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Parashah Pekudei

by with No Comment Exodus

In the 7 days of Creation there is a progression from nothing, before Genesis 1:1, until all of Creation was completed, after 6 days. Man was the pinnacle of Creation, the crown. That is why he was created last, when everything else had already been created for his benefit.

Eventually, humanity fell, not just Adam, but every subsequent generation, until corruption filled the world and humanity was eliminated in the Flood (with the exception of Noah and his family).

Abraham was chosen by the Creator to begin a spiritual path that would reach its maximum expression with the revelation at Sinai to all the people of Israel.

This revelation included detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle. This system of connection between man and the Almighty is the way back to Eden. That is to say, to the union that man once had with the Creator.

That is why we will find fascinating connections within the Tabernacle itself, which refer us to the Divine Creation.

These are just some of the parallels I found and I recommend that you invest time in studying this section of the Torah to look for more. In fact, I will leave you with the following questions to consider in your personal studies or with your study group:

  • How do you see the principles of Creation reflected in the structure and function of the Tabernacle? How can this understanding enrich your perspective on the purpose and sanctity of space and time in your spiritual life?
  • How do you find (or where would you position) the role and mission of Yeshua in the infographic diagram above?
  • Reflecting on Yeshua’s role as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and the idea of Shabbat as a time of rest and connection with the Creator, how can we incorporate these principles into our lives to foster a sacred space and a time of spiritual renewal on a regular basis?
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Parashah Vayak’hel

by with No Comment Exodus

Since ancient times, Yehovah has shown a great desire to be close to his people, Israel. When the Israelites wandered through the desert after being freed from Egypt, the Most High gave them detailed instructions for building a special place where He could dwell among them. This place was the Tabernacle, a kind of portable sanctuary, symbolizing the continuous presence of God among his people. The idea was that, despite being on a long and difficult journey, the children of Israel would always have the Almighty close by, guiding, protecting and blessing them.
The Tabernacle was more than a structure; it was a tangible sign of our Father’s desire to live among his people, to be accessible to them. This desire extended beyond simply being worshipped from afar; it involved a close and constant relationship with Israel.
Even centuries later, this divine desire for closeness was reiterated through the words of the prophet Ezekiel. In chapter 37, Yehovah promises that he will establish his sanctuary among his people forever, saying:

My sanctuary will be among them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

This promise was a powerful affirmation of the Almighty’s eternal commitment to Israel. Through Ezekiel, God was reminding His people that, regardless of time or circumstance, His desire to live among them would never change.

Both in this section of the book of Exodus and in the Gospels, the importance of generosity and community collaboration is emphasized. In this parashah, we see how the people of Israel come together in the same spirit to carry out this project: The Tabernacle. This goes hand in hand with the teachings of Yeshua during his ministry related to instructing the people about the importance of sharing with others, especially those most in need.

A figure of the Messiah: This portion also reminds us that the Tabernacle is a type of Yeshua since it was the place where the presence of the Most High was manifested to his people Israel. In the same way, the Father manifested his divine Presence when…

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only begotten son), full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

Furthermore, the promise that we find in the book of Ezekiel not only reaffirms the special relationship between Yehovah and Israel, but also points towards a future where the presence of the Almighty will be even more direct and personal for all generations to come through the figure of the heir to the throne: Yeshua the Messiah.

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Parashah Ki Tisa

by with No Comment Exodus

Our portion for this week begins with instructions regarding the census. This fact has an important significance because it allows us to see the equality of all souls before our Creator and Father: there is no difference in terms of economic status, ancestry, education, appearance, training, connections or experience.
The census was taken to determine the potential of the nations to go to war; and this offering or tax was no guarantee of their lives or that they would be successful in battle. Whether they won or lost, Yehovah decreed that Israel should pay a ransom for their own souls during the census, thus showing the seriousness with which Yehovah regarded the loss of human life.
The payment was to be made annually, and was practiced until the time of the Babylonian exile under Nebuchadnezzar, when it was suspended. It was later re-established by Nehemiah when they returned from exile, but Hadrian, the Roman emperor, prohibited it in 135 CE. Now that Yisrael has returned to its land, this practice was re-established on March 23, 1997.

WE ARE NOT BETTER THAN AARON

Despite having made the decision to follow Yeshua, we still retain within us the impulse to do what seems good in our own eyes, something we have been accustomed to doing for so many years, and we easily tend to reject the guidelines provided by our Father Yehovah in an almost natural way.

We fill ourselves with reasoning and act exactly as Eve did in Eden: “we see things, they seem good to us, we find them pleasant, and we proceed to act” without giving much importance to our actions and much less to their consequences.

Such was the case of Aaron. Fortunately he repented in time and the forgiveness for him and his family was so complete that he was kept in the position he had received of being second only to Moses and, even more, he was appointed High Priest in the service of Yehovah!

When there is true repentance and actions that demonstrate it, Yehovah forgives and moves forward with His plan for us. This is wonderful grace.

But let’s not forget the lesson: A serious commitment to obedience is required of us; it is what our Father expects. In the process of obeying, there will always be a multitude of rationalizations such as: “It seems that I am the only one who is into this, because most people do something else”; or … “I feel weird acting this way”, etc. But Yehovah hopes that our will controls such impulses and thoughts and that we intelligently decide to follow his instructions, commandments, laws, decrees, statutes, testimonies and so on. By acting in this way, we will be showing him that we trust in his words, that we consider ourselves his people and above all that we really love him.

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Parashah Tetzaveh

by with No Comment Exodus

In the Garden of Eden, Adam, the first man, was in communion with the Creator and heard His voice. There was nothing he had to do to establish that connection with Yehovah because he lived in His presence.

After being expelled, from the earliest times, Adam’s descendants sought that connection with Yehovah through offerings and sacrifices.

Passing through our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and specified in the Torah itself, the intention of the Almighty was for Israel to be a Kingdom of Kohanim (Priests), but given the circumstances, only Aaron and his descendants were the ones who carried out that ministry.

And what is a kohen (priest)? A kohen is someone whose mission is to establish a connection between the Almighty and the rest of the people. And to carry out that mission, the kohen must maintain a state of ritual purity that is above the level of ordinary people. In fact, the initiation ritual, which appears in this parashah and is complemented in Leviticus 8, required candidates to remain for seven days in the Tabernacle while daily sacrifices were offered, they were sprinkled with blood and anointed with oil.

The cohen (priest) in Israel had a crucial role in the spiritual life of Israel. Yeshua fulfilled a similar role outside the Temple in a period in which the corruption of the priestly caste was rife, and the Temple was in its final decades before its destruction by the Romans.

Today, 2000 years later and still without a Temple or priestly service, but having the example of Yeshua and the advice to follow in his footsteps, it is a good exercise in our spiritual development to consider how we should act on a day-to-day basis if we were to take the priestly role in our lives seriously, becoming a connection between the Creator and our circles of influence.

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Parashah T’rumah

by with No Comment Exodus

The Hebrew word “terumah” means “offering”. In this context, it refers to the voluntary contributions that the Israelites were to make for the construction of the Mishkan – Tabernacle. Yehovah instructed Moses to invite the people to bring specific materials, such as precious metals, fabrics, animal skins, wood and oils, among others, for the construction and the elements of the sanctuary.

Also detailed are the designs and materials necessary for the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, the golden Menorah, the Altar of Incense, the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Mishkan enclosure itself. Each of these elements had a specific purpose in the future service of the Temple and symbolized various aspects of Yeshua’s role and Yehovah relationship with his people.

Just as the Israelites contributed their resources in the past to the construction of the Mishkan, we believers are called to offer our gifts and talents for the building of the Kingdom of Yehovah on earth. Yeshua himself, throughout his ministry, taught and exemplified the value of giving oneself in service to others and in the expansion of love, truth and justice.

To reflect

The Tabernacle is the meeting place between Yehovah and the people of Israel, a figure of the presence of the Almighty that is fully manifested in Yeshua. He is described as the “Tabernacle” that dwelt among us (John 1:14), being the place where Yehovah and man meet in perfect harmony. In other words, Yeshua is the way to reconciliation with our Father, and his sacrifice on the cross represents the perfect fulfillment of the system of sacrifices and offerings prescribed in the Torah.

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Parashah Mishpatim

by with No Comment Exodus

Yehováh delivered the Royal Law on Mount Sinai. It is very important to understand that when we use the expression “The Royal Law”, it is because we are referring to the Law of the King or of the Kingdom, that is to say that it belongs to the Royalty of Yehováh; that is why it is of an unparalleled category.
Later in these chapters, Yehovah, the King, begins to hand down more detailed ordinances through Moses, which have to do with the new condition of a people who until now did not know what it was to be free. No. It is not the total absence of an authority that makes us free, but obedience to the laws established by that Supreme Authority.

The instructions we receive from Yehováh our Father encourage us to look out for the needs of others, rather than protecting our own. This philosophy clashes with that of the present world, where the permanent emphasis is on demanding respect for “our rights” to the point of totally ignoring our duties or obligations.

As we progress through the Torah, you will notice that nowhere does Yehovah, our Father, instruct us to adopt such a position; on the contrary, he will always be reminding us of the importance of taking care of those around us: parents, family, friends, etc., who may be in need.

The best role model for us is Yeshua, who modeled a role of servant or caretaker not only with his disciples but with all his contemporaries, when he healed them, provided them with food, instructed them and prayed for them, even to the point of death. Think about it: If Yeshua had demanded his rights, where would you and I be?

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Parashah Yitro

by with No Comment Exodus

At this point in the Exodus narrative we find Moses taking on the monumental task of judging the people of Israel. Sitting from morning to evening, Moses attended to the disputes and conflicts among the Israelites, seeking to impart justice according to divine will. His dedication to this task, while admirable, also showed the limitations of a single individual in the face of the complexities of governing and administering justice for an entire nation.

There is a change of course when his father-in-law, Jethro, gives him some excellent advice. This key moment will mark the beginning of a more structured judicial system, laying the foundations for the future legislation found in the giving of the Torah.

In Jewish thought it is understood that:

“The Torah considers any judge who judges with absolute truthfulness, even for a single hour, as if he had become God’s partner in the work of Creation.”

Talmud, Shabbat 10a

It is interesting that the Creator did not wish to judge each individual ‘personally’, but rather it was His will that men learn the ways of His justice and then be able to judge themselves.

Just as man was created in the image and likeness of the Creator, who is Judge and Sovereign of all Creation, so too must man learn how to execute justice in an impartial and responsible manner.

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Parashah B’shalaj

by with No Comment Exodus

Parashah Beshalach narrates one of the most outstanding episodes in the history of the people of Israel: the liberation from slavery in Egypt and the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea.

The narrative begins with a description of the route taken by the people of Israel as they left Egypt. Instead of taking the most direct route to the Promised Land, Yehovah guides the Israelites into the desert to avoid possible conflicts with other nations. Soon, the pharaoh regrets having freed the people and pursues the Israelites with his army. Let’s look at some important aspects of this parashah that provide valuable lessons for our daily lives.

The parashah highlights the song of triumph of Moses and the children of Israel, known as the “Shirat HaYam” or the Song of the Sea, which celebrates the miraculous liberation. The story deals with the divine provision of manna and quail to feed the nation in the desert, as well as the importance of keeping the Shabbat.

Beshalach is a section rich in teachings about trust in Yehovah, gratitude for his miracles and the importance of obeying his commandments. This story continues to be a source of inspiration and reflection for the children of Israel and offers very valuable lessons about faith and redemption.

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Parashah Bo – Go

by with No Comment Exodus

The Exodus is an event in the history of the world that demonstrates Yehovah‘s control over the nations. It is a great lesson in how our Father is not only the Creator but also the day-to-day Governor of the Universe, even in things that we might consider irrelevant to Him. This event shows us that Yehovah can intervene in the most powerful realms, demonstrating that He Was, Is and Will Be.

The Commandment of Yehováh leaves no room for doubt. Pesach (Passover) is a celebration that we must observe if we consider ourselves part of His people.

Like the observance of Shabbat, which it is a sign that we are His children, the commemoration of Pesach is another credential that identifies us as those rescued by Him. Yehovah Elohim gives us clear instructions regarding this, and even if we find ourselves in the diaspora—outside the land of Israel—we must make our best effort to obey or at least demonstrate our desire to do so.

In fact, no one can truly celebrate Pesach today due to the absence of the House of Yehovah (the Temple). However, what we can do is remember this celebration, as it serves as an educational way to teach new generations about the great works of our Creator and Father, Yehovah.

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Parashah va’Era – I appeared

by with No Comment Exodus

The God who appeared to Abraham and made a covenant with him is the same God who appeared to Moses in the bush. Curiously, this parashah opens by questioning whether Abraham had known Him by His Name:

I appeared to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Yehovah (Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh).
Exodus 6:2

It is a fact that the Almighty had indeed appeared to our patriarchs, not only Abraham, but also Isaac and Jacob, revealing His Name. There are examples of all of them calling on His Name, or erecting altars or calling places with the Name.

And there are two explanations to the verse quoted. One of them can be related to the Hebrew syntax, where the last portion could be understood as a kind of rhetorical question (at least according to the medieval biblical commentator Rashi): –[Had I] not made myself known to them by the name Yehovah?

On the other hand, we could deduce that despite having made Himself known to the patriarchs by that Name, they would not know the full magnitude of Yehovah’s power until the generation that experienced the exodus. This event, which would forever change the history of the family of Israel, would manifest the power of the Creator over His creation in a massive way, and would become a testimony for all future generations.

After making His existence manifest before the eyes of all Egypt, the Creator will manifest Himself by opening the Red Sea and at Mount Sinai, in order to create an impression on His people that would last for millennia to come.

This is the testimony that millions of people around the world fervently believe: that Yehovah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, has power over all His Creation; then, now, and until the end of time.