Website: www.jewishadventist.orgWeb Ministers: www.jewishadventistministers.com

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° 493Shabbat Ki-Tavo

Shabbat 8 September 201221 Ellul 5772

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NewsNews from Buenos Aires

On Shabbat August 25, our congregation Beth Bnei Tzion in Buenos Aires had an excellent time and experience with a special

visitor, Clifford Goldstein, Editor of the world Sabbath School lessons at the General Conference. His reflection on Friday evening addressed the issue of “The Thousand years”.

On Shabbat morning Clifford G o l d s t e i n challenged us to keep our faith even in the most difficult beliefs. It is true that from the scientific point of view the resurrection is not something which can be believed, but we continue to believe in the resurrection of the body at the second coming of the Messiah Yeshua.

On Shabbat Afternoon we remembered the important of seeing the world through the filter of what we call the “Great Controversy between Good and Evil.” The lectures were highly appreciated by Adventists and non-Adventists attended for the occasion.

Token of Appreciation

During 1997 and 1998 Dr. Aecio Cairus was the counselor of the Jewish Adventist Community in the River Plate Adventist

University, Entre Rios, Argentina. From this community emerged the Jewish Adventist Community of Buenos Aires. The advice and guidance of Aecio Cairus were decisive for the existence and continuity of these communities.

Matias Katz, director of the Jewish community in Buenos Aires, gave a present to Dr. Aecio Cairus and his wife Mary.

The WJAFC Condemns Any Act of Intolerance

The ICCJ communicates that “the Trappist monastery in Latrun, Israel was vandalized on September 4, and anti-Christian graffiti

were sprayed on the walls.” There are extremists everywhere and in any religious group. We address here our deep sympathy to the members of the Trappist monastery and invite them to continue their mission of Jewish-Christian dialogue in Israel. Ignorance, fear and hatred will only disappear through education and dialogue.

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Ki-TavoDeuteronomy 26:1-29:8

When Bnei Yisrael dwell in the Land of Israel, its first fruits are to be taken to the Temple and

given to the kohen in a ceremony expressing recognition that it is G-d who guides the history of the Jewish People throughout all ages.This passage forms one of the central

parts of the Haggadah that we read at the Passover Seder. On the last day of Pesach of the fourth and seventh years of the seven-year shemitta cycle, a person must recite a disclosure stating that he has indeed distributed the tithes to the appropriate people in the prescribed manner.

With this mitzvah Moshe concludes the commandments that G-d has told him to give to the Jewish People. Moshe exhorts them to walk in G-d’s ways, because they are set aside as a treasured people to G-d.

When Bnei Yisrael cross the Jordan River they are to make a new commitment to the Torah.

Huge stones are to be erected and the Torah is to be written on them in the world’s seventy primary languages, after which they are to be covered over with a thin layer of plaster.

Half the tribes will stand on Mount Gerizim, and half on Mount Eval, and the levi’im will stand in a valley between the two mountains. There the levi’im will recite 12 commandments and all the people will answer “amen” to the blessings and the curses.

Moshe then details the blessings that will be bestowed upon Bnei Yisrael. These blessings are both physical and spiritual. However if the Jewish People do not keep the Torah, Moshe details a chilling picture

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Overview of destruction, resulting in exile and wandering among the nations.

Selecting and Glorifying G-d

The Torah states: “You have declared this day that the L-RD is your G-d and that you will walk in his ways, that you will keep his decrees,

commands and laws, and that you will obey him. And the L-RD has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands.” (Deut 26:17–18). What this declaration means? The Jewish scholars tried to understand this declaration and gave several translations. Rashi gave two translations of this text: he says that the word translated by “declared” actually means “selected” Israel has officially “selected” G-d as their G-d, and in return G-d has selected Israel as his people.

The second suggestion made by Rashi is that Israel glorified G-d by agreeing to be His nation, and G d glorified Israel by making Israel His treasured people.

Rabbi Lazer Gurkow says that all the translations are correct in the sense that Israel has first selected G-d and when they have experimented the superiority and the uniqueness of their G-d, they glorified him.

Our relationship with G d progressed, we start knowing Him, then we accept to select Him as our G-d and the more we experiment His love and care for us the more we glorify him in our life and through our testimony. It is a way to apply in our life the invitation of the Aftarah: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the L-rd rises upon you. . . . . the L-rd rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” (Is 60:1–2).

Be Merciful and Compassionate

In the Parasha we read, “The L-rd will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the L-rd your G-d

and walk in his ways.” (Deut 28:9). some questions are asked about this text. what is the meaning of “keeping” the commandments and what is the difference between “keeping” and “walking”. Rabbi Pakouz answers this question saying: The answer comes from looking at the complete verse, “God will raise you up for Himself as a holy nation as He promised to you, when you observe the mitzvot of your God and go in

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a His ways.” Rabbi Ibn Ezra elucidates: “observe” means

“in your heart”; “go” refers to “action”. The mitzva is not to “act” mercifully, but to “be” merciful and compassionate when you act.

First-Fruits and Its Prayer

Our parasha contains a description of the ceremony of offering the first-fruits as a thanksgiving (for the Jewish people, this law

is only valid in the Land of Israel). In my opinion we should offer to G-d our thanksgiving and first-fruits from any land, it was the idea of the American when they instituted their celebration of thanksgiving. This text follows with the prayer that was to be recited by each person as he made his offering “I declare today to the L-rd your G-d that I have come to the land the L-rd swore to our forefathers to give us.” (Deut. 26:3) “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, putting us to hard labor. Then we cried out to the L-rd, the G-d of our fathers, and the L-rd heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. So the L-rd brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders. He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, O L-rd, have given me.” (Deut. 26:5-10). This prayer mention the miracle of our origin “my father was a wandering Aramean” and the second miracle is the Exodus from Egypt “The L-rd brought us out of Egypt”.

The NIV has translated that our father was a “wandering” Aramean, that means a traveler, a nomad, but the Hebrew word “Oved” contains also the meaning of “to perish”, “to destroy”. That is why Rashi translates:

“an Aramite destroyed my father” to refer to Laban’s intention to destroy Jacob and hence the whole Jewish nation. Thus the prayer refer to the miracle of the survival of Jacob while he could be assimilated to the people of Laban and the people of Israel would have disappeared, but he survived the manipulations and attempt of Laban to destroy him and his family. Thus bringing of the first-fruits was accompanied by his acknowledgment of G-d’s deliverance in saving the nation from destruction. It is clear that reading the Torah we discover that God performed many more miracles than saving Jacob

from Laban or Israel from Egypt. But these two miracles are the founding miracles of the people of Israel, they were the two occasions when Israel were threatened of extermination, and including these two events in the prayer allowed Israel to remember what the nations are able to do against G-d’s people.

If the Jewish people think that the law of the first-fruits is only valid in the Land of Israel, it is because the text speaks about the “produce from the soil of the land the L-rd your G-d is giving you” this land is Israel, the land of Canaan and the text says also that we have to bring these first-fruits

“to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name” that means the place of the Sanctuary during about 400 years and then in the Temple of Jerusalem when the sanctuary was installed in Jerusalem by King David. The question today is to know if the worship place of the Jews and believers in Yeshua are “places chosen by G-d as a dwelling for his name.” For the Jews, only Jerusalem and only when the Temple is built could be considered as this special place. That is why, the Jewish people have even stopped to offer the sacrifices, and to perform all laws related to the Temple.

However this text speaks also about the Tithes: “When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.” (Deut 26:12). To be consistent with their interpretation of these texts, the Jewish tradition has also said that since there is no Temple and the Cohanim are not officiating in the Temple in Jerusalem anymore, the law of Tithes is not practiced anymore. But the principle given in this text is still practiced by the Jewish people, this principle is called “Tsedakah” (Justice or Righteouness). The concept of Tsedakah is commonly translated by “Charity”. Thus when we read Rabbinical Jewish story we see a great proportion of them are about giving Tsedadah or Charity: “you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow”, The Levite was mentioned in the same category as the orphans or widows because they did not receive any portion of the Land and their only way to eat and to live a normal life was to receive tithes from Israel.

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Baal Shem Tov’ Story

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Once in his travels, Rabbi Shneur Zalman stopped in a certain city. While he was there, a house caught on fire. The rebbe

asked to be taken to the neighborhood where the fire was. When he arrived at the scene, a group of Russian soldiers from the local garrison were trying in vain to extinguish it. The rebbe stood in front of the blazing home and leaned on his cane. He remained utterly still for a few moments. Suddenly, the fire died down. The exhausted soldiers could barely believe their eyes. They ran to report the astonishing turn of events to their commanding officer. He listened calmly, then sent a delegation of soldiers to ask the rebbe to come to see him.

When the rebbe arrived, the officer asked him, “Are you by chance the son or grandson of the Jewish holy man known as the Baal Shem Tov?”

The rebbe told him that he was not actually a blood relative, but he considered himself his spiritual grandson because he was a disciple of the main disciple and successor of the Baal Shem Tov. “If so,” remarked the officer, “I am no longer amazed at what you did today. Come, sit down, and I will tell you a story about my deceased father and the Baal Shem Tov.

“My father carried the rank of general. Once he came with his troops to the village of Mezhibuzh shortly before your holiday of Passover. My father then was deeply troubled, because many weeks had passed since he had received a letter, or any message at all, from his wife. Brooding, with his imagination running wild, he confided his distress to a few local residents with whom he was friendly. They immediately suggested that perhaps he should seek the advice of the holy Jew who lived in their town, who was a wonder-maker and revealer of secrets. “My father sent a soldier to the Baal Shem Tov to request an appointment. Much to his surprise, the Baal Shem Tov refused to see the soldier. My father sent another soldier, but still the Baal Shem Tov refused. My father was annoyed, but he knew about you Jews and your holidays. He sent another delegation, this time with the threat that if the Baal Shem Tov would not grant the general an interview, he would billet his troops in the Jewish community, causing loads of bread and other chametz food to be brought into the home of every Jew in the village during the days of preparing for Passover!

“The threat worked. The Baal Shem Tov sent back a message inviting the general, my father, to his home. He went there right away, bringing with him one of his subordinates. “Upon entering the front room, they right away saw through the open doorway that the Baal Shem Tov was sitting in the second room, totally absorbed in the book in front of him (which my father subsequently found out was the Zohar). However, before he could enter or even knock on the door, my father’s attention was caught by a large mirror on the wall in the front room.

“He went over to it, having decided to comb his hair before going in to greet the rebbe. He glanced at the mirror, and to his astonishment, instead of himself, he saw in it scenery that resembled the outskirts of his hometown. Upon closer examination, he saw the paved road that led right to his own house. Totally startled, he shouted to his staff officer to come quickly and see.

“The two of them stared. Suddenly, they could see inside the house, where the general’s wife was sitting at a table, writing a letter to her husband! They were even able to see the letter clearly enough to read it. In it she apologized for the long break in communication, and that it was due to her pregnancy and delivery of a baby boy. Both mother and son were doing well.

“My father was overwhelmed by the vision in the mirror. He thanked the Baal Shem Tov profusely. After a while, he received a letter in the mail from his wife—identical to what he had seen in the mirror! At that point, my father wrote down the whole story in detail in his personal diary.”

The commanding officer concluded, “I am the son whose birth was referred to in that letter. Also, the journal in which my father recorded this event is in my possession. If you will stay a bit longer, I will be happy to show it to you.”

And he did.

A newsletter published by the World Jewish Adventist Friendship Center

Under the umbrella of the General Conference —Office of Adventist Mission

EDITOR

Tel. +972 2625 1547Fax +972 2625 1319

email: richard@elofer.comweb: jewishadventist.org

Richard-Amram Elofer4, Abraham Lincoln94186 JerusalemIsrael

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Brit Hachadasha - Matthew 5:1-12The text of our parasha, which is at the end of Deuteronomy (we are close to the end of the Jewish year) is full

of curses and blessings. We have too often insisted on the curses that is why today for this Brit Hachadasha reading I want to present the blessings God promised to his people. In the parasha it is written “Carefully

follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do” (Deut 29:9). Being faithful to the covenant helped Israel to prosper and to survive in spite of all the persecution and suffering.

Yeshua made the same promise to us. When Yeshua was on the Mount of Blessings or Beatitudes he listed the blessings, which are for each one of us, if we follow the terms of the new covenant with Him. The text of Mattatyahu says “His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:” (Matt 5:1–2), that means the following instructions and blessings are for his disciples. For those who believe in Him as the Messiah, for those who follow him and accept his covenant. Here are their blessings:

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heavenBlessed are those who mourn for they will be comfortedBlessed are the meek for they will inherit the earthBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

for they will be filled

Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercyBlessed are the pure in heart for they will see GodBlessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of GodBlessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me

Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you

This Shabbat is the fifth Shabbat after Tisha B’Av. We are in a period called Shiva D’nechemta—”Seven weeks of comfort.”

The seven Haftarot of the weeks between Tish’a B’av and Rosh Hashana are prophesies of comfort and hope for Israel and God’s people at large.Haftara: This text of comfort reminds us the mission of Israel. “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the L-RD has risen upon you. ” (Is. 60:1). G-d’s people has to shine and to reflect the glory of the L-rd, which is His character. Her testimony will bring nations and kings to her and through her to G-d. “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn” (Is. 60:3). However, to see people coming to her she must lift up her eyes and accepts evidences given by the L-rd “Lift up your eyes and look around; they all gather together, they come to you; ” (Is 60:4). She will shine even more to be “radiant” “Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and rejoice, because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.” (Is 60:5) Even the Arabic world will

come to Israel: “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.” (Is 60:6a) It will bring wealth to her “They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.” (Is 60:6b). To comfort Israel, G-d promises to her that she will see her children who are in exile come back home, “For the coastlands shall wait for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from far away” (Is 60:9a). That will come from the L-rd “for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel.” (Is 60:9b). Israel will live in peace without fearing the nations and invaders “Your gates shall always be open; day and night they shall not be shut, so that nations shall bring you their wealth, with their kings led in procession.” (Is 60:11). Blessings will be always there for her “Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever” (Is. 60:20-22).

Haftara Isaiah 60:1-22