chag, is related to the word for “circle.” When He calls, we all gather around, as in a circle, to be with Him. Spending time in His Presence is itself a form of service, albeit one that Paroh cannot fathom, being completely foreign to the pagan conception of the relationship between Man and a Deity. Moshe’s response to Paroh is one more in a series of lessons that Hashem wished communicated to the world. 1. Based on the Hirsch Chumash, Shemos 11:2-3 2. Based on the Hirsch Chumash, Shemos 10:9 Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning Revolution! Torah.org: The Judaism Site brings this and a host of other classes to you every week. 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Rabbi Zweig - Parshas Bo

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Rabbi Yochanan Zweig and torah.org?

That also through them The האור Light, רפואה The Healing and The ואהבה Love of ישועת יהוהYeshuath YHWH may come back to הארץ The Land of Israel?

Rabbi Zweig on the Parsha by Rabbi Yochanan Zweig Print Version
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Parshas Bo Do Not Resist "And you shall safeguard the matzos"(12:17) The literal interpretation of the verse is that one should approach the preparation of the matzos with extreme caution, for the slightest delay could cause the dough to become "chameitz" - "leavened", thereby invalidating the matzos for use on Pesach. Rashi cites a Midrashic interpretation which states that by changing the vowels, the word "matzos" can be read as "mitzvos", making the verse an injunction requiring us to perform all mitzvos with "zrizus" - "alacrity"; When a person has the opportunity to perform a mitzva, he should not allow it to become "leavened", rather he should perform it immediately.. The comparison that the Midrash draws between the preparation of matzos and the performance of mitzvos raises the following difficulty: If a person prepares the matzos without the necessary alacrity, he invalidates them. However, while not the preferred manner, procrastination in the performance of mitzvos does not invalidate them. Additionally, the following Talmudic dictum requires explanation: "A person should always involve himself in Torah and mitzvos, even with improper motivation, for through their performance, he will come to do them with the proper motivation." Why does the performance of a mitzva with improper motivations have merit, while the performance of a mitzva with proper motivations but without alacrity is compared to valueless chameitz? If a woman sends her child to buy some groceries, he goes out of a sense of obligation to his mother. If, when he returns, his mother informs him that she forgot a certain item, the child will make another trip to the store, albeit reluctantly. If this scenario persists, each time the mother asks him to make another trip, the child's reluctance will build, until he will get to the point where he resents his mother having asked him to go in the first place. He may, in fact, even voice his resentment by speaking disrespectfully to his mother. It would have been preferable for his mother not to have asked him to go altogether, for what began as an act of respect, spiraled into a flagrant display of disrespect. However, if the mother would offer her child a monetary incentive, then the child would perform the task happily. The explanation for this is as follows: The longer a person performs a task with resistance, the greater his reluctance will be. He will reach a point of such great resentment, that he will loathe performing this task. However, incentives would alleviate his reluctance, and he may even come to enjoy performing the task. Maimonides teaches that we should create incentives to get our children such as giving them candy to perform mitzvos so that they relate to the experience in a positive manner[3]. This is probably the pathology behind every synagogue having a "candy man". Experience has shown us that if we force our children to go to shul and the experience is a negative one, at the point where we no longer wield that control over them, they will stop going. If however, they identify the experience as a positive one, albeit for the wrong reasons, chances are they will continue to go. Hopefully, they will then grow to love the experience for the appropriate reasons. A person may have the correct intentions in the performance of a mitzva, but if he performs it in a lax manner, he indicates that he is doing it with resistance. This resistance can grow to the point where he loathes the performance of the mitzva. Therefore, Chazal refer to a mitzva performed without alacrity as chameitz. On the other hand, if a person performs a mitzva enthusiastically, he may come to love the performance of that mitzva, even if that enthusiasm is generated by rewards or incentives. Therefore, Chazal encourage such behavior. 1.12:17 2.Pesachim 50b 3.Hilchos Teshuva 10:5 The Talmud in Pesachim makes the same point as to how to keep children involved at the seder. Double Trouble Come to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart stubborn..." (10:1) Last week's parsha, Parshas Va'eira contains seven of the ten "makkos" - "plagues" inflicted upon Miitzrayim. Parshas Bo records the remaining three. Why are the makkos divided over two parshios? The preamble to the three makkos in this parsha includes Hashem's instruction to Moshe to appear before Pharaoh as well as the requirement to relate to our children the miracles which Hashem performed on our behalf. Both of these messages are applicable to all ten makkos; why are they recorded at this juncture? Bnei Yisroel were commanded to apply the blood of the Pascal lamb to their door posts and lintels[1]. The merit of fulfilling this commandment would protect them from harm during "makkas bechoros" - "the death of the firstborn". Furthermore, at the time of the makkah the verse states that Hashem "pasach" - "passed over" the Jewish-owned houses. Rashi comments that "pasach" also translates as "had mercy"[2]. All of the previous plagues struck only the Mitzrim and no special protection was necessary. Why did makkas bechoros require new merit and an extra measure of mercy? Rashi cites a Midrash which states that the ten makkos followed a calculated war strategy. When an attacking army wants the enemy to capitulate, they begin by cutting off their enemy's water supply. If the enemy refuses to submit, psychological warfare is waged to bring them to their knees. Similarly, Hashem first attacked the Mitzrim's water supply. Failing to submit brought upon the Mitzrim the frogs which emitted a terrible sound, instilling the entire nation with fear. The Midrash offers a second explanation as to Hashem's motivation for bringing the ten makkos. The makkos inflicted upon Pharaoh were directed at all the elements which he used to enslave Bnei Yisroel. The plagues were a concerted punitive action against the Mitzri enslavement machine[3]. What emerges from these two Midrashim is the understanding that the plagues served a dual purpose; they were used to force Pharaoh to submit to the will of Hashem and they were punitive in nature, punishing the Mitzrim for having enslaved the children of Hashem. Although after the seventh plague Pharaoh had already capitulated proclaiming "Hashem is the Righteous One, and I and my people are the wicked ones"[4], Moshe was informed that Hashem had strengthened Pharaoh's resolve not to set Bnei Yisroel free. It now becomes apparent that there is a second purpose to the makkos, for even after Pharaoh had acceded to Hashem's demands, the plagues continued. This purpose is the fulfillment of Hashem's promise to Avraham "But also the nation that they shall serve I will judge"[5]. The punishment is not complete until after all ten makkos have been meted out. The demarcation of the parshios represents the two dimensions of the makkos. Since the focus of the first seven is the submission of Pharaoh whereas the remaining makkos are solely punitive in nature, this is the appropriate juncture for the division of the parshios. When the basis of the plagues was to elicit Pharaoh's submission, Bnei Yisroel did not require their own merit as protection. However, when the plagues became purely punitive in nature and the Attribute of Justice was unleashed, Bnei Yisroel themselves became subject to scrutiny and required their own merit to ward off retribution. Moshe, aware of this, was reluctant to go before Pharaoh after the seventh makkah. Thus, it became necessary for Hashem to instruct Moshe that he must inform Pharaoh that the plagues would continue. The Attribute of Justice manifested itself in the plague of darkness; Rashi cites the Midrash which states that eighty percent of Bnei Yisroel were decimated under the cover of darkness so that the Mitzrim would not witness their punishment[6]. The message which we relate to our children is that aside from sending forth miracles against Mitrayim to ensure our emancipation, Hashem also punished the Mitzrim for having enslaved us. 1.12:23 2.12:13 3.Tanchuma Bo 4 4.9:27 5.Bereishis 15:14 6.13:18 Questions or comments? Email feedback@torah.org. Join the Jewish Learning Revolution! Torah.org: The Judaism Site brings this and a host of other classes to you every week. Visit http://torah.org or email learn@torah.org to get your own free copy of this mailing. Permission is granted to redistribute, but please give proper attribution and copyright to the author and Torah.org. Both the author and Torah.org reserve certain rights. Email copyrights@torah.org for full information.

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