Thursday, April 26, 2012

Our prayers can reveal much about our relationship. Let us not be too quick to point fingers at those in scripture.
*Note. I am working on the video voice sync. Hope to have it fixed by next week.

VIDEO

New CD

It took me a while, but I was finally able to interview Daniel and Zack about our trip to Israel. It was great to get their prospective.
ORDER

Ari and Jeremy meet Megan Kelly

The videos from landofisrael.com have made quite an impact around the world. Here is their interview.
VIDEO

Torah Commentary

*This week is a double portion. Instead of combining them, I have written two commentaries.*
Leviticus 12:1-15:33
2Kings 7:3-20
Matthew 9:20-26
Mark 5:24-34
Hebrews 13:4

Tazria (She conceives)

            Weeks had passed since the deaths of Nadav and Avihu. The cloud had not moved for quite some time. The Hebrews found themselves, for the first time since leaving Egypt, with a bit of time on their hands. Their days were growing into a routine of collecting and preparing manna, going about basic daily chores, and even having some time for themselves. Parents now had time to consider schoolwork for their children. Children had time to invent new games to keep them away from the schoolwork.
            Even Moshe found himself with some extra time on his hands. He spent as much time as he could with Aaron and the priests, making sure they did not become complacent with their jobs. He spent his evenings walking in the camp, renewing old friendships and spending time with many of the people he had never met.
            On one of these evenings, he was walking in the midst of the tribe of Dan. He heard the words, "Mr. Moshe," coming from over his right shoulder and turned to see the young Isaac running toward him. "Mr. Moshe," Isaac began, "please come and meet my Abba. I told him all about our meeting with you, and I know he wants to meet you!"
            Moshe followed Isaac through the tents of the tribe of Dan to just on the outskirts of the camp. As he walked up, he noticed the man he figured to be Isaac's father put something behind him, then stand and walk toward him. The man seemed a bit nervous. Moshe did not have time to think more about it as Isaac's excitement took him in a different direction.
            "Abba, I would like you to meet Mr. Moshe," Isaac said. "Mr. Moshe, this is my Abba, Saul.
            The two men exchanged greetings, and Saul invited Moshe to come into his camp and sit next to the fire. "First of all, I am sorry my wife is not here to meet you. She is on the other side of the camp, helping her sister with her newborn son. There were some complications in the delivery, and she had to stay to help," Saul said. "Here, could I offer you a manna cake? It was left over from supper. I am afraid my cooking of manna may not be as good as Isaac's Emma, but it is still warm."
            "No thank you," Moshe replied. "I have already eaten. I am just out walking the camp, getting to know people like yourselves that I never had a chance to meet. Please tell me about yourself and your family."
            Saul began, "Myself and my wife only have the one child, Isaac. My wife has not been able to have more children. I am happy with just having Isaac, though he can be a handful with all his questions. I hope he did not ask you too many when he went to see you."
            "Not at all. I enjoyed his company," Moshe said.
            "In Egypt, he was in the Egyptian schools. I had worked my way into the position of head cook of the palace, and one of my benefits was that Isaac was allowed to go to the Egyptian schools. He never really liked them and never seemed to fit in. I wanted him to get the best education he could."
            Moshe's memory returned to him, "That is where I saw you. Now I remember. It was in the palace. I thought you looked familiar to me."
            "Yes, we met briefly. I was in charge of the whole kitchen," Saul continued. "That is why I am having such a hard time with this manna. I am used to the finest foods Egypt had to offer. I was allowed to take some home to my family as one of my benefits. My family ate very well, even there at the end. In fact, I remember one afternoon just about a week before we left home to come on this journey. We had leftover melons after a feast for some officials. I snuck a whole case of melons back to my house in Goshen. We were living in the house closest to Egypt, so that made it easier. We must have had ten melons just for my family to eat. My wife and Isaac wanted to share with our neighbors, but I told them we would keep them for ourselves."
            Moshe began to feel a tinge of annoyance rising up inside of him. Does this man not have any shame? Why is he telling me of all people about this?
            Saul's face, though, showed very little. "I remember that night after supper, I took Isaac into the small courtyard of our house, and we cut into two of the melons. They were so sweet and juicy. Oh, as I took it to my mouth, the juices just ran down my arms." Saul raised his hands to his mouth as if he was eating the melon. As he did, the sleeves of his robe exposed his forearms.
            Moshe looked at Saul's arms and his anger was replaced with concern. "Saul, have you had the priests look at your rash?"
            Saul saw the look and quickly put his hands down to cover his forearms. "No, it is nothing to worry about. I have some cream I received from the physicians in Egypt before I left. It comes and goes. No worry."
            "Saul," Moshe replied, "I was told by Elohim of something called tzara'at (leprosy) while I was on the mountain. Elohim told me it would be in the form of a rash similar to what you have. It is not caused from outward reasons, but rather from spiritual problems we do not deal with. Shabbat is in two days, and I want you to go and see my brother Aaron about this before Shabbat. Maybe the cream you have been using is helping at times, but you need to get to the source of this."
            With those words, Moshe could see that Saul was a bit agitated. He decided it was time to say goodbye and allow Saul some time to think.
            As he stood, Moshe looked directly at Saul and said, "Saul, this rash that you have may be more serious than you know. It can even affect your wife and family if you do not take care of it. You owe it to Isaac to have this looked into by Aaron. I will be telling him tonight that you will be coming to see him before Shabbat. Please make sure you do."
            Saul simply stared at Moshe. Moshe could see the anger in the other man's eyes. Moshe tried to give the best parting smile he could. He looked to say goodbye to Isaac, but did not see the young man. Moshe nodded to Saul once more and walked away
            Moshe was almost to the edge of the camps of Dan, when he saw Isaac coming toward him. "Mr. Moshe," he began, "I ran around the back way because I did not want my Abba to see me talking with you again. I think my Abba needs help, Mr. Moshe. He is such a great Abba, but I..."
            " Go on" Moshe said.
            "I think that though you brought - well, Elohim through you - brought my Abba out of Egypt. My Abba, is, well, is having a hard time allowing Egypt to come out of him."
            "I can see that Isaac. For now, let us see if he goes to meet Aaron. I will check back after Shabbat to see if he did. You go back to your camp and allow the light of Elohim that you have to shine through you. Pray for your Abba. I will see you both after Shabbat."
            It startled Moshe when Isaac grabbed him and began to hug him. Just as quick as he had grabbed him, without another word, he turned and ran off through the camp. Moshe looked down at his robe and saw a small wet spot on his chest.
            Moshe turned toward the Tabernacle and stared at the cloud that was just now changing to fire. How many Sauls are in this camp, Elohim? How many?

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Torah Commentary

Leviticus 14:1-15:33
2Kings 7:3-20
Matthew 9:20-26
Hebrews 13:4

M'tzora (Person afflicted with tzara'at)

            Moshe did not see Aaron until the morning after Shabbat. His first question was regarding how his meeting went with Saul.
            "Saul?" Aaron thought for a moment. "I am sure there are a number of people in the camp named Saul, but I do not remember talking with any of them in the past week. Why would I have spoken with him?"
            "I was afraid that may have happened." Moshe then told his brother the story of how he had met Isaac after the death of Aaron's sons and his meeting with Isaac's father, Saul, at the end of the last week. "I think we need to go and pay Saul a visit. When is the soonest you can go?"
            Aaron thought for a moment, "I think this is something that should not be put off. Let's go now."
            With that, the two men turned and headed toward the camps of Dan.
            It took Moshe a few minutes to find the tent of Saul again. When he found it, at first it appeared there was no one home. Moshe called out Saul's name and heard a commotion inside the tent. Moshe and Aaron waited and, in a few minutes, Saul stepped out of his tent, closing the tent quickly and tight behind him.
            "Saul, this is my brother Aaron," Moshe said. "He told me that you did not come to see him last week. We wanted to stop by and see how that rash was doing."
            Saul held his sleeves tight to his palms. "It is better today. I told you that ointment the Egyptian doctors gave me would do the job."
            "Do you mind if I take a look at it?" Aaron asked.
            Reluctantly, Saul held his arms out for Aaron to see. Moshe could tell the rash was worse. The look on Aaron's face said it all. Just then, Aaron looked toward the tent of Saul and then to Moshe. "Moshe," Aaron said, "look at the corner of Saul's tent. There is mold on the side. It looks like the mold Elohim told you would happen to houses when we entered into the Promised Land. It is the mold of the unclean."
            The two men turned toward Saul at the same time. Moshe knew he had to confront Saul.
            Before Moshe could say his first words, tears began to stream down the cheeks of Saul. With a broken voice, he said, "What I have done is wrong. I see now that this Elohim is real. He has revealed my sins. Moshe, my wife is not helping with a baby, but has left me. Isaac left last night, and I do not know where he is. My sin is becoming like the Egyptian all the way to my soul. When you brought us out, I was scared. I wanted to keep what had given me security. In my tent, you will find items of Egypt that I have used to bring me a sort of peace. I now see how wrong I was. Elohim has gone to this extreme to reveal my sin. Is it possible for me to be restored?"
            Aaron stepped forward and laid a hand on Saul's shoulder, "We have all had our times of trial in this journey. You are right in that Elohim has shown great love to you. He desires to restore and has given us, through Moshe, instructions on how to be restored."
            Saul thought for a moment and then looked to Aaron. "Where do I begin?"
            Moshe responded first, "With your question, you have already begun. You now must put action to your words and take all that you have told us of outside the camp. It must be buried or burned. Aaron can have one of the priests come to help you if you desire."
            "No," Saul said, "I brought it here. It is my responsibility to remove it."
            With those words, Moshe approached and put his hand on Saul's other shoulder. Saul reached out to shake the hand of Moshe, tears still running down his cheeks. As Moshe clasped the hand of Saul, he looked down at the man's arm. "Aaron, look at this. It appears the rash is already drying up and healing."
            "You think that is something, brother?" Aaron replied. "Look at the side of the tent. The mold is already gone!"
            Saul firmly shook the hands of Moshe and Aaron, in turn. "If you men would excuse me, I have work to do. I want my tent cleaned by nightfall. It is time for my family to serve Elohim and trust Him fully. As soon as the tent is clean, I am going to find my wife and son."
            Moshe and Aaron turned and began to walk back to their camp. They had not but taken a few paces, though, when Saul called out to them. "Who do I see about moving my tent a bit closer to the Tabernacle?"
            "I will check into it today," Aaron replied.
            Moshe and Aaron continued on. No words were needed between the men. They walked on, arms over the other man's shoulders and said in unison, "Baruch HaShem" (Praise God).

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Shalom and Be Strong,

Mike Clayton
Joined To HaShem