LUZBY BERNAL

viernes, 29 de julio de 2011

Weekly Torah: Masei


Footsteps of Messiah – Parasha Ma’sei


steps mashiach  |  Footsteps of Messiah   Parasha Masei
Weekly Sidra: Ma’sei (Journeys)
Torah Portion: 
Bamidbar/ Numbers 33:1-36:13
Haftorah: 
Yermiyahu / Jeremiah 2:4-28; 4:1-4:2
Bamidbar 33:1 These are the journeys of the Children of Israel when they went out from the Land of Mitzrayim in their legions by the hand of Moshe and Aaron.
אלה מסעי Eleh ma’asei - Hashem recounts the stages of the journey of Israel throughout the 40 years in the desert. A first it seems to be redundant, but we know that the Torah is not a document that wastes words, and each and every word is a world unto itself which holds spiritual meaning beyond the black and white of the scroll. Within the forty two stages of the sidra is the secret 42 Name of Hashem.[1] This understanding connects the end of the Torah[2] with the beginning of the Torah. For from the words, “In the Beginning,” until the words “which G-d created to make”[3] also contain the Name.[4] This is the reason we read continuously and not break up the creation narrative during the synagogue service as to not break up His Name.[5]
With this in mind we can see that by naming the stages of travel and connecting them to locale, Hashem is telling us that it was Him Who brought us to the various places and was in control of it all. Rashi brings a mashal based the Midrash Tanchuma.
The son of a king was sick and the doctors said that in order to be healed he must travel extensively from one climate to the other. So the king traveled with him from one place to the other to find the climate that would be best for him and finally he left the son in a particular place and the son was healed. When returning home they retraced their steps and the father kept saying, ‘this was where we stopped once but the weather was bad and we could not sleep. Here my son’s illness became worse. There we became cold, etc.
Similarly, when the Israelites came out of Egypt they were very sick and Hashem took them from place to place until they journeyed for 40 years in the desert and were healed.[6]
Another idea we can gather from the journeys is prophetic. In Matthew 1:17 it states:
“All the generations, therefore, from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations, and from David unto the Babylonian removal fourteen generations, and from the Babylonian removal unto Moshiach, fourteen generations.”
The generations from Avraham to Moshiach were 42 (14+14+14). This comes to show us that each stage of travel corresponds in some way to the generations that would follow. Avraham corresponds to the coming out of Egypt and Moshiach represents the end of the Torah and the going into Israel. Rashi points out that, in Hashem’s kindness, Israel journeyed 14 encampments of the places and the rest (28 or14+14) ensued in the years to come. This can further enforce the breaking up of the generations into 3 sections of 14.[7]
The first stage of 14 was from Avraham to David in which there was no permanent resting spot for the Shekinah of Hashem. This can correspond to the coming out of Egypt until the building of the Mishkan where the Shekinah rested. The second stage of 14 was from David to Babylon. This was when sin abounded and the presence of Hashem, although present, was tested with idolatry and sin just as we see in the journeys in the desert.[8] The third section of 14, Babylon to Moshiach, corresponds to the stages after the incident of the spies. Hashem allowed that generation to die in the desert and reinstate the covenant with their children and guided them to the Land (the Promise). Babylon to Moshiach corresponds to the years of return and the resettling of Israel and preparation for the Promise of all ages. During this time, idolatry was not an issue as it was in past and Torah knowledge grew by the hand of Ezra and the Kinesset HaGadolah until Moshiach who expounded the Torah like Moshe did in Devarim. Moshiach (Y’hoshua/Yeshua) was given authority to release the captives and allow those who repent into the Malchut Shamayim (Kingdom of Heaven) which was the Promise given to Adam and Chavah, Avrham, Moshe, and all the tzadikim from the beginning. For we know that, “The world was created but only for the Messiah."[9] Thus, it is fitting that all the steps and journeys of Israel are about Yeshua, the Messiah.
[1] Tzror haMor; Kiddushin 71a
[2] By this it is meant that the Torah as spoken by Hashem. Devarim is called Mishneh Torah as are Moshes words. By this we see that Moshes words are likened to Hashem’s words and are called Torah. So too, the Prophet liken to Moshe who is the Moshiach can say He speaks for Hashem and His words are bound up in them.
[3] Gen 1:1 and 2:3
[4] Tzor HaMor;
[5] Ibid; Orach Chaim 128
[6] Me’am Loez; Yalkut Sh’moni
[7] It is not uncommon to see commentators give a similar idea. Rav Soloveitchik’s zt"l gives a similar idea about 3 stages. 1. Up until the Mishkan built, 2. from the Mishkan to the incident with the spies, 3. From the spies to the end of the Torah. I heard this in the his name by R. Ari Kahn in shiur on Parasha Chukat
[8] Although this doesn’t line up perfectly in years, the message and concept is what is being conveyed. Just like the there were more than 42 generations than what was listed in Matthew. Matthew was trying to convey the message of Moshiach. For a more detailed explanation of Matthew’s geneology see Yechiel Lichtenstein’s commentary on Matthew.
[9] B. Sahehdrin 98b

Writen by The Jewish Carpenter (דוד בן גבריאל)






30 July 2011 | 28 Tamuz 5771 Beth HaDerech Local Time 09:30 PM

Viernes, julio 29, 2011 3:58 P.M.


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