Is it allowed to lie in order to save lives?

Exodus 1:18 – 2:10

The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them."

(Ex. 1:19 ESV)

Is it allowed to lie in order to save lives?

The Hebrew midwives feared the Almighty more than Pharaoh and that's why they didn't kill the Hebrew male children who were born, which was the order from the king. When the king reprimanded them, they responded with something not totally true.

Is it allowed to use lies in order to save lives?

To lie is to say words that twist the truth. Is it true that Hebrew women were vigorous (the Hebrew text literally says that they were "animals" implying that they were able to give birth without help like animals do) and that they gave birth before the midwife could get to them? It is very possible that it was so sometimes, especially given the severe situation the whole people were in. It is also true that the midwives actually assisted the Hebrew women when giving birth (v.17) though it was not always so. Thus, we could understand that the midwives' words were just true in part. They didn't tell Pharaoh the whole truth to save their lives and the Almighty honoured them for having acted that way.

According to Jewish law, it is allowed to break almost any commandment in order to save a life in a very critical moment. The halachah – practical Jewish law – establishes that it is allowed to break all the commandments except three – blasphemy, murder and adultery – in order to save a life. This principle is called pikuach nefesh – פיקוח נפש – salvation of the soul/life. Commandments were given to live by them not to die by obeying them (Lev. 18:5). In this way, what the midwives did could be justified. They used a half-truth to save their own lives as well as others'.

Rachav lied to save lives (Jos. 2:5). Michal, king David's wife, used lie to save lives (1 Sam. 19:14, 17). There are other examples in king David's life in which he hides truth or lies to save lives (1 Sam. 21:2, 13; 27:10-11).

We must remember the fact that king David was a man after the Eternal's heart (1 Sam. 13:14) who knew that the Eternal desires truth in the inner parts (Ps. 51:6) and who was aware that only the one who speaks truth in his heart will dwell in the presence of the Eternal, as it is written in Psalm 15:1-2: "A Psalm of David. O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.” (ESV) And in Psalm 26:3 king David himself says: "For Your mercy is before my eyes; and I have walked in Your truth." (LITV)

The Eternal cannot lie. Lie does not come from Him. Hasatan – an angel who rebelled against the Eternal – is the father/origin of lie (John 8:44). The children of the Eternal don't associate to lie and if they lie by error, they repent in order to avoid being judged together with the father of lies.

I am personally convinced that we should never use lies, no matter how critical the moment is, not even to save lives. In a grave situation, there are other ways of speaking to hide a truth that could harm or even cause someone's death.

May the Eternal help us never to lie and may He give us wisdom to know how to hide part of the truth when necessary to avoid damage to others.

May the Spirit of truth be poured upon us abundantly.

Who do we have to obey?

But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

(Ex. 1:17 ESV)

Who do we have to obey?

All authority in this world is established by the Almighty. This is one of the seven commandments given to Noach and his sons. (Gen. 9:6). If one is set in a context in which there is an authority that doesn't fulfill its task, doesn't obey what is established by the Eternal or forces its subjects to break any of the Eternal's commandments, one is not forced to obey that authority. We must obey Elokim rather than men that He set as representatives of the Almighty on earth (Acts 4:19; 5:29).

Every man must obey and fear the authority figures that the Eternal has set upon him; parents, elder siblings, teachers, rabbis, other spiritual leaders, police authorities, politicians, judges, etc. (1 Peter. 2:13-15). The one who rebels against the authorities rebels against the Almighty (Rom. 13:1-7). We must obey the authorities in everything as long as they don’t contradict the Torah of the Eternal.

The Hebrew midwives submitted to the authority that the Eternal had set over them, the king of Egypt. However, there was a point in which a conflict between authority and principles arose. The king of Egypt wanted to force them to murder all male firstborns of the Hebrews. This is a violation of the commandment, "you shall not murder". So, in the one hand, there was the commandment regarding submission to all authorities; and on the other hand, there was the commandment against murder. The midwives could not fulfill both.

The principle stating that if there is a conflict between two commandments, one of them has preference over the other and it is not necessary to obey it, applies here. In this case, they opted for the commandment that forbids murder, because it has preference over the commandment to obey the authorities.

The reason they could do that is because they feared the Eternal more than the human authority that the Almighty had established over them. This attitude was the right one. When there is a conflict between authorities the Eternal ALWAYS comes first. The Eternal protected and blessed the midwives for not obeying an illegal commandment from the king of Egypt.

Let's learn this lesson.

Shavua tov, Have a good week,

What is a commandment?

When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gather

When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

(Gen. 49:33 ESV)

What is a commandment?

The Torah says that Yaakov finished commanding his sons and then he drew up his feet into the bed and expired. The word translated as "commanding" is letsavot – לצות –

which has the same root as mitsvah – מצוה – commandment in singular and mitsvot - מצות – commandments in plural. The meaning of the root tsavah – צוה – is: to constitute, to enjoin, to give a charge.

This teaches us that when Yaakov pronounced all these wonderful blessings upon his sons he did so with authority and with the power of the Spirit of the Eternal. The words that came out of his mouth had, and still have, power to mark the destiny of each one of the twelve tribes.

It also teaches us that the commandments of the Eternal shouldn't be understood as forcing orders that are impossible to follow. When the Eternal gives a commandment, He also sends His Spirit so that men receive strength to live that commandment correctly. Within each one of the 613 commandments the power of the divine gentle blow is there to assist those who are willing to obey them.

The commandments should also be looked upon as assignments. The one who receives a commandment has an important assignment. The more commandments we have, the more important the assignment is. In this way, men can feel fulfilled of having a task in life.

The one who can relate with the commandments in a correct way, will not fall in the trap of legalism, but will be able to live in the freedom of obedience by love, doing it with joy. The Messiah was sent to us for that purpose.

May the Eternal clearly reveal to us the difference between an assignment and legalism.

With love,

ed to his people.

(Gen. 49:33 ESV)

What is a commandment?

The Torah says that Yaakov finished commanding his sons and then he drew up his feet into the bed and expired. The word translated as "commanding" is letsavot – לצות –

which has the same root as mitsvah – מצוה – commandment in singular and mitsvot - מצות – commandments in plural. The meaning of the root tsavah – צוה – is: to constitute, to enjoin, to give a charge.

This teaches us that when Yaakov pronounced all these wonderful blessings upon his sons he did so with authority and with the power of the Spirit of the Eternal. The words that came out of his mouth had, and still have, power to mark the destiny of each one of the twelve tribes.

It also teaches us that the commandments of the Eternal shouldn't be understood as forcing orders that are impossible to follow. When the Eternal gives a commandment, He also sends His Spirit so that men receive strength to live that commandment correctly. Within each one of the 613 commandments the power of the divine gentle blow is there to assist those who are willing to obey them.

The commandments should also be looked upon as assignments. The one who receives a commandment has an important assignment. The more commandments we have, the more important the assignment is. In this way, men can feel fulfilled of having a task in life.

The one who can relate with the commandments in a correct way, will not fall in the trap of legalism, but will be able to live in the freedom of obedience by love, doing it with joy. The Messiah was sent to us for that purpose.

May the Eternal clearly reveal to us the difference between an assignment and legalism.

With love,

Why did Yosef receive the largest blessing?

The blessings of your father have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.

(Gen. 49:26 NKJV)

Why did Yosef receive the largest blessing?

Yosef received the longest blessing with 61 words in the Hebrew text. Yehuda's blessing has 55 words. Also, among the blessings that Moshe pronounced over the twelve tribes, Yosef's is the largest (Deut. 33)

Why did Yosef receive the largest blessing among his brothers? I want to point out two reasons:

First, because he suffered more than anyone of them

Second, because he had consecrated himself more than his brothers. The Hebrew word that has been translated as "separate” or “consecrate" is nazir – נזיר – whose root nazar – נזר – means to set a distance, to abstain oneself. It is the same word used for the vow of the Nazirite in Numbers 6.

The one who suffers for justice and the one who separates from sin, impurity and the world will always receive the greatest blessing in this life and in the coming life.

May the Eternal give us strength to be joyful in suffering due to justice and truth knowing that they produce a good result with lots of blessings.

Who understands words well?

And (he ) lived

Genesis 49:1-18

Yisachar is a donkey… Dan shall be a serpent…

(Gen. 49:14a, 17a private translation)

Who understands words well?

Yaakov blessed each one of his sons with a particular blessing. When he got to Yisachar and Dan he called them donkey and serpent. How would you react if your father told you: "Donkey, may you be a serpent." Would you be offended? Why would you be offended? Because your father called you donkey and serpent? In Yaakov's blessing's case these were prophetic words from heaven, so how would you feel if heaven called you donkey and serpent? What kind of blessing would that be?

If one felt offended it is because we would be giving these words, donkey and serpent, a negative and offensive sense. Many people use names of animals to offend others. Words like "pig", "donkey", "monkey", "wolf", "dog", etc. are used to offend. In these cases, a comparison between the person's behaviour and the animal is done, and then, the comparison focuses on the negative aspects, applying them to the other person to hurt him or her. If the person who is offended is sensitive or if he has a complex of inferiority or rejection, he will be very damaged by those words. It is like rubbing salt in an open emotional wound.

However, the comparison could be positive instead of negative. It all depends on the sense given to the words. I remember that I once told a very strong, hard-working woman, "Indian", because I consider that Indian women are worthy of praise because of their strength and industriousness. My comparison was with the purpose of praising her. I then found out that in her culture it is very offensive to call someone that. When I apologised for having offended her, she told me that she understood my intention, thankfully.

The donkey was the animal used in the time of the patriarchs for transportation and for carrying goods. It was a very useful animal for all kinds of chores. The donkey is one of the best servants men have had along history.

Regarding the serpent, its abilities for defensive purposes were actually very positive. So our father Yaakov's words to his sons were only positive and they are great blessings.

This teaches us that words can have different meanings depending on the person, culture, time and context. Therefore, when we read the Scriptures, it is very important that we don't try to understand the Hebrew terms and expressions according to a modern context unconnected with the ancient Hebrew culture.

Most of the false doctrines and misinterpretations of the Scriptures are due to lack of knowledge of the words in their context.

Even though translators of the Scriptures have tried, with good intentions, to transfer to other languages and cultures, concepts that were written and understood in totally different cultures and languages; their translations always present mistakes and misunderstandings. This is inevitable.

Another aspect that must be taken into account is the theological platform from which the divine words are read, interpreted and translated. A non-Jewish translator will never be able to understand the Hebrew Scriptures correctly because his mind is conformed by theological concepts that differ with Biblical-Hebrew idiosyncrasy. If it is difficult for a person whose mother tongue is Hebrew to understand the Scriptures, how much more would it be for a foreigner!

Therefore, we have to be very careful when pulling out doctrines from a translation of the Scriptures. When reading a translation, we don't only read the translation of what was written originally, but also what the translator thinks the original writer meant, and that does not always match the truth. This is simply because the translator gives a different meaning to terms than what they had when they were originally written, not because he didn't want to understand them correctly, but because his mind has been formed in a different way and his understanding of such terms is different from the original.

The same applies when reading the Scriptures directly in their original languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and possibly Greek. We have to be careful not to introduce modern or Greco-Roman meanings to the words because we will understand them wrong and then draw conclusions that many times affect our faith and conduct negatively.

May the Eternal give us humbleness to pay attention to what the Jews who know the Eternal and the Scriptures teach and, most of all, may He give us a spirit of revelation and wisdom from above when searching the Scriptures so that we can understand them correctly for our own instruction.

Kol tuv, All the best,

Who is open to follow the Eternal in what is out of the ordinary?

VaYechi 12-2

And (he) lived

Genesis 48:10-16

But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn.

(Gen. 48:14 NIV)

Who is open to follow the Eternal in what is out of the ordinary?

Ephraim was set over his older brother by orders from heaven. Israel knew very well what he was doing when he crossed his arms. He was guided by the Spirit of the Eternal to do it. His right hand was placed not only on the one who would receive a double portion of territory in the promised land, but who was also going to become the main tribe of the ten who would form the kingdom of the north after the nation's split (1 King. 11).

In that way, Ephraim received a very important role in Israel. The two most important tribes are Yehuda and Ephraim. The salvation plan that the Eternal prepared for the world revolves around these two tribes. Even if salvation comes from the Jews (John 4:22) Ephraim plays an important role in the lost world's redemption project. In tomorrow's manna we will talk about this some more.

Today we will stop and think again in the truth of the fact that the guidance of the Spirit of the Eternal goes beyond and over natural order. The logical order was that Menashe received the firstborn right and therefore the right hand should have been placed on him, but the Eternal wanted to change the order of things into something supernatural.

It is easy to follow things' natural course and do what's always been done or what we've learned we must do. However, when the Spirit of the Creator is in action, it is very possible that things change once in a while. That's why we must be spiritually open to any kind of change in what is supposed to be normal. When we walk with the Eternal we must be prepared for any surprise that is out of the ordinary.

May the Eternal help us have open minds for any change in the routine so that His Spirit can create new things in and through us.

Many blessings,  www.messianictorah.org

Why did Israel say that he could die after seeing Yosef?

Why did Israel say that he could die after seeing Yosef?

And (he) approached

Genesis 46:28 – 47:10

Israel said to Joseph, Now I am ready to die, since I have seen for myself that you are still alive.

(Gen. 46:30 NIVUK)

Why did Israel say that he could die after seeing Yosef?

Our father Israel lived for one thing: to fulfill the Eternal's purpose for his life. He knew that his history was in Yosef and his other sons. He knew that the Eternal had chosen his children to be the fulfillment of the promises made to his fathers. If one of them should be missing, there would be a great loss in the divine plan for the family. Yaakov understood that Yosef was very important not only because the life of every human being is very precious and very valuable, but also because HaShem had given him the role of a powerful prince in the world to help many other people. Yaakov knew that through the seed of Avraham all the families of the earth would be blessed and Yosef played a very important role in the fulfillment of that promise.

That's why Israel said to Yosef after seeing him because he knew that his role of father and instructor of his children had been fulfilled and through them, the Eternal's promises would continue to be carried out.

However, that was not the moment for the patriarch's death. The Eternal wanted to give him a pleasant old age time after so many years of grief and hard work. Since he had taken care of Yosef for 17 years of his early life, now Yosef was able to take care of his father with all kinds of goods and good food for another 17 years until his death (47:28).

May the Eternal, who is good and powerful, fulfill His purpose in each one of us so that we can feel and say before dying, that we have fulfilled the task for which we were born.

May the Eternal let his face shine upon you and give you grace,

Ketriel

How did Yaakov dare to go down to Egypt?

VaYigash 11-5

And (he) approached

Genesis 45:28 – 46:27

And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I." Then he said, "I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes."

(Gen. 46:2-4 ESV)

How did Yaakov dare to go down to Egypt?

When the Eternal made the covenant between the parts with Avram, Yaakov's grandfather, He revealed to him that his offspring would be put on slavery and be oppressed in a foreign nation for four hundred years (15:13). And when Yitzchak, Yaakov's father, wanted to go to Egypt to survive the drought, the Eternal forbid him and told him to stay in the land (26:1-2). Now Yaakov was receiving an invitation from Yosef to go down to Egypt with all his family. But within Yaakov, there must have been lots of doubts and fears. Will we be forced into slavery? Am I doing right in leaving the land of the promise when the Eternal didn't allow my father to do it?

Yaakov needed to know if the Eternal was behind his plan of going to Egypt and that's why he stopped in Beer-Sheva to present sacrifices to the Elokim of his father Yitzchak. As we've said before, sacrifices represent men's surrender to the Almighty. Yaakov wanted to show his devotion once more and thus renew his surrender to the Eternal. He didn't want to do anything with himself and his family that wasn't part of the plan and will of the Eternal. The future plan of the world's redemption was at stake in that moment and Yaakov didn't want to make a decision without knowing if the Eternal agreed with it.

The night vision that Yaakov received was more than enough for him to go on with his plan. The Almighty told him not to be afraid to go down to Egypt and that He Himself would go with him. What else would Yaakov need to be certain of his decision?

Dear disciple of the Messiah: make sure that the Eternal is with you in the decisions you make in your life. Don't decide lightly. Your future depends on the decisions you make today. Think it twice, meditate on it with no rush, and make sure that the Eternal is with you in what you plan to do. Then, you will prosper and you will succeed. And you know the way to find out... sacrifice.

May the Eternal bless you and keep you,

Who is able of not being affected by circumstances?

Who is able of not being affected by circumstances?

VaYigash 11-4

And (he) approached

Genesis 45:19-27

But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived

.

(Gen. 45:27 NIV)

Who is able of not being affected by circumstances?

Our father Yaakov's spirit had been very still for 22 years. During this period of time, the Torah calls him Israel in some moments (42:5; 43:6, 8, 11; 45:21) leading us to believe that his spirit was not totally dead nor that the Consecrated Spirit had left him completely. However, when he heard the news that Yosef was alive, he could suddenly understand all that had happened and the divine purpose behind the events that seemed so negative; his spirit recovered strength, revived and the Spirit of prophesy operated in him again.

The question that rises is if our father Yaakov couldn't have lived in the Spirit for those 22 years in spite of the negative events – Rachel's premature death and Yosef's disappearance. Didn't he have enough promises and spiritual provision to be able to live above those negative circumstances? Certainly yes. If he had paid more attention to divine revelation and if he had trusted in the Eternal's power and goodness, he would have spared himself and his family 22 years of bitterness. The Torah says that Yaakov refused being comforted (37:35). This teaches us that he decided to be negatively affected by what was happening and he gave room to bitterness in his soul.

What would have happened if he had kept a high spirit during those 22 years instead of refusing being comforted? What difference would that have made?

Well, in regards to what happened to Yosef there would have been no difference. The Eternal's plan was in action and it had to be fulfilled. So things would have gone the same with Yosef regardless of Yaakov's faith or mood, so that the children of Israel would go to Egypt. Then, if Yaakov would have being positive, giving no room to bitterness, without accusing and scolding his sons (42:1; 42:36) they would all have been saved by Yosef anyway. So, facing negative events with trust and confidence, or facing them in lamentation would have not changed the final results, then, what would be the difference if they would have been saved anyway? The difference would have been 22 years of joy and happiness, full of hope and praise in spite of the pain, instead of 22 years of grief and sadness full of despair and lamentation because of the pain.

Because he chose the negative side, our father Yaakov allowed 22 years of his life to be dark instead of full of light. HaShem fulfilled His plan and promises anyway, blessed be His name!

May the Eternal give us grace to trust in the middle of sorrow, knowing that for those who love the Almighty all things work together for good, so His purposes are fulfilled in our lives (Rom 8:28).

Let's always be joyful,

What does being a father mean?

And (he) approached

Genesis 45:8-18

So then, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt.

(Gen. 45:8 NIV)

What does being a father mean?

Yosef says that Elokim made him a father to Pharaoh. How is it possible to be father to one you have not begotten? The answer is in the meaning of the Hebrew term that was translated as "father". The Hebrew word av –אב father – has several meanings. According to Rashi it doesn’t only mean father, but also "counsellor", "friend" and "manager".

In regards to the relationship of Yosef with Pharaoh we can conclude that the title av doesn't mean that Yosef originated him or that he had a higher position that Pharaoh. This would be absurd since it was Pharaoh who gave him that position and thus always remained as higher in authority than him. The one who sets someone else in a position is always higher and has more authority and responsibility. The delegate will have to be accountable to the one who gave him the position. So, Yosef was set as the personal counsellor of the king of Egypt. This is the way of understanding the title av in this context.

Something similar happened with Messiah ben Yosef. He received from the Eternal the position of being av of the creation, without being equal to or higher than the Eternal who is One and only.

This comparison with Yosef can give us a good explanation to one of the eight names given to the Messiah in the prophesy found in Isaiah 9:6 where it is written: "For a child was born to us, a son was given to us; and the government will be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counsellor Mighty Hero Everlasting Father (av) Prince (of) Peace." (private translation).

Based on what happened with Yosef, a prophetic figure of the Messiah, we can come to the conclusion that when the Messiah is called "father" it doesn't mean that he is the Eternal, or is his equal with the same position or above Him.

No one can be equal to the Eternal, not in heavens or earth, as it is written in 1 Kings 8:23b and 2 Chronicles 6:14: “LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You” (NKJV)

In 1 Corinthians 8:6 we find in the title "father" the meaning "originator of everything", as it is written: "yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.” (NKJV)

According to this text, it is obvious that Yeshua the Messiah is not God, and is excluded from the position of Father in the sense of "originator". The Eternal is the originator (the Father) of all things. Everything outside of Him was created by Him, the Messiah included. Only Elokim (God) is the Father – the Messiah is excluded from this – and Yeshua the Messiah is the means that the Father used to create all things. The Messiah existed in the Father's mind before the creation; he was the purpose of creation and the model the Almighty used to create everything.

However, according to the messianic prophetic message that is found in the narration of Yosef we see that after resurrection, the Messiah was set as "father" in the sense of closest friend of the heavenly Father and as the manager in the house of the heavenly Father and as governor of the whole creation.

Even though Yosef was like Pharaoh (44:18) he was not Pharaoh. Even though Yeshua is like the heavenly Father (John 14:9) he is not the Father as the Scriptures say: “the Father of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah". As Yosef was set as second to Pharaoh but not to be Pharaoh, so Yeshua was lifted up after his resurrection, to become second after the great Heavenly King, but not to become the great Heavenly King.

May the Eternal help us not to put the One in charge, in the place of the Boss.

Who understands purposes beyond immediacy?

And (he) approached

Genesis 44:31 – 45:7

And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you.

(Gen. 45:5 NIV)

Who understands purposes beyond immediacy?

In spite of having sold Yosef out of envy and anger something positive came of it. The Almighty used Yosef's brothers' wickedness to fulfill His purposes. The Eternal's knowledge is infinite and He knows all things that are going to happen in the future so He can take advantage of men's decisions, even if they are wrong or evil, to carry out His redemption plan. Yosef understood this and he decided to fix his eyes on the Almighty, His greatness and plans instead of focusing on men's wickedness. And now, he is encouraging his brothers to do the same.

It is easier to forgive others than oneself. His brothers felt remorse all these years and now standing before Yosef they were very ashamed and felt very guilty. Yosef helps them to lighten that burden pointing out the divine aspects of what had happened and not focusing on the downside of it.

Yosef helped his brothers do exactly the same he had learned in the school of suffering: to lift up his eyes and see beyond immediacy; and by doing this not only did he save them from famine but also helped them save their souls from eternal destruction through forgiveness of sin.

Dear disciple of the Messiah, do not complain about your or the others' mistakes. Forgive others and also forgive yourself. Lift up your eyes and seek the divine purpose in whatever is happening. There is nothing too negative in this life that the Eternal cannot change into something positive if we repent of our wrongdoings. Let Him take control of your life and do what He wants and thus you will also be able to be a channel of salvation for many people.

Yosef's life is a reflection of the life of the Messiah ben Yosef. He had to die in order to save many souls from eternal death. Stop thinking once and for all that the Jews killed the Messiah. That was part of the divine plan for the salvation of the world. Thanks to his death and resurrection there is resurrection for all those who trust the Eternal.

May the Eternal give us grace to be able to lift up our eyes and see everything from a broader perspective.

What is lie's weakness?

What is lie's weakness?

And (he) approached

Genesis 44:18-30

And we said to my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a young brother, the child of his old age. His brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.'... One left me, and I said, Surely he has been torn to pieces, and I have never seen him since.

(Gen. 44:20, 28 ESV)

What is lie's weakness?

The brothers had shown their father Yosef's clothes all smeared with blood to pretend that a wild beast had devoured him. In that moment, they didn't say clearly right away that Yosef had died, but waited until Yaakov came to his own conclusion (37:32-33). Yaakov said that he had been devoured by a wild beast. However, 22 years later, Yaakov wasn't so sure that Yosef was dead because he said that he had never seen him since. This shows us that Israel had left a small window of hope open in regards to his son. The promises he had received from the Eternal and his son's dreams that he had kept in his heart had lit up that small sparkle in his aching soul.

However, his brothers had become used to lying when they said that Yosef was dead. We find the same thing in Reuven's reprimand in 42:22b where he says: "Now we must give an accounting for his blood" (NIVUK); the brothers knew that Yosef was alive when they sold him but they chose lie and they became used to it. When one repeats a lie a lot, the mind gets used to it and many times the mind itself decides to believe it is true, even if it knows it is indeed a lie, because it wants it to be true.

But there is a great weakness in lies – reality itself.

Here we have a man, Yehuda, together with his brothers, all having chosen to believe a lie and hide the truth, speaking about Yosef as if he was dead, and in the very face of the "dead". Reality had much more power than the lie that had occupied the brothers' minds. This lie had no power against the truth. It only took Yosef to make himself known to them, speaking in fluent Hebrew about their family life, for that lie so much believed for many years to fall to ground and die once and for all.

The same thing will happen with many lies that are believed in the world. The lie of atheism will fall when the Almighty manifests. The lie of evolution will fall. The lie of social-communism will fall. The lie of a new Israel will fall. The lie of Islam will fall. The lie of Palestine will fall. The lie of the Israeli occupation will fall. The lie of the new world order will fall.

And the most glorious part is when the lie believed among the Jewish people that Yeshua is dead also falls, and the risen Messiah manifests in glory as the brother and saviour of the Jews, that day is getting closer!!

May the Eternal keep us from the lies that are believed in the world,

Shavua tov,

Why men feel such love for his siblings?

At the end

Genesis 43:30 – 44:17

Then Joseph hurried out, for his compassion grew warm for his brother, and he sought a place to weep. And he entered his chamber and wept there.

(Gen. 43:30 ESV)

Why men feel such love for his siblings?

After 22 years Yosef could see his closest brother, the son of his mother again. It was a very tense and emotional moment for Yosef. A part of him wanted to hug him and have the relationship they had since childhood, but another part of him made him stand firm and pretend toughness to fulfill the Eternal’s will. Pressure was too high and Yosef had to leave the room. The Hebrew text doesn’t say that he sought a place to weep, but that he sought to weep – vayevakesh livkot ויבקש לבכות.

Weeping was created by the Eternal to help men to deal with emotions. He who doesn’t cry or doesn’t know how to cry has a deep emotional damage and needs inner healing. Self-control doesn’t limit emotions, only controls them and is not carried away by them. Both men and women need to cry. The idea that men don’t or can’t cry because they have to be “machos” is very harmful for the development of an approved character before the Eternal. Crying is good and it relieves pain a lot.

Yosef needed to cry to relief the strong emotions he experienced when he saw his brothers, especially Binyamin, and that’s why he sought to weep to relief tension. And after he felt relief from that pressure he was able to come out and eat with them.

The Hebrew text uses an unusual word to express what Yosef felt for his brother. What was translated as “his compassion grew warm” is actually two words: nichmeru rachamav – נכמרו רחמיו – which mean: “his compassions burned”. The root of the word nichmeru – נכמרו – is kamar – כמר to yearn for, to burn – and it appears only four times in the Scriptures. Lamentations 5:10 speaks about the skin burning like an oven. 1 Kings 3:26 speaks of a mother whose heart yearns for her son. In Hosea 11:8 the Eternal says that all his consolation grows warm for Ephraim.

The Eternal has created emotions and feelings so that men can feel like He does. Strongest feelings are related to family ties. A husband has strong feelings toward his wife and vice versa, parents have strong feelings toward their children and vice versa, siblings have strong feelings for each other.

The word used in this context reveals that Yosef felt compassion for his brother in the flesh like a mother feels for a son and the Eternal for Ephraim.

Harsh treatment in Yosef’s life didn’t damage his brotherly love. His heart didn’t become hardened during those tough moments he went through. He managed to keep his heart sensitive to emotions that came from a good source. So he could feel for his brother a part of what the Eternal feels for His beloved ones.

Dear disciple of the Messiah, our Rabbi is a man with strong feelings. When he saw the multitude spiritually and physically helpless he had such compassion for them that he was willing to sacrifice his time, his food, his sleep and even his life to supply their needs. This man is our greatest example.

May the Eternal help us love our brothers and sisters in the flesh and also our brothers and sisters of the covenant with burning compassion.

Ketriel

Why fear makes us imagine what is not true?

Genesis 43:16-29

And the men were afraid because they were brought to Joseph’s house, and they said, "It is because of the money, which was replaced in our sacks the first time, that we are brought in, so that he may assault us and fall upon us to make us servants and seize our donkeys."

(Gen. 43:18 ESV)

Why fear makes us imagine what is not true?

Fear is a lying spirit. Yosef’s brothers made up a story that had nothing to do with reality. When a person is taken over by fear his mind does not work properly, he seeks the worst and imagines things that are not real. And in that way, fear produces more fear.

The opposite of fear is trust. The one who trusts does not fear. If Yosef’s brothers had trusted him, they wouldn’t have been afraid of have been taken to his house. The one who is afraid of the Eternal does not know Him and does not trust Him. He is love and He is good to all. The one who trusts Him will be delivered from all fear. There are two ways of fearing the Eternal, one expresses reverence, devotion and absolute respect toward Him; the other is being afraid of Him, and they are not the same at all.

The remedy against fear is the certainty of the Eternal’s presence. He who knows that the Eternal is with him, does not fear as it is written: “I will fear no evil for you are with me” (Ps. 23:4b ESV) and “I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (Sal. 34:4 ESV) If the brothers had trusted in the Eternal’s presence they wouldn’t have been afraid.

May the Eternal grant us grace to be delivered from all fear, knowing that He is with us if we are with Him. He won’t allow anything to happen if it is not in line with His purpose for our lives. So let’s always trust in Him and we will be delivered from fear.

All the best,

What is self-control for?

Genesis 42:19 – 43:15

Then he turned away from them and wept. And he returned to them and spoke to them. And he took Simeon from them and bound him before their eyes.

(Gen. 42:24 ESV)

What is self-control for?

When Yosef spoke to his brothers he used a Hebrew-Egyptian interpreter. This shows that these two languages weren’t similar.

Yosef had to control his emotions and suppress his desires so he could be in front of his brothers and speak roughly to them. This wasn’t easy. But during those 13 years in the school of suffering he had developed one of the most important characteristics of a tsadik – a righteous man: self-control.

Self-control is one of the characteristics of the Messiah, in whose image the first man was created. After men’s fall, men lost a lot of self-control. That is why when the Eternal is working with someone to restore him or her and make him or her again in the image of the Messiah, He also works with this area of their character.

Self-control is willing to suppress temporary passion in order to obtain a greater pleasure in the long run. Self-control knows how to say no when a sin is presented in a nice wrapping. Self-control does not do what is not allowed without authorization or before the right age or without fulfilling the requirements to do it. Self-control knows how to wait and be faithful until reaching far and hard to reach goals. Self-control does not give free rein to emotions under pressure. Self-control does not eliminate strong feelings but controls them and lets them vent when the moment is right. Self-control knows how to be quiet when he wants to speak. Self-control doesn’t reveal others’ secrets. Self-control doesn’t buy something that he doesn’t need. Self-control does not like using credit. Self-control uses money for important things and doesn’t waste it in pleasures. Self-control does not spend what he doesn’t have. Self-control doesn’t buy new clothes when he can wear the old ones. Self-control doesn’t eat great tasting food if it is unhealthy. Self-control does not eat anything forbidden by the Torah. Self-control knows how to say no to a plate of lentils if the price is very high even if he’s very hungry. Self-control always looks at the Invisible One to find out what to do at all time instead of acting hastily.

Yosef turned away from his brothers for a moment to weep because he couldn’t control his feelings before them. But then he took control over his soul and went back in and talked to them roughly, because that was the divine plan for the moment.

May the Eternal help us deepen our personal relationship with Him so that the fruit of the Spirit is produced in us, for His glory.

Why did Yosef treat his brothers roughly?

Genesis 41:53 – 42:18

Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he treated them like strangers and spoke roughly to them.

(Gen. 42:7a ESV)

Why did Yosef treat his brothers roughly?

Yosef had learned many things in the Eternal’s school of suffering. One of the things he learned was forgiveness. He had forgiven his brothers in his heart for what they had done and there was no room left for bitterness in his soul. So now that his brothers came to bow down before him, and the first part of the dream came to happen, he didn’t have any wish for vengeance. Then, why did he treat them harshly?

Yosef had received wisdom from the Eternal to know how to treat his brothers in that moment. The purpose of such rough treatment was to produce repentance in them for what they had done with their brother. He knew that they needed to be treated roughly for their hearts to become sensitive. Besides, he gave them an opportunity to rectify and prove that they would not send away one of their brothers again. His idea was to put Binyamin in a position in which they could make tikkun – rectification – for what they had done to Binyamin’s older brother, son of Rachel, their father’s most beloved wife.

Therefore, what was behind that harsh treatment wasn’t hatred, resentment, vengeance, sadism, a desire for showing his power or anything like that, but love. Because of love for his brothers, he wanted to help them to complete their repentance process with specific action. When he saw that they were not going to leave Binyamin alone in jail and make their father suffer for the loss of the son of Rachel – something similar to what had happened before – he made himself known to them. In that very moment, their rectification was complete and they were showing with actions that they really regretted what they did to with Yosef. This was enough for him to make himself known to them.

From this we can learn that sometimes we have to experience rough treatment by the authorities that the Eternal has established over us. We can even receive rough words from the Eternal Himself and the Messiah. This is not lack of love but totally the opposite. He who the Eternal loves, He disciplines one way or another so that he can be purified and cleansed from things that the Eternal doesn’t like and become prefect.

May the Eternal help us repent completely and rectify whatever damage we had done to others.

Blessings,    www.messianictorah.org

Is there any relation between affliction and fruit?

At the end

Genesis 41:39-52

Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh. "For," he said, "God has made me forget all my hardship and all my father’s house." The name of the second he called Ephraim, "For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

(Gen. 41:51-52 ESV)

Is there any relation between affliction and fruit?

When Yosef had been set in the highest rank of his world then, with the exception of Pharaoh who gave him that power, he could form a new family and forget his father’s house. It’s not that he forgot his father and siblings, but that because of the happiness he was experiencing he didn’t long for his days as a young boy. Now he had a wife and a child and his soul was very happy. The name he called his firstborn, Menashe, is proof of that.

Yosef’s second son is called a name that reveals a very profound secret. The name Ephrayim is the dual form of the Hebrew word ephrat – אפרת, prolific, fruitful – that comes from the root parah – פרה –

which means to give fruit.

The second son of Yosef was later prophetically chosen to be greater than his brother. Israel’s firstborn right passed on to this son according to 1 Chronicles 5:1-2. Even if Yehuda had the leading role among the brothers and the Messiah came from him, he didn’t receive the firstborn right, Ephraim did.

There is a great mystery hidden here but we don’t have the chance to explain more about it here. I just want to point out the fact that his name reveals a very beautiful thing, from Yosef’s mouth: “The Almighty has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” There is an important relation between affliction and fruit.

From the age of 17 until 30, Yosef had suffered in the land of Egypt. Not only because he was away from his father’s family, but also because in that foreign land there was a lot of idolatry and other sins surrounding him. This was in fact the land of his affliction.

However, in the middle of his affliction he had learned the lesson of bearing fruit for the kingdom of Heaven. His faithfulness and love spread onto those around him and the Torah shows also that his faith passed on to others in several occasions. The Eternal was making him fruitful in the middle of his afflictions. Yosef bore fruit everywhere. The question is if he had borne that much fruit without all that suffering. I’m sure that the answer is no.

When a righteous person’s soul faces affliction in a right manner a lasting fruit is produced. This spiritual law is mentioned in the second son of Yosef, Ephraim. Ephraim represents all the fruit that comes from a righteous man’s affliction.

Since the name Ephraim is dual, it speaks of two kinds of fruit in the midst of affliction. In the first place, it is a prophetic indication of what would happen to Messiah son of Yosef, who would bear lots of fruit through his affliction. All the souls saved from eternal destruction will be fruit of the Messiah’s suffering.

The second kind of fruit codified in that name has to do with the future of Ephraim’s descendants and all those represented by him. The world hasn’t seen much of the plan that the Eternal has for this firstborn of Israel. The world has seen the blessing that comes through Yehuda – the Jewish people – but since the tribe of Ephraim, firstborn of Israel, was assimilated among the gentile nations with another nine tribes, the divine purpose of his firstborn right hasn’t yet been seen.

The name Ephraim represents the great fruit that will be produced during the great tribulation, the last seven years before the return of the Messiah. It will be such a great fruit that nobody will be able to count it as it is written in Revelation 7:9-17: “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen." Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." (ESV)

Don’t run from affliction, or think that it is a hindrance to the Eternal’s purpose for your life. It is a fertilizer that the Eternal has put to strengthen the fruit that is being produced in your soul and around you.

May the Eternal grant us understanding to stop complaining about our afflictions but to see the fruit of our soul’s affliction and be contented.

Why did Pharaoh’s dreams repeat so much?

Joseph answered Pharaoh, "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer."… It is as I told Pharaoh; God has shown to Pharaoh what he is about to do… And Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?"

(Gen. 41:16, 28, 38 LBLA)

Why did Pharaoh’s dreams repeat so much?

With the Eternal’s help, Yosef gave Pharaoh the interpretation of the dreams just as he was telling them to Yosef. He acknowledged that this ability wasn’t his, but that it came from the Almighty. Pharaoh recognized inside him that the interpretation was correct because it agreed with the impact that the Spirit of the Eternal had given to his spirit. That’s why he could also recognize the spirit in Yosef and said that there was no other man with the Spirit of Elokim like him.

Now, what catches my attention in this narration is that not only Pharaoh dreamed two different dreams that meant the same, which means that it was fixed by the Eternal and that He would bring them about soon (v. 32), but also that both of Pharaoh’s dreams were narrated twice in the Torah. Why did HaShem want to duplicate Pharaoh’s dreams if it was enough to narrate them only once?

There is a hidden message here for the last times before the coming of the Messiah. There are several clues in the Hebrew text that show that Pharaoh’s dreams were not only to be fulfilled at that time but also in the future, in relation with the coming of the Messiah, symbolized by Yosef in a prophetic way.

The dreams of the chiefs speak, in a codified message, about the death of the Messiah and his resurrection three days later. There are many details in the dreams that reveal this.

After three days when the dreams were fulfilled, two years passed until the dreams of Pharaoh. Two years symbolize 2000, because a day symbolizes a thousand years in the Scriptures (Ps. 90:4; 2 Pet. 3:8). This gives us an indication that after the death and resurrection of the Messiah there has to be a 2000 year lapse before the great final prophetic events in the program of the Eternal for the world.

The Hebrew phrase that is at the beginning of this narration, mikets shnatayim yamim – מקץ שנתים ימים, literally reads: “at the end of a couple of years of days” – is an indication that this text speaks prophetically of the things that will happen at the end of two thousand years. The expression mikets – מקץ – has several implications. It can indicate that things happen after a determined period of time, as in this chapter and several others (Gen. 4:3; 8:6; 16:3 etc.). It can also indicate a limited period of time at the end of a longer period of time, as in the case of the seventh year (Deut. 15:1; 31:10; 34:14).

In the Hebrew text, in verse 28, it is written that the Almighty has shown the Pharaoh what He does – oseh עשה – in present tense. This detail takes us out of time placing us in a higher setting. What the Almighty does, without time and space limitations, is what the Pharaoh has been shown.

Putting these details together, and with some other evidence in the Scripture, we can come to the conclusion that what happened in the days of Yosef will happen again, two thousand years after the death and resurrection of the Messiah Yeshua, son of Yosef, so that the second narration in the Torah of Pharaoh’s dreams has a reason to be there.

Dear disciple of the Messiah, prepare yourself, mentally, spiritually and physically to go through the seven years of great tribulation that will come upon the world before the coming of the Messiah, our deliverer.

According to my understanding of the Scriptures and the testimony in my spirit, the teaching of a pre-tribulation rapture of a alleged gentile church is false. The Messiah has only one congregation and it is made up by Jews and also by non-Jews that have come together with the Jews. There is no such thing as a sanctified people apart from Israel. Therefore those who live and are of the Messiah will have to go through the great tribulation as it is written in Matthew 24:21-31 and Mark 13:19-27. The rapture is mentioned in Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27 and will happen after the great tribulation in the end of times. The rapture will only be to the air – not further than the sun – according to 1 Tes. 4:17, with the purpose of reuniting the sanctified ones from the four corners of the earth so they can come down to be with the Messiah in the city of Yerushalayim during the thousand years of his worldwide kingdom.

May no one deceive us in anyway.   www.messianictorah.org