“But now this is what Adonai says, he who created you, Ya‘akov, he who formed you, Isra’el: ‘Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I am calling you by your name; you are mine’.” Isaiah 43:1, CJB

As the human family, we live in a fallen world marked with pain, corruption, contradiction, and fear! Although this does not come from God, it is nevertheless present in our world and the hearts of man because of our sin and the Yetzer Hara (the evil inclination). Both psychologists and sociologists concur that fear is the most primal (or deeply rooted) of all human emotions, and of which, scientists acknowledge is in the natural, that which seems out of reach and from the outside is hard if not impossible to control. 

But as believers in Yeshua, what shall we make of “fear” and how should we both define, use it for our good or seek to combat it? According to one expert, sensory fears are natural in noting, “The amygdala is the part of the brain that rests behind the eye and over from the ear. There are two of them, and they are tiny and almond-shaped, but don't let the size fool you. Without the amygdala, humans would not have survived throughout history. The amygdala is a brain's alarm system.” (Ainissa G. Ramirez, Ph.D: Article: Edutopia, “Science of Fear,” Oct. 17, 2014) 

So, what does the amygdala teach us of ourselves and how does this relate to what Scripture and God’s heart tell us? As per Dr. Ramirez, not all fear should be judged the same. Within every human being, the amygdala communicates to the rest of our brain and our entire nervous system when caution and healthy fear and caution should be demonstrated. We see this and think, ... “do not touch a hot stove - you’ll get burned, ... never walk in front of moving traffic - you’ll be hit, injured or never lean over a cliff - you will fall and be killed!” All these are healthy fears and as per Ramirez, “The amygdala is [our] brain's 911 operator, triggering a hardwired reaction to danger.”

The Scriptures match this, echoing our need for caution and wisdom as seen in Rav Sha’ul’s letter to the Ephesians,

“Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days. So don’t be foolish, but try to understand what the will of the Lord is.” (Eph. 5:15-17).

In looking at Rav Sha’ul’s wise counsel, it is clear that the admonishment of our Shaliach is in every way is different from that of what the Prophet Isaiah instructs un telling us, “Don’t be afraid!” For Sha’ul, it was both a mitzvot (commandment) and encouragement that the believer should be aware of his or her responsibilities and to live a life for the purpose of what that will of Adonai is. Counter, and as similar to the human amygdala, we know that if we deviate from and break the Word of the Lord then we will not have blessings (Deut. 11:17) in that we have departed from the path that leads to understanding the will of the Lord! 

So, what of this primal fear we are often plagued with and what does God want us to know about it? 

First, this irrational fear is not from him, but instead a sign of a need for healing and restoration. Where God created our amygdala for life to guide and protect us, primal fears, anxieties and despair are from the Adversary - always lying, always deceiving and always enslaving!

Secondly, when we face the fear which Isaiah references in stating,

“Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I am calling you by your name; you are mine,”
reminds that this enslavement of fear exists for the purpose of being conquered! It is for this reason that Timothy encouraged, “... God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7, NKJV) in this, we know that we can have freedom from fear by daily walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, by seeking to be motivated and driven through biblical-love and to take upon ourselves self-discipline for the purpose of both wholenesses and to win the prize! (Phil. 3:14) 

Finally, we must never forget HOW fear is and can be conquered. Although irrational fears rise like a weapon to attack our hearts, it is Messiah who has once and for all defeated our enemy and rendered him helpless. In light of Calvary and Yeshua’s shed blood, all weapons are defeated and all attacks are rendered of no effect of its own. Yet, because haSatan will still, in the future receive final-judgment, today he uses against us his greatest weapon against us in the form of fear, in hopes that our attention will be focused away from the promises of God! 

But counter to FEAR is FAITH and TRUTH, just as counter to darkness is light! Irrational fear, worry, and anxiety cannot exist or grow within the fertile soil of FAITH and TRUTH! It is, for this reason, we must every day, empower the good of our will to walk in trust and daily do that which is right before Adonai! As we draw closer to the Father's Heart and his promises for us, the lies, deceptions, and fears of the Adversary by definition become for us smaller and smaller. It is not that the attacks of the enemy is an illusion or that of the problems of this world, it as we daily choose to press more and more into the love, goodness, and promises of God, then there is less and less room in our hearts for anxiety, worry or fear. This is when our draw to the Yetzer Hara (the evil inclination) shifts to the Yetzer HaTov (the good inclination), because we choosing to see things as God sees them, and in that, we are transformed unto eternity!

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” ... James 5:16, CJB
 
When we pray, do we seek Adonai in faith, believing with confidence in what he has promised, or do we begin with a measure of doubt or fear and uncertainty, ... while "hoping against hope" that somehow our prayers “might” be heard and our needs met? 
 
When we pray, we often forget that we can pray and seek the Lord with confidence, knowing that he who has called us has already made the way! We need not hope according to human standards or simply wish and plead with God that Yeshua would come and meet our every need. Instead, we can approach the Throne of Grace with confidence, knowing that if we ask anything that reflects his will - he will in fact do it! There is no need for convincing or negotiation with the holy and there is no biblical model for spiritual haggling or bargaining with Adonai. One popular false theology promotes that we should just storm in and plead our case in the “Courts of Heaven” with hope that we “might” do so effectively and in turn be given the answer we desire. 
 
Instead, Adonai tells us from the offset to just Come, ... Already trusting, ... Already believing and in no way doubting!
 
Yet, when we come, we must do so, Believing and Knowing today, who we are as heirs to the Kingdom and joint-heir with King Messiah (Matthew 6:33, Romans 8:17) and simply, ASK and he will give unto us, according to his will - exceedingly, above and beyond all we could ever ask or think! (Ephesians 3:20). Yes, at times the Lord may say to us "wait," or his answer in the moment may not be exactly what we wanted or expected, but we can nevertheless come before the Adonai with Assurance and Joy that he has already gone before us in Everything!

Beloved, Yeshua will never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) he will always hear our cry and in every circumstance give us his very best and the desires of our hearts as we pray in accordance with his perfect will! Dear friends, let’s learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit! 

The following is a prophetic word that was given by the Lord, through one of our members. After initially being added to our weekly bulletin on August 31, 2019, it was decided that we likewise post this word here for your encouragement and exhortation. 

As we enter the month of Ellul, Adonai is already speaking to us and directing us as we prepare for our High Holy Days season. As part of this, recently the Lord gave our own Juleon Akana this word which I feel is prophetic for all of us at this time. As we soon come upon Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, reflect back on this exhortation. As the Midrash teaches, in Ellul, the King is in the Field and for us he is not Hiding, seek him while he may be found, call upon him while he may be near! - Rabbi Mark Rantz

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“To everyone who asks, receives and to everyone who seeks, will find. For to anyone who knocks, the door will be opened to them. “For I know what plans I have in mind for you, says ADONAI, plans for well-being, not for bad things; so that you can have hope and a future.” When you call to me and pray to me, I will listen to you. When you seek me, you will find me, provided you seek for me wholeheartedly.
 
 The Father is one who Hides and He is waiting for us to find Him. In all our thoughts, in all of our struggles, in all of our victories; He is waiting for us to find Him. To seek Him and welcome Him into all every areas of our lives, no matter how insignificant or profound.
 
There is life in the resurrection! I am Hiding in all things. Come and Find Me! You must be diligent and have a desire to be obedient.
 
Seek Yeshua, my Son!
 
If you seek me with all of your heart, you will find me. Seek first my kingdom and my righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. My Word does not come back to me unfulfilled, for it will accomplish what I intend and cause you to succeed in what I send it to do.
 
 
I AM not Hiding from you! I AM Hiding For You! When you seek me with your all, I will answer and search you. I will examine you and know your heart; I will test you,
for I know your thoughts. I will see if there is in you any hurtful way and lead you along the eternal way.

“If a prophet or someone who gets messages while dreaming arises among you and he gives you a sign or wonder, and the sign or wonder comes about as he predicted when he said, ‘Let’s follow other gods, which you have not known; and let us serve them,’ you are not to listen to what that prophet or dreamer says. For Adonai your God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do love Adonai your God with all your heart and being.” - Deut. 13:2-4, CJB
 
Whether it be from a scientific, theological or even an ontological perspective, in our world today, there seems to be an endless debate on whether there is a God, who he is or what obligations we have to the divine as a human family? For many, the false belief is that there is no God and man is the measure of all things, while others search for meaning in areas of obscurity or absolute darkness. However, for us as Messianic-believers we often see the heat of this debate as we seek to share the truths of Messiah Yeshua, to our people Israel. 
 
Recently on YouTube, Dr. Michael Brown (A Messianic Jew, affiliated with Tikkun) hosted a live debate with Orthodox Rabbi, Shmuley Boteach on whether the B’rit Chadashah (New Testament) is in fact anti-Semitic! Although they both attested that they are close friends and even have hosted one another in their homes, Rabbi Boteach’s polemic against our Messianic faith was riddled with deception, straw-man arguments and a propensity in taking Scripture willfully out of context. Sadly, in dealing with “anti-Missionary” movements and their representatives, the arguments against Yeshua as Messiah seriously fail in properly addressing the clear meaning of the biblical text, and namely that of the Tanakh and Messianic prophecy.
 
In Isaiah 53, God’s prophet clearly speaks of a redeemer who would suffer and bring redemption for all of Israel and the world and in the B’rit Chadashah, Yeshua, as our Passover Lamb, not only is slain for our healing, but also promised that he would rise from the dead and bring us back to the Father through perfect repentance! 
 
When considering our Parashah, Moshe’s admonition for us in not following foreign gods truly rings true when we consider the coming of the Mashiach! In our passage, we are warned that we are forbidden to listen to false-teachers because they misrepresent Adonai and bring upon individuals’ permanent destruction. For us, we are equally reminded to not be swayed by the deception of those who reject Yeshua as Messiah and Lord and work against him. For this reason, our Parashah reads, 
 
“… God is testing you, in order to find out whether you really do LOVE Adonai your God will all your heart and being.”
 
Friends, we as Messianic community must hold fast to who Yeshua said he is and to be a loving witness to our people Israel. This is our primary calling here at Beit Hallel as we seek to know Yeshua and to make him known - to the Jew first and then to every nation and people group. ~ Rabbi Mark Rantz

For many of us, we can remember the days that as a child, when our parents would tell is to do something and we questioned authority as to why we should obey, the answer was often, ” … Because I said so!” Although in parenting child-rearing, this response runs the risk of backfiring, this word “because,” carries much weight in the Hebrew, and especially in light of Deuteronomy 7:12-11:35.
 
In Parashah ‘Eikev (or, because in Hebrew) we are taught what I believe to be biblical law of “cause and effect,” or better put, here God reveals how the Fruit of Blessings always follows those who lad a life a distinctive obedience. In this, we are not promised a worry or pain free life (cf. John 16:33), but are ensured that blessing will be our inheritance. 
 
As to the context of this Parashah (Deuteronomy 7:12-11:25), Moshe is found, still delivering the end of his closing drash (instruction/address) of the Children of Israel, revealing the other side of covenantal-faithfulness. In this, the Word of God reveals that as the Children of Israel sought to obey the commands of the Lord (as detailed in the Torah), that they would both inherit Eretz Yisra’el and prosper in the Land and that victory would mark their steps as they conquer and settle in makom (the place) which the Holy One had promised them. 
​
For us today in 2019, Parashah ‘Eikev provides a “three-point” perspective where on one end we see how, first, Adonai had faithfully given the Land to our father - Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya’akov, secondly, our Hatkivah (Hope) was renewed and revived by God’s very hand in establishing of the modern State of Israel and thirdly, we encounter the reality of not only those who seek our destruction, but from our passage, we are also reminded of the judgment which befalls those who hate and persecute Israel, the Jewish people and the ways of Adonai. 
 
In this, our attention should nevertheless remain in a single location as we continue obeying, following and trusting Adonai! Of this, our delight must be not in the seeking ore receiving the rewards of Adonai, but instead the pleasure that comes in being sons and daughters of the commandments. It is the Word of God that gives us life, hope and draws us deeper into Covenantal-Relationship with Adonai and toward one another.  We therefore Delight in Torah BECAUSE he first loved us (1 John 4:19) and BECAUSE continually seeks our good. It is BECAUSE of his great love that we must seek to continually obey his commands! Beloved, lets Delight in the Lord and His commandments today - Dear friends, today, taste and see that the Lord is in fact very good! ~ Rabbi Mark Rantz

As part of Parashah Va’etchanan, Deuteronomy 7:7-8 draws attention to the election of Israel in stating, “Adonai didn’t set his heart on you or choose because you numbered more than any other people - on the contrary, you were the fewest of all peoples. Rather, it was because Adonai loved you and because He wanted to keep the oath which he had sworn to your ancestors, that Adonai brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from a life of slavery under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.” 

Of this marvelous passage of Scripture, Rabbi Jonathan Sacks recounts Israel’s sages, in reminding of Rabbienu Bachya quotes Rambam, “who says that we would have expected          God, [the] King of the universe, to have chosen the most numerous nation in the world as His people, since ‘the glory of the King is in the multitude of people’ (Prov. 14:28). God did not do so. Thus, Israel should count itself extraordinary blessed that God chose it, despite its smallness, to be His am segula, His special treasure.” 

This election for Israel is also seen in Deuteronomy 10:15 that “Only Adonai took enough pleasure in your ancestors to love them and chose their descendants after them - yourselves above all peoples, as he still does today.” Of verse 15, it is noteworthy in acknowledging that in stating “… Adonai took enough pleasure in your ancestors to love them,” literally means in Hebrew, that God DELIGHTED in your fathers to LOVE and CHOSE them! It was in love that God chose the Patriarch’s, it was in love that God sent His holy Prophets and it was in love that He sent, Yeshua the Promised Messiah!

When speaking of Israel’s irrevocable calling, as believers in Yeshua we are doubly-encouraged in knowing that Adonai is a God of Covenant and Promise, and that we in Messiah have that same guarantee in His LOVE! It is for this reason, 1 Yochanan (John) 3:1-2 states, “See what love the Father has lavished on us in letting us be called God’s children! For that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it has not known Him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now; and it has yet been made clear what we will become. We do know that when He [Yeshua] appears, we will be like Him; because we will see Him as He really is.” 

In this, the grafted-in Gentile or Messianic Jew does not replace national-Israel in any way, but, because Adonai is faithful and true and will fulfill all His promises to national-Israel as seen in the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3; 17:1-8) and to both Jew and Gentile through the shed blood of the Messiah (Colossians 1:20). In the end, this is the hope for all of Israel and the entire world, and by God’s great grace we are chosen of God and called His daughters and sons! Beloved, you are love and God’s special treasure!

~ Rabbi Mark Rantz

As seen only a few weeks ago with Bil’am in Parashah Balak, the beginning of this week’s dual-Parashiot reminds again of the importance of the words we speak and the promises we make. Within Parashah Matot-Masei (Numbers 30:2-36:13) our Sidra begins in communicating the laws and commandments of annulling of vows by stating, “When a man makes a vow to Adonai or formally obligates himself by swearing an oath, he is not to break his word but is to do everything he said he would do.”

​Today, we live in a world where people are more prone to misuse their words and hold a greater prepotency to breaking our promises over keeping them. This is a problem often seen in our culture, where we often forget that our words and commitments are not just potential-promises which we have the option of keeping or breaking, but instead, are covenants which God requires us to keep to him and toward one another. 
 
Sadly, these truths have been desensitized today, where through moral decline we often rationalize, it’s really no big deal, and come on, it’s just a little white lie. Instead of feeling the sting that comes with breaking covenant before God or with our neighbor, we too readily make excuses for our selfishness or overall lack of concern. Historically, this is not just a modern problem but instead a human one where if left to our own devises, too many would first seek the good of self rather than the needs of our neighbor. Of the importance of this topic, elsewhere in the Torah, Adonai further instructs, “Do not hate your brother in your heart, but rebuke your neighbor frankly, so that you won’t carry sin because of him. Don’t take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people, rather, love you neighbor as yourself; I am Adonai.” (Lev. 19:17-18)  
 
The lesson here is that with both our words and our actions, we must always seek the good of the other, and in relation to Numbers 30, we must always seek to keep our promises to one another in Covenantal Faithfulness. Knowing that centrality of our covenantal responsibilities our   Messiah therefore instructs, “Again, you have heard that our fathers were told, ‘Don’t break your oath,’ and ‘Keep your vows to Adonai.’ But I tell you not to swear at all - not ‘by heaven,’ because it is God’s throne; not ‘by the earth,’ because it is his footstool; and not ‘by Yerushalayim,’ because it is the city of the Great King. And don’t swear by your head, because you can’t make a single hair white or black. Just let you ‘Yes,’ be a simple ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ a simple ‘No’; anything more than this has its origins in evil.” (Matthew 5:33-37, CJB) 
 
Both the Tanakh and B’rit Chadashah stresses in the essential nature of our relationships with our neighbor as a barometer of our relationship to the Almighty, and here Yeshua provides us a blueprint for covenantal faithfulness by challenging us not to make vows at all! By doing this, it is not that he is contradicting Torah, but instead Yeshua is actually reinforcing by reminding that what is more important than an oath made or a promise kept is our responsibility to honor God and one another! To this end, we as Messianic-believers must actively guard our words and commitments - knowing that a broken promise holds the potential of creating a broken heart! In the end, our commandment is clear - that in all our verbal communication, we seek to honor God and one another in letting our yes be yes, and our no be no! This is the very heart of the Torah!

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Parashsh Pinchas (in Numbers/B’Midbar 25:10-30:1) immediately follows the attempted cursing and desired destruction of the Jewish people at the hands of “the destroyer,” Balak, the King of Moav and the false-prophet and sorcerer Bil’am (referenced in last week’s commentary). In review, three times, Balak entreats Bil’am to curse God’s people and three times he cannot, as God blocks him both angelically and through a talking donkey. In turn, the false-prophet declares the opening words of our Ma Tovu, 
 
“How lovely are your tents O Jacob, your dwelling places O Isra’el.”
 
Yet before we are lulled into a false sense of security, Parashah Balak merges into Parashah Pinchas (were from Balak), in Numbers 25:1-3 the Sidra notes, 
 
“Isra’el stayed in Sheetim, and there the people began whoring with the women of Moav. These women invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. With Isra’el thus joined to Ba’al P’or, the anger of Adonai blazed up against Israel.”
 
At this point enters Pinchas! He was the son of El’azar, the son of Aharon the Cohen HaGadol who for the zeal of Adonai drove a spear through Zimri, the son Salu leader of one of the clans of the tribe of Shim’on and a woman from Midyan named Kozbi, the daughter of Tzur, (Numbers 25:7-15). But, what was the reason for Pinchas’ killing of Zimri and Kozbi? Was it out of vengeance or out of his own strength? No! It was because, not only had Balak sought to fulfill his desires in destroying Israel from within (through sexual sin and spiritual compromise) but also due the Israelites abandoning the worship of the one true God and serve the demonic, Ba’al P’or! In the end, for Pinchas’ righteousness, Adonai made,

“... a covenant with him and his descendant after him that the office of cohen will be there forever. This is because he was zealous on behalf of his God and make atonement for the people of Isra’el.” (Numbers 25:13).
 
Of this, our lesson from the beginning of this week’s Parashah is of vital importance, where we must not turn our back on Adonai or to go after other gods or false faiths and serve them, but to remain faithful to the Lord unto the end. 
 
In the Aser’et Ha ‘Dib’rot(Ten Utterances), Adonai, in Exodus 20:3 commanded of Israel, “You are to have no other gods before me,” which for us even today reminds that of all things, God desires an eternal and covenantal relationship with us, and that his love for us is so great, that he does not desire to share us with anyone, especially that of a false or imaginary deity. 
 
Secondly, in Exodus 34:14 we read, “… you are not to bow down to any other god, since Adonai - whose very name is Jealous - is a jealous God.” In saying that Adonai is jealous is to communicate something about his divine nature. Of this, God in his compassion does not want us to be consumed by falsehood or haSatan (Satan, the Adversary), the god of this world. For in the end, all God has ever wanted with us is a relationship with us and that we might be molded by his love and transformed by the power of his Ruach HaKodesh. In pointing back to our Parashah however, where do we place this zeal which Pinchas held? One author notes, in speaking of the jealousy of Adonai, one scholar notes - “There is a difference between God’s zeal. God’s zeal has a future and a hope, but the driving force of human zeal is only about one’s own life, interests and earthly advantages.”
 
Although our passage in no way is to justify for us today to kill the unrighteousness, we nevertheless see that Pinchas loved God, knew God’s heart and held a passion for his Torah and commands. 
 
For us as believers in Yeshua, may we be zealous for Torah, zealous for serving Adonai great love and in being a witness to our people, Israel. May Adonai pour out on us his shalom and cause us to embrace the fulness of what it means to be a Kingdom of Priests! 

​Within Parashah Balak (Numbers 22:2-25:9), one of the most vivid displays within the Torah is revealed as King Balak of Moav not only hires the false-prophet and sorcerer Bil’am, but also summoning him to curse Israel in stating, 
 
“​​The people who came out of Egypt [i.e. the Jewish people] have spread over the land, now, come and curse them for me; maybe I will be able to fight against them and drive them out.” (Numbers 22:11, CJB) 
 
From almost the beginning of time, there has always been those who have sought to harm God’s chosen people, the Jews. Although God in his mercy, chose Isra’el to be a blessing to all the nations of the world, and serve as ambassadors of God’s grace for all peoples, there has always been evil forces and strongholds that have sought to thwart and destroy the purposes of God, his Kingdom and that of his elect, national Isra’el. In describing such strongholds, Dr. Brad Long, President of PRMI (Presbyterian Reformed Ministries International) in his new book, “Timeless Lessons for Prayer Warriors,” in speaking of exposing our Adversaries tactics and piercing Satan’s cloaking, notes, 
 
“…This tactic is based on how Satan works to form demonic strongholds. A stronghold is a human-demonic social organization that provides Satan, who is spirit, with the human, political, financial and sometimes military means to carry out his purposes on earth. For instance, for Satan to carry out his terrible plan to exterminate the Jewish people, he built the demonic stronghold of Nazism.” (pg. 47-48) 
 
On speaking of these “strongholds,” such oppression is best seen in the actions of Balak who through human-demonic social organizations and coupled with the political, financial and military endeavor and through a spirit of divination (witchcraft) sought to destroy the chosen people of Adonai, all the while holding no regard for the eternal consequences of his actions. Although in Genesis 12:1-3, God promises Avraham that he will bless those who bless him and curse those who bring curses to God’s people, Balak nevertheless aligned his heart to evil and hires a diviner for the purposes of opposing the holy things of God! 
 
Despite his intentions of evil, in our Parashah we nevertheless find one of the first biblical expressions of spiritual warfare, where on the way to cause harm to God’s people, Bil’am is prophetically confronted by God through a donkey and immediately thereafter, he sends an angel to block his way. 
 
In Bil’am recalcitrance, three times he therefore attempts to speak curses, but instead he can only speak blessing over God’s people and concludes by prophesying the coming of Yeshua, the Messiah in declaring,
 
 “I see him, but now; I behold, but not soon - a star will step forth from Ya’akov, a scepter will arise from Isra’el, to crush the corners of Moav and destroy all descendants of Shet.” (Numbers 24:17, CJB)
 
As with our Ma Tovu, in declaring “How lovely are tour tents of Jacob, your dwelling places of Israel,” so we are assured that in the end, all of God’s promises will be fulfilled and his Kingdom alone will be established upon the earth! 
 
But some may ask, how can this be - especially in light of all the pain, chaos and suffering in the world? But in this, we cannot forget the faithfulness of God and our calling by his power and grace into the battlespace to declare victory in Messiah Yeshua. In this, we do not have the luxury of focusing on false or perceived circumstances, but instead we have the goodness of our God who has assured us that in and through us Yeshua will accomplish all that he has promised to do for the sake of his Kingdom!