Volume 1, #10 NL

May 21, 2023

Sivan 1, 5783

ROSH CHODESH MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

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FROM RABBI KEN "MACCABEES" MACNEIL

UMJA PRESIDENT

Our Mount Sinai Experience

Shalom shalom, Mishpucha v Chaverim (family and friends),

We have been freed from the oppression of the Egyptians and now are wandering in bamidbar (the desert). We have taken part in the first Passover and have now set out to worship and meet with our G-d—the G-d that delivered us from the hand of the Egyptians. G-d, who is protecting us in the cloud by day and warming us by the fire at night.

After thirty days He has provided food from heaven. Then one week later, He quenched our thirst while camping at Rephidim with water from a rock. He also fended off the Amalekites who attacked us from the rear. After six weeks, we arrive at Mount Sinai and Moshe ascends the Mountain to speak with our wonderful, loving, caring G-d! Then Moshe is told to return back down the mountain and tell the people…

4 “You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you will pay careful attention to what I say and keep my covenant, then you will be my own treasure from among all the peoples, for all the earth is mine.” Exodus 19:3-5 CJB

G-d was brokering a deal with the house of Yaakov! (Jacob/Israel). He was saying to Israel if you will harken to my voice and keep my commandments, then you will be my “Am Segula” (prized possession/own treasure).

What was an Am Segula? When a king would conquer a territory his soldiers would bring back the very best from the territory to the king. These prized possessions were the Am Segula which the king brought into his own household. The Israelite people would have understood that if they kept G-d’s commands, then out of all the people of the earth, He would bring them into His own household! Wow!

The People emphatically said to Moshe “Kol asher dibber Adonai na’aseh”, “All the Lord has spoken we will do.” Exodus 19:7-8

Moshe ascends the mountain again to give their reply to G-d. This time, Moshe is sent back to tell the people that in three days He will come and meet with them.

11 “…prepare for the third day. For on the third day, Adonai will come down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people.” Exodus 19:11 CJB

Exactly seven weeks from leaving Egypt the people met with G-d on the morning of the third day. After counting the Omer for seven weeks we met with G-d. He then delivered the ten commandments/ten utterances/Eseret HaD’varim

16 “On the morning of the third day, there was thunder, lightning and a thick cloud on the mountain. Then a shofar blast sounded so loudly that all the people in the camp trembled.” Exodus 19:16 CJB

After the first two commandments, the people realized their unworthiness before the presence of this awesome and holy G-d. So, they pleaded with Moshe to be their mediator.

16 (19) “…they said to Moshe, “You, speak with us; and we will listen. But don’t let G-d speak with us, or we will die.” Exodus 20:16 CJB

Moshe mediated between G-d and Israel. In the same way, G-d provided Yeshua to mediate for all the nations.

5 “For G-d is one; and there is but one Mediator between G-d and humanity, Yeshua the Messiah.” 1 Timothy 2:5-6 CJB

As Israel met with G-d in three days, so Yeshua who is the word of G-d met with the people in three days.

4 “and he was buried; and he was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; 5 and he was seen by Kefa, then by the Twelve; 6 and afterwards he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time…” 1 Corinthians 15:4-6

The word for “weeks” in Hebrew is Shavuot-שבועות. Thus, we have the festival of Shavuot just as Israel received the Torah after seven weeks from leaving Egypt. Aka Matan Torah means the giving of the Torah.

In commemoration of this event, Ezekiel 1:4 is still read to this day in synagogues all over the world on Shavuot. Ezekiel gave this prophecy approximately 800 years after the initial Shavuot on Mount Sinai.

16 “until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days…”

Leviticus 23:16 CJB

Yeshua’s believers gathered in the upper room to celebrate Shavuot, aka Pentecost. Pentecost means fifty. They gathered as commanded in Lev 23. They gathered just after the morning Shavuot service and they would have read this passage together…

4 “I looked and saw a windy storm approaching from the north and a huge cloud with flashing fire, glowing brightly all around with the color of gleaming amber from within the fire.” Ezekiel 1:4 CJB

Then this very prophecy unfolded in the upper room right before their eyes!

2 “The festival of Shavu‘ot arrived, and the believers all gathered together in one place. 2 Suddenly there came a sound from the sky like the roar of a violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. 4 They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh and began to talk in different languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak. 5 Now there were staying in Yerushalayim religious Jews from every nation under heaven.” Acts 2:1-5 CJB

Traditional Judaism counts eight times that Moshe ascended mount Sinai. As Moshe persisted in climbing that mountain seeking G-d, we must do the same. Life is not easy at times, but we must know that G-d is with us as we navigate the mountain of life. A mountain is a Hebrew idiom for a problem. As we continue to climb, we are assured G-d is helping us, and that Yeshua will ultimately lead us to the Promised Land. Yeshua is the derek, the way.

6 “Yeshua said, ‘I AM the Way (derek)— and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6 CJB

Is the way (derek) a direct route? No it is not. After forty years of fleeing from Pharoah after killing the Egyptian, Moses came to the burning bush. This which is counted as the first ascent to Mount Sinai and occurred on Av/Nissan 15.

One year later, Moshe led the Israelites out of Egypt on the same day. The first Pesach on Av 15. In the dessert, the Israelites incurred a circuitous route. Although not a direct route they did arrive at Mount Sinai exactly on Shavu‘ot, seven weeks later!

In the same way, on our circuitous routes in life, Yeshua and G-d keep us fed and protected. We are promised that as we follow His ways, we become His “Am Segular” – His prized possessions.

Moshe was Israel’s mediator. We have a greater mediator. Yeshua our Lord and Mediator. One like Moshe but greater! As the word of G-d came down to Mount Sinai, so too did the Living word of G-d com down from heaven to give us eternal life!

13 “…there is only the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moshe lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.” John 3:13-15 CJB

The Israelites wandered in the desert seeking G-d. Just as Yeshua was that rock that sustained Israel, Yeshua will sustain us as we navigate our desert experience. We can be sure that G-d is with us. When we obey G-d’s voice and keep ways He will not leave us.

5 “Keep your lives free from the love of money; and be satisfied with what you have; for G-d himself has said, “I will never fail you or abandon you.” Hebrews 13:5

10 “For, brothers, I don’t want you to miss the significance of what happened to our fathers. All of them were guided by the pillar of cloud, and they all passed through the sea, 2 and in connection with the cloud and with the sea they all immersed themselves into Moshe, 3 also they all ate the same food from the Spirit, 4 and they all drank the same drink from the Spirit — for they drank from a Spirit-sent Rock which followed them, and that Rock was the Messiah.” 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 CJB

Shalom Aleichem שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם, Peace be upon you.

Rav Ken

The first open meeting with the Beit Din on Zoom was a good success!

Please join us for the next one on JUNE 14th from 7-8:30pm EST.

This is an ASK THE RABBI's open forum meeting for all members and associates! Send your name and email to info@umja.net to request the Zoom link for the call by June 13th.

Celebrate Israel's 75 Years

in her Homeland!

ויאמרו אל־משׁה דבר־אתה עמנו ונשׁמעה ואל־ידבר

עמנו אלהים פן־נמות׃

They said to Moshe, “You speak to us, and we will listen;

but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.”

(Exodus 20:19)

Some Thoughts on the MEDIATOR

By Rav Gabriel Lumbroso

As a young Jewish boy raised in France, I was actually encouraged to be condescending to my school peers by pointing out the fact that the Jews had a direct connection with God while Christians had to go through a mediator called Jesus.

Later on, of course, I learned that was not exactly right. The earliest congregation at Mt. Horeb couldn't bear to hear the voice of HaShem. So much so, that they begged Moshe to do it for them, promising that they would listen to him instead.

They said to Moshe, "You, speak with us; and we will listen. But don't let God speak with us, or we will die." Exodus 20:19

HaShem acquiesced to their request and commended it as a good thing, even using the situation to tell them that they would eventually receive their marching orders through a "Prophet," whom we know now would be the Messiah.

"Adonai will raise up for you a prophet like me from among yourselves, from your own kinsmen. You are to pay attention to him, just as when you were assembled at Horeb and requested Adonai your God, 'Don't let me hear the voice of Adonai my God anymore or let me see this great fire ever again; if I do, I will die!' On that occasion Adonai said to me, 'They are right in what they are saying. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their kinsmen. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I order him. Whoever doesn't listen to my words, which he will speak in my name, will have to account for himself to me. Deuteronomy 18:15-19

In Judaism, this "Prophet" has always been identified as the future Messiah, and from the reading of this passage in Deuteronomy 18, we learn that it is part of HaShem's commandments in the Torah to be obedient to Yeshua the Messiah.

The idea of a mediator between HaShem and man has always been part of Judaism. In the first century, the martyr Stephen spoke of Moshe and the angel who gave him the living words.

"This is the man who was in the assembly in the wilderness, accompanied by the angel that had spoken to him at Mount Sinai and by our fathers, the man who was given living words to pass on to us." Acts 7:38

Paul later wrote to the believers in Galatia:

"Moreover, it was handed down through angels and a mediator."

Galatians 3:19

CHAG SAMEACH SHAVUOT!

SHAVUOT: THE GIFTS OF TORAH

AND THE RUACH

By Rabbi Richard Chaimberlin

Almost 3500 YEARS AGO, our Heavenly Father unveiled the Eseret HaD’varim (the “Ten Commandments,” but more literally, the “Ten Words” or “Ten Sayings”) to the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

Pesakh (“Passover”) begins as the 14^th of Abib (Nissan) is turning into the 15^th of Abib at sunset. Abib (Nissan) is the first month of the sacred calendar of Leviticus 23. “In the third month, when the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that very day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.” [1] Then the third month of the sacred calendar is Sivan, roughly equivalent to late May to early June.

God set us free from slavery to sin by placing His Spirit in us to enable us to live as He intended. “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you shall keep my judgments, and do them.” Ezekiel 36:26-27

This is basically what Jeremiah told us about the New Covenant that God would make: “Behold, the days are coming,” saith YHWH, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, ³²not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; my covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” saith YHWH. ³³But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days,” saith YHWH, “I will put my Law (Torah) in their inward parts and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.” [2] Torah is an integral part of the New Covenant lifestyle.

Passover brought us freedom with the blood of the Passover lamb in Egypt. The Eseret HaD’varim (“Ten Commandments”) were given to us on Shavuot (“Pentecost” or Weeks) in the third month (Sivan). Freedom without laws would soon perish. Try to imagine a free society without laws; it won’t happen. Therefore, in the third month (Sivan), the Law was given at Mount Sinai. According to the Rabbis, this event happened on Shavuot (Pentecost). Thus, Shavuot is also called Atseret shel Pesach (“Completion of Passover”) in Judaism.

The Scriptures tell us that the Law was given at Mount Sinai. Most assume that Mount Sinai was in the modern Sinai Peninsula. However, according to Galatians 4:25, Mount Sinai is located in Arabia — that is, modern day Saudi Arabia. Christian archeologist Jonathan Gray located what may be the genuine Mount Sinai on a secret expedition there a couple decades ago.

We should be happy that the Ten Commandments were composed by Adonai, and not by a modern-day lawyer. There is an expression, Keep It Simple Stupid, otherwise known by the acronym KISS. If one of today’s lawyers composed the Ten Commandments, they would probably fill a hefty volume.

According to the Rabbis, the Ten Commandments were transmitted via the Bat Kol (“Heavenly Voice”) simultaneously in all 70 of the major languages of the ancient world, since they were intended for all mankind. They were also given outside the Land of Israel, as an indication that they were not intended just for the Jews. Another reason for giving the Ten Commandments outside the Land of Israel was to show the Israelites that they must obey Torah even in the Galut (Diaspora – lands outside of Israel).

The first “commandment” (or “saying”), according to Jewish reckoning, is: “I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” [3] The Rabbis have turned this into a commandment, since it implies that we must believe in God. I have met so-called Jewish “atheists.” Initially, they will profess no belief in God. However, if you question them more closely, you discover that they are actually angry at the God they supposedly don’t believe in, and the most insulting thing they can do to this God is to proclaim that they don’t believe in Him. I believe the overwhelming percentage of Jews do believe in God.

The second and third commandments of Christian reckoning are combined into one commandment in Jewish reckoning. That is, the commandments to not make idols and not to worship idols or other gods are both one commandment in Judaism.

From the third commandment on, it is the same for Christians and Jews, basically:

3. Don’t take the name of God (YHWH) in vain.

4. Remember (observe) the Sabbath.

5. Honor your father and your mother.

6. Don’t murder.

7. Don’t commit adultery.

8. Don’t steal.

9. Don’t bear false witness.

10. Don’t covet another’s property, etc.

The fourth commandment about Shabbat (the Sabbath) takes up 4 verses of Scripture. God spends more time with this commandment than He does with the other commandments, so I assume that He is very serious about this one. Also, in no place in the Scriptures is the Sabbath ever changed from “Saturday” to Sunday. The seventh day is Shabbat.

All 613 commandments of the Torah are important, since they came to us from God. However, the Ten Commandments were written on tablets of stone by God’s own finger,[4] in what amounts to the Big Ten. These commandments are more important than the other 603 commandments, which Yeshua referred to in Mat. 5:19: “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and so teaches others, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever will keep and teach them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” These 603 commandments that were not engraved on the tablets of stone by God’s finger might be the “least of the commandments.” However, they are still very important!

The Ten Commandments were originally a much larger part of Jewish liturgy. They originally were among the Scripture verses on the tiny scrolls in the mezuzah[5] and the tefillin.[6] However, when Christians began placing so much emphasis on the Ten Commandments, Jews began de-emphasizing them. Unfortunately, one of the ways that the scribes chose to de-emphasize the Ten Commandments was to remove them from the scrolls that are in the mezuzah and tefillin. (Similarly, Jews used to kneel when praying, but stopped kneeling when they saw Christians kneeling. The Hebrew word for blessing is b’racha, from the word for knee, which is berech.)

Shavuot is the only holiday in Leviticus 23 for which no specific date is given. Instead, we are supposed to compute the proper day to celebrate it....

[1] Sh’mot (Exodus) 19:1.

[2] Jeremiah 31:31-33.

[3] Sh’mot (Exodus) 20:2.

[4] Exodus 31:18.

[5] The little box found on Jewish doorposts containing scripture verses.

[6] “Phylacteries,” the leather boxes containing scripture verses held onto the forehead and upper arm by leather straps.

For the rest of this teaching, click here to go to our blog.

A Countdown to Godliness

by Rabbi Gabriel Lumbroso

Counting the omer is a countdown to godliness. Some Jewish teachers divide the seven weeks into seven main virtues, which are again divided into seven facets of that virtue. Here is how it works:

1. Chesed: Overflowing Loving kindness

2. G’vurah: Judgment, Justice, Rigor

3. Tiferet: Compassion, Beauty, Balance

4. Netzakh: Victory, Efficiency, Prevailing

5. Hod: Glory, Splendor

6. Y’sod: Foundation, Intimacy, Generativity

7. Malkhut: Majesty, God’s Earthly Realm

FROM FIRST FRUITS TO SHAVUOT

It makes sense. The message Yeshua gave us was, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand." This message reflects Yochanan the Immerser's words, as well as those that he borrowed from Isaiah, "Prepare the way of Adonai in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God!" (Isaiah 40:3; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 3:2; Mat 3-:3;)! With this message, along with that of waiting for the Comforter (Acts 1:4), the time between the resurrection on the 16th of Nissan and Shavuot, 49 days later, represents a time of learning to live in “sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).

This transformation into righteousness does not happen by Yeshua waving a magic wand that makes us all good again, but it happens by us learning and applying the lifestyle of the Torah in our lives, and in our case, learning and applying the teachings of Yeshua concerning the Torah in our lives.

HASHEM'S ECONOMIC SYSTEM

The parasha readings during the time of the counting of the omer give us plenty of material for reflection and cleansing. In Acharei Mot, we learn about both the seriousness and, the awesomeness of God and about Yom HaKippurim. In Kedoshim, we learned about what sets us apart from the world. In Emor, we learned about the Shabbat and festivals that set us apart, and in Behar, we learn about HaShem's economic system, the way finances are handled in the Kingdom of Heaven as opposed to the way they are handled in the world. This economic system is not just the way finances ought to run in his kingdom of the future, but also the way they ought to run here on earth today.

THE LITMUS TEST OF RELIGIOUS SPIRITUALITY

After we have been taught in the former parasha about ritual and ceremonial holiness/ or set-apartness, we are now taught about financial holiness/set-apartness. HaShem is concerned with how we eat, live, and work, but he is also concerned about how we...

To continue this article, please click here to go to our blog.

Yeshivat Rabban Gamaliel

Here's a great opportunity to increase and grow in knowledge of Torah. We're offering over a dozen courses, most of which are free to UMJA members.

Click here and go to our Resources and Education page at umja.net for an enrollment form and other course details.

TO OUR MEMBERS:

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Interested individuals can join as Associates of the UMJA for just $25 per year.

The annual dues for a congregation or synagogue is only $100 per year.

Thank you to all our members, as we labor together and prepare for Messiah's return!

COMING SOON!

JUST ONE MONTH LEFT FOR EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS!

Go to our website for more details about flights, a link for discounted hotel reservations, and instructions about registering for conference. If you are unable to be there physically, you can register to attend by video for $50.

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PRAYER REQUESTS

Praise for the milestones and celebrations in Israel despite hundreds and thousands of rockets bombarding the land. Pray for those who have lost homes and lives. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Come quickly Lord!

Praise for the voice or G-d's people who came together with courage at the Satan Conference, billed as a weekend of anarchy, and "Hexennacht in Boston," (based on the German holiday known as Witches Night). They lure people in with abortion rights and power, as a guise for child sacrifice and the shedding of innocent blood. The devil is working hard to deceive and destroy, but we know these hurting and broken lives need the Lord. Last we heard, 120+ people were saved.

Let's continue to pray for spiritual REVIVAL across our hurting nation and around the world, and for increased unity among believers.

Praise the Lord for new members joining and new rabbis and morehs to be certified in the coming months. Avinu, thank you for each one who wants to grow and serve your kingdom.

Pray for UMJA conference in July! Pray for all the details to come together for the facility, musicians, speakers, and for preparation of heart as we come together for refreshing as a community. (Be sure to register on the events page of the website.) Praise Adonai for the labor of love and preparation from Rav Greg and the Beit Sha'ar Congregation.

Pray for our UMJA YESHIVA, Rabban Gamaliel opening with more than a dozen courses. (See our website for more details.) Pray the LORD goes before us in every detail, for the teaching staff, and for all students to be enriched in their studies.

Pray for the growth of our outreach and impact around the world as we labor to make Him known in all our regions through all our studying, writing and teaching. Pray for publication of the textbook, “Writings of the Messiah,” as well as the Lamed Vav House, and other projects in the works.

Email prayer requests and praises to the editor: prayer requests.

James 5:17-18