P’kudei (Accounting) Exodus/Sh’mot 38:21-40:38
P’kudei(Accounting)Exodus/Sh’mot 38:21-40:38
Haftorah Reading: I Kings 7:40-8:21
Tonight we finish the book of Exodus. Let’s take just a moment and think of how far this book has taken us. We began this book seeing Jacob and his children going down to Egypt. Then we read tonight about the people leaving Egypt behind and beginning their forty year boot camp in the desert. This forty years was school for these former slaves. This time of learning was not just for them but for us as well. Even with all their failures G-d never gave up on them nor does He give up on us. He called them His prized possession. Think of that whenever you fall. Our G-d is a loving G-d and wants the best for each of us. All He requires is our faith and our obedience to follow Him each day.
Beha’alotcha (He Lifted Up) (Numbers) B’Midbar 8-12
Torah Portion: Beha’alotcha(He Lifted Up) (Numbers) B’Midbar 8-12
Haftorah Reading: Zechariah 2:14-4:7
This Torah section begins with the lighting of the Menorah in the Mishkan/Tabernacle for the first time. In the first three verses we read where G-d tells Moshe to relate to Aaron the instructions on the process he was to follow. There are a couple of interesting things that stand out in these verses. In Numbers 8:2 we read in English, “When you light.” The actual Hebrew word means, “When you lift up.” Here we get an idea of what the real purpose of the candles was. The Menorah symbolizes among other things, the light of G-d, the way to the Father. So we could see these verses as saying, “Lift up the light of the Father that people can find their spiritual way, that we can find our way in this world.” Really, here the words have much more to say to us than just a physical act of lighting the candles, but of lighting our way by being lifted up. It might give us a deeper understanding of John 12:32 where we read the words of Yeshua being lifted up and drawing people to Him. The ultimate purpose of that lifting up is that we should be filled with a longing to satisfy our Father. We look for ways to please Him and our own desires pale in comparison. This gives us a deeper understanding of the verses in Numbers 9:6-12 which covers the request of the men who missed Pesach/Passover because they were unclean from being in contact with a dead body. They came to Moshe and asked why they could not have the opportunity to fulfill Passover. Moshe went to G-d and G-d issued an additional commandment that allowed these men to celebrate Passover in the second month since they missed the appointed time in the first month.