Shalom, Chaverym;
This week's parasha is Vayyishlach - וישלח - "And he sent”
Torah readings: B'reishyth 32:4-36:43
Prophets' readings: Ovadyah 1:1-21
Ketuvym Hatalmidym reading: Ya'aqov 1:2-4
Shalom aleykhem, achym, b’shem YHWH Elohey Yisrael ~ Peace to you, my brothers, in the name of YHWH the Mighty One of Yisrael.
Vayomer, lo Ya’akov yeiameir od shimka, ki im Yisrael; ki sariyta im Elohym v’im anashim vatukal ~ “And He said, ‘Thy name shall not be called Ya’akov anymore, but Yisrael; for thou hast striven with Elohym and with men, and hast prevailed.’”
It is nowhere written, “Thou shalt have an easy life, full of vast material riches and free from all hardship, strife and trials.” Although most of us would like it to be so, such a life would defeat the very purpose of our being here on earth.
The new name that Ya’akov was given, “Yisrael,” which is the name by which we are also now called as a people, has often been translated as “Prince of El.” This is a fair translation, but the reason given to Ya’akov in our pesuk for this name was that he had “striven with Elohym and with men.” The word sariyta, from which the word “prince” also derives, connotes strength in the face of adversity — a powerful striving to succeed.
Ya’akov did not have a life of ease, and it was certainly not free of hardship, strife and trials. Nor will ours be. If it were, we would remain as we are: immature and childish supplanters and heel-catchers, full of deceit and guile. It is only through our hardships and trials that we grow and can be molded into the princes that we are meant to be, ascending from the status of worms to that of men, as it is written: “‘Do not fear, you worm Ya’akov, and you men of Yisrael. I shall help you,’ declares YHWH your Redeemer.” Oftentimes, real help from YHWH can only come in the form of hardship and trials.
Ya’akov was far from a perfect man, and so it is with us. In this life, we will face setbacks and temporary failures, as did he. YHWH knows this and understands. The lesson He teaches us in this parshat, and the significance of the name Yisrael, is that Ya’akov never quit trying. He grasped ahold of Elohym Himself and refused to ever let go. He indeed strove with Elohym and with men until he prevailed.
Yehoshua Hamashiach said, “He who endures until the end shall be saved.” Ya’akov Hatzadyk said, “Blessed is the man who does endure trial, for when he has been proved, he shall receive the crown of life which the Master has promised to those who love Him.” In all your lifetimes, brethren, in all of your strivings with both Elohym and men, may you be one of those who never gives up, but instead endures and prevails. You can. By the grace, mercy and spirit of the Mighty One of Yisrael, you too, through your trials, successes, and even through your failures, can become a prince of El.
B'Shalom, Ovadyah
FROM THIS WEEK'S TORAH PORTION - VAYYISHLACH:
"That is why the children of Yisra’el to this day do not eat the sinew of the hip, which is on the socket of the thigh, because He touched the socket of the thigh of Ya’aqov, in the sinew of the hip."
Rabbinical Judaism states that this is a commandment, and that kosher meat cannot contain it. However, no specific Torah command was given by YHWH saying this, and it is not among the forbidden meats listed in the Torah.
So, while it is not a literal commandment, the question still remains, should we eat it, or not? As it says, "the children of Yisra’el to this day do not eat the sinew of the hip."
Here's Part 3 of First Fruits Ministries "Community" series, called: "A Judeo-Christian Ministry": https://firstfruits.cc/blog/20....24/11/09/community-p
So Pharaoh called Abram and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife?
Genesis 12:18
Even the ancient Egyptians recognized the sanctity of marriage. What's wrong with America?
Most people reject “Jesus” because the name they are given is an Anglo-Saxon invention, the character they are given is a Greco-Roman adaptation, and the instruction they are given is a watery American invention.
What the vast majority of people are offered is an alternative version of Who He is, a fictional replacement figure filtered through several foreign cultures, diluted down through the ages, and fashioned in our image. And what is leftover at the end is sold back to us as if it were the original. It’s a lie that’s not hard to see through. And most can with ease. That’s the real reason most folks reject “Jesus”. Not the attitudes of the religious people.
#questioneverything
#getbiblical
#casualjesus
TempleCrier.com/articles
Abram and Sarai were apparently half-siblings. Why did God approve of their marriage? My currently preferred theory is that this wasn't too long after the Flood and their DNA was still in pretty good shape, unlike ours. One evidence for this is their long lifespans. The result is that they weren't likely to pass on the same kinds of genetic disorders that we might.
Some of Abram's tests made him wealthier. This is a metaphor of his developing #faith and relationship with God. Check out this #chiasm in #genesis 12-13 that overlaps a parallelism in Genesis 12-14.
#lechlecha #biblestudy
https://soilfromstone.blogspot.....com/2018/12/chiasm-
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