Shabbat Shalom Folks! Here is the Abbreviated Parsha Notes for this week. I pray that everyone is blessed with the wisdom of Torah and King Messiah Yeshua. Parsha Ki Tavo The First fruits brings one to mind Yom Bikkurim or Feast of First Fruits that begins the Counting of the Omer leading to Shavuot. In this Parsha we see a different application to the concept of First Fruits. According to Rashi in Dvarim we see in Verse 11 of Chapter 26 And you shall rejoice with all the good: From here, [our Rabbis] said that the firstfruits declaration is recited only at the time of “rejoicing,” namely, from Shavuoth until Sukkoth, for [then] a person gathers in his grain, fruit, wine and oil [over which he rejoices]. However, from Sukkoth and onwards, he must bring [his firstfruits to the Temple], but he does not recite the declaration. - [Pes. 36b] It is interesting that both native and convert are allowed to partake in the Moedim. The Chassidic Masters confirm the principle of the First Fruits which was established by our King Messiah Yeshua with the following commentary on the passages: When you enter the land: When you succeed in aligning your will with God’s will— That God is giving you for an inheritance: this ability being a Divine gift innate to your Divine soul— You must take possession of it: your challenge is to integrate this newfound will into your daily life, so that rather than divorcing you from reality, it enables you to work within reality in order to rectify it. Take…the…fruit…and put it into a basket: In order to properly rectify reality, ensure that your heightened consciousness (the “fruit”) is vested in the appropriate means of expression (a “basket”). Go to the place that God, your God, will choose: In the context of working to rectify reality, be aware that when you travel from place to place, you are not doing so on your own; rather, Divine providence is arranging your movements in order that you disseminate Divine consciousness wherever Divine providence leads you. Furthermore When you enter the land: In order to align your will with God’s will— Go to the place on which God, your God, will choose to rest His Name: Devote yourself selflessly to disseminating Divine awareness wherever you are. And how is this done? By even the simplest of means, such as reciting a blessing over food or reciting a verse from Psalms.2 The application of Gratitude and Servitude unto Hashem has great value and shows how our First Fruits are our deeds that express Gratitude and Humility before Hashem. Gratitude can be an expression of Teshuva (Return/Repentance). The Chassidic Masters knew this concept in the following passage: He has set you apart: According to Rashi, the expression “set apart” (להאמיר) connotes separation and distinction on the one hand, and glory—in the sense of one’s glory being his prize possession, so to speak—on the other. The proof text he cites for the latter meaning is: “All transgressors glorify themselves (יתאמרו).”16 As an idiom of “separation and distinction,” this expression refers to our essential Divine nature and true inner reality, by virtue of which we are completely divorced from any notion of evil and are therefore “separate and distinct” from wrongdoing. As an expression of “glory,” this expression refers to that fact that even when we do sin and are involved in actions that distance us from God, we have the ability to return to Him. We are taught that teshuvah motivated by ardent love of God transforms even deliberate wrongdoings into merits,17 which means that we are blessed not only with the ability to forsake negative behavior and habits at any instant (thereby defying the natural forces of inertia and habituation); we can even convert our past negative actions into motivations for positive behavior. Thus, what was formerly negative is now something glorious and meritorious. This process increases God’s glory in the world, inasmuch as it demonstrates how He can be revealed not only in elements of reality that are a priori holy (or neutral but receptive to holiness) but also in elements of reality that are a priori antithetical to holiness. In this context, the deeper meaning of the verse that Rashi quotes is that through the act of teshuvah, the transgressor can increase the glory of God in the world. The above passage shows the connection with this weeks Chumash Hashavuah and the Brit Chadashah portion for this week (the parable of the sower is mentioned). On an interesting note, A heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear: These three aspects of perception correspond to the three components of the intellect, derived from the first three sefirot: • “A heart to know” refers to da’at (“knowledge”) • “Eyes to see” refers to chochmah (“insight” or “wisdom”), as echoed in the sages’ statement: “Who is wise [i.e., possesses chochmah]? He who sees what is to come.”47 • “Ears to hear” refers to binah (“understanding”). The difference between chochmah and binah is frequently described as the difference between sight and hearing. Sight is a more direct perception, whereas hearing is more indirect. Similarly, chochmah is direct, virtually supra-intellectual insight, whereas binah is the intellectual process of analysis, which takes the direct insight of chochmah and experiences it indirectly in order to integrate it into the individual’s existing mode of thought. This goes a great deal with the teaching that King Messiah Yeshua gave to his Talmidim after explaining the parabe of the seeds and the sower and Mattiyahus reference to Yesheyahu 6:9. The key to application is internalization of the Mitzvot, the Torah allowing it to change our Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge to better apply and fulfill the Mitzvot. And walk in His ways: Following the path of Torah enables the soul to “walk.” Before the soul descends into the body, it experiences Godliness in a relatively static fashion. Although it can experience some notion of elevation and movement, any new level reached can always be understood in the context of its previous level of spiritual understanding. This is a limited, step-by-step progress. In contrast, once the soul has entered the body and is able to study the Torah and perform the commandments, it is able to move towards God with quantum leaps. This ability enables the individual to “walk,” to truly progress in his relationship with God. We see here that application begins with the absorption of the Torah through study and prayer. Emuna is the heart of application. This is what our King Messiah Yeshua taught many times in the Brit Chadashah. Have a blessed Shabbat Ladies and Gentlemen. Christopher Walter Fredrickson Sarah Jacobs-Chandler Jennifer Wittkopp Donna Hogg Gregory Kauffman Sr. Pauline Tikvah Hannah Bat Abraham Chava Grace Levy Margarita Peralta de Sanchez Krysondra Maria Willms Janice Frame Rav Yaakov Bar Sephardim Richard Greco Hilton Esther Tom Hubschmitt Dianna Rosanna Danna Lisa Brown
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 17:33:57 +0000
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