“Get rid of the old hametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened.” ~ First Corinthians 5:7a In the last year, so much has happened for all of us both as a Congregation, but also for everyone - in every city and nation of the world. A year ago, we were all prepared to have our Corporate Seder as a community and only months before, COVID-19 struck and all of Florida with the nation went into lock down. As a result, at the last minute, we had to cancel our Seder altogether and for the first time ever we had to revert to an online, Facebook Live Passover celebration. For other Synagogue’s it was also done on platforms like Zoom and still others, streamed with YouTube and other Social-Media outlets. Yet, even with the unexpected changes and inconveniences which kept us from gathering corporately, we were/are still commanded of Adonai to keep Pesach and observe this holy annual season of our deliverance. As a result, the Lord was with us all last year in a very special way, and I believe we grew stronger as Yeshua separated from our hearts the chaff from the wheat as He knit us together with even greater levels of Covenant Relationship and through Sacrificial-Love. When, in the flesh it would have been easier to just hold out and wait for “next year,” and celebrate Passover then, or abstain from fellowship altogether, we embrace a new (and somewhat uncomfortable online reality) and in the end, I am convinced it made us stronger! With this, we learned as a community the depth of our calling in Messiah support one another in times of hardship and to truly be the Body of Yeshua as we have been learning recently in 1 Thessalonians. Yet, part of being the Body friends is found in both walking in the Lord’s commands personally and also exhorting one another to do the same. Where it might be easier to just blend in and be like the world, Yeshua declares over our hearts and lives that we must be salt and light, as He commission’s us in His love to reflect Him to one another, to our neighbor and to all the nations of the world. But in doing this, how should we reflect Him? … It is by being set-apart! To this end, the B’rit Chadashah in 1 Corinthians 5 reminds us on how we are set apart, especially during this time of the year where Rav Sha’ul (Paul) compares sin to yeast or a batch of dough. In this, every baker knows that when bread is made, it first ferments and then spreads and grows, thus taking over the whole lump and reforming it! It is for this reason that the Torah tells us that during Pesach, leaven must be removed from our homes as an act of consecration and purity before Him. Where normally yeast is not a problem, during Passover it is in that as Rambam reminds that as a “negative” commandment we are to remove it from our homes, and as “positive” command, we must bring in the matzah (the pure bread). It is for this reason that Rav Sha’ul’s words above carry such weight and importance, but not just we have yeast or leaven removed for just 7-days, but instead so that we would diligently seek to keep sin out of our lives every day for the whole of our lives. In this, dear friends, as the weeks and days approach Pesach let’s all take the steps necessary to embrace a deep, more practical holiness - not out of rules, but instead - relationship so that we might be holy before the Lord and true reflection of His love, grace, and power to a lost and broken world. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Mark Rantz Beit Hallel Messianic Congregation Erev Shabbat ~ March 12th, 2021 | 28th of Adar, 5781
1 Comment
“When the people saw that Moshe was taking a long time to come down from the mountain, they gathered around Aharon and said to him, ‘Get busy; and make us gods to go ahead of us; because this Moshe, the man that brought us up from the land of Egypt - we don’t know what has become of him.’ [So] Aharon said to them, ‘Have your wives, sons and daughters strip off their gold earrings; and bring them to me.’ The people stripped off their gold earrings and brought them to Aharon. He received what they gave him, melted it down, and made it into the shape of a calf. [And] they said. ‘Isra’el! Here is your god, who brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1-4) At the time of Pesach, there is a rabbinical saying that is quoted in most Passover Seders that “it was not that the Children of Israel needed to get out of Egypt, but that God needed to get Egypt out of them!” As human beings we are all prone to sin and rebellion. Even the Prophet Jeremiah reminds, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick, who can understand it.” (Jer. 17:9, ESV) From Chapter 32 of the Sefer of Exodus, we again are reminded of how far the human heart can spiral when we remove our eyes from Adonai. At the beginning of the chapter, what do we see from the offset?
Sadly, heart of the people from the beginning was already far from God, and like a child who “wants what they want now” regardless of the consequences they in a moment of fear, rebellion and insecurity embrace the demonic over the divine! How could this be? How could this happen? What were they thinking? The Lord had just rescued them from the clutches of Pharoah and the forces of slavery of the Egyptians, but with hearts bent away from healing. In this, it could be easy for some to be critical of our forefathers in the Wilderness, saying, “what an evil thing, I would never do such a thing!” This is all too reminiscent of Kefa who promised he would never betray his Lord, and then does in Matthew 26:69-75. In such unfair criticism, we forget that we too are sinners and daily in need of God’s grace and mercy. Although the act of idolatry in our Parashah was vile and repulsive - it is nevertheless a harsh reminder of the affects that occur when we remove our eyes from God and His instruction and “choose” to do our way instead of Adonai’s. We do this as well, when in a moment we choose a sin over faithfulness, when we forge a lifestyle devoid of prayerfulness and Kingdom service or place anything at all above the Lord. These things are idolatry as well! For some, it is their careers, for others it is entertainment or selfish ambition and others it is even our families. We have seen this grow I believe over the last year with lockdowns and COVID, where in the media, commercials on television and through pop-culture we are urged to make family first above all things. For some this is a sacred cow, but God alone is the only one in our lives who should be first, not our spouses, children, or grandchildren! For some, “this excuse” has even kept some from returning to Congregational Life all over our nation - all the while forgetting that the only way to experience family life is in the context of the Messianic Community which for eternity will alone be our true and spiritual family! In this friends, let’s look at Ki Tisa afresh today, covenanting before Yeshua that we will no longer place anything or anyone above Him. Messiah and Messiah alone! Rabbi Mark Rantz Beit Hallel Messianic Congregation Shabbat, March 6th, 2021 | 22nd of Adar, 5781 At Beit Hallel, we have started a new and exciting program where our members who are called to the Torah and read the weekly portion, also has the opportunity to give a short drash on the weekly Parashah. Today, for Parashah תְּרוּמָה Terumah (gift, offering), our Rabbinical Intern, Juleon Akana shared the following drash with our community. I and those present were so blessed by his insights on תְּרוּמָה, that I decided to post the transcript of his teaching so that all might benefit. Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Mark *** We chant the Ma Tovu, “How lovely are your tents o Jacob; your dwelling places O Isra’el…” as an expression of awe and wonder upon entering the House of the Lord and being in the presence of a holy God. “… I love the house where you dwell and the place where your glory resides…” The Sages agree the word tents represents the inner person or life, whereas the Word dwelling is the physical or outer life. From the command to take up an offering to the crafting of the bronze tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard, all the materials going into constructing this holy place have profound significance. From the beginning, God desires to dwell among humanity stating, “They are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them” (Exodus 25:8). While this is a precursor to the execution stake or cross of the Messiah one thing is clear; when Adonai speaks, he gives clear instructions on how to fulfill one’s destiny. On the summit of Mt. Sinai, Moshe is given detailed instructions on how to build the sanctuary so that it could be dismantled and taken to new locations as they journeyed in the desert. The offering was to be given from the people cheerfully to build the dwelling place of the Most High. Take note of the word wholeheartedly in the second verse, “…accept a contribution from anyone who wholeheartedly wants to give” (Exodus 25:2).
It is safe to say that the cleansing of sin through the yearly sacrifice for the Children of Israel was not only a covering but a constant reminder of our broken nature. The final atonement offered for all of humanity is, however, the final sacrifice made on behalf of all of humanity. Though we do not rely on a yearly sacrifice anymore, let us not forget that at one time the testimony given to Moshe by Yeshua is not any longer in the ark drawn on stone. This same testimony is written on the tablets of our hearts as the grace that is given to us to always be willing to do and obey the Lord. As the Jewish people say, “nah ah se v’nishma” (we will do and hear or obey). We have all become living stones with the Word of God written on our hearts, each one of us giving ourselves as living sacrifices set in the Body of Messiah to make a living tabernacle for the living God to dwell. We are all constantly being dismantled, rebuilt, and transported in this spiritual and physical journey here until the Spirit of Glory takes us to our final dwelling place in a new Heaven and Earth - To a paradise once lost through the destruction of sin we come back to the beginning to a paradise restored by the second Adam. The Gift of Eternal Life! Juleon Akana Rabbinical Intern Beit Hallel Messianic Congregation 20th of February, 2021 | Eighth of Adar - 5781 “Adonai said to Moshe, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his servants hardhearted, so that I can demonstrate these signs of mine among them.” - Exodus 10:1, CJB Parashah 15 (BO or “go”) in Exodus 10:1-13:16 details for us the last three of the ten plagues which Adonai visited upon Egypt. Of them, a swarm of locusts destroys Egypt’s crops and then a think, palpable darkness enveloped the nation bring both terror and as a reminder of the spiritual darkness that was Egypt’s reality of a people apart from God’s grace and mercy. In conclusion, the final plaque occurred at the stroke of midnight on the 15th of Nisan, with the death of Egypt’s firstborn. With the death of the firstborn, we find Pharaoh’s final resistance to the will of God being broken as he drove the children of Israel from his land. As a result, God’s people were forced to leave so quickly, that the dough of their bread had no time to rise, and on the first Pesach (as with today) they could ate only unleavened bread. Within this Parashah, the first mitzvah given by God to the Children of Israel was to create a biblical calendar, based on Rosh Chodesh (the monthly rebirth of the moon, or “new moon”) and then instructs them to bring to Him a Passover (Pesach) offering consisting of a lamb or kid goat that would be slaughtered for their redemption before the Lord! From this sacrifice, the blood of the “lamb” was sprinkled on the doorposts of every Israelite home, so that when Adonai (pesach) passed over their homes their firstborn would be spared, while those who knew not Adonai and His commands suffered the greatest horror and judgement! For us as a believer’s in Yeshua, Parashah Bo holds special significance when considering His sacrifice for us as the pure, spotless lamb. (1 Kefa/Peter 1:19) Such reminds of the love of God displayed in the Akedah, or “Binding of Isaac” (Genesis 22) wherein the rabbis offer a Midrash that the blood of the Passover lamb symbolized the sacrifice of Isaac, in making atonement for Israel. Continuing, our Sages note that Adonai remembered Isaac and when He saw the blood of the lamb from the thicket, and the merit of Isaac’s “self-sacrifice,” He decided to spare the blood marked homes from the wrath upon the first born. Although this is only a midrash intended to place our attention in a specified direction, it nevertheless points to the truths of the B’rit Chadashah by means of teshuat olamim (or, everlasting covenant where we read in Hebrews 9:12 we read of Yeshua that, “he entered the Holiest Place once and for all [and] He entered not by means of the blood of goats and calves, but by means of his own blood, thus setting people free forever.” From this passage, we see that the eternal sacrifice of Yeshua was fully prefigured both in Parashah Bo and in the Akedah in the Book of Genesis. Therefore, as we apply the blood of the lamb (as upon the door posts of Israelite homes) upon our hearts and lives, then we are delivered and made free in Messiah forever! Shabbat Shalom - Rabbi Mark Rantz January 23, 2021 | 10th of Sh;vat, 5781 “God spoke to Moshe; he said to him, ‘I AM Adonai. I appeared to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya’akov as El Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name, Adonai]". Shemot (Exodus) 6:2-3, CJB Parashah 14 (Va’era) is translated from the Hebrew as “I appeared” and in Exodus 6:2-9:35 details both our Exodus motif and the measures Adonai took to deliver the Children of Israel from their bondage of slavery in a foreign land. In the beginning of this Parashah, its name Va’era sets our tone, where it is translated, “He appeared!” As an expression of great Covenantal Love, at the beginning of our Torah reading, In 6:2-3 God declares that although He had revealed Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and made eternal promises to them - it was nevertheless as fulfillment that God alone would reveal Himself by His name Adonai! Such an introduction denotes intimacy and deep Covenantal Love. Not only would God’s people be delivered, but they would be rescued by the God who is known by Name and through four, powerful expressions of redemption. First, the Children of Israel would be freed from their enslavement in Egypt and secondly - Adonai Himself would alone redeem them. Next, Adonai would soon call them alone from among the nations as his own chosen people and inheritance and finally, in fulfillment He would fulfill His promise and bring them all the Land He had promised to their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! These Four Expressions of Redemption is often referred to by theologians as the Four “I Will’s” of the Exodus and for us as believers in Yeshua - this imagery and fulfillment holds even greater significance when we consider our own redemption and the price that was paid to purchase it. In this, the events of the historical exodus are as much a matter of biblical record and revelation from the Tanakh, but also as mentioned at the beginning, a motif for our own redemption and deliverance. Thus, in Yeshua, through great Intimacy and Covenantal Love - we have been freed from our slavery to sin and the curse of death. Secondly, it is Messiah alone who has redeemed us through His shed blood - because it is Adonai alone, in Yeshua who has once and for all, bought our redemption. Third, in Messiah Yeshua alone, God has made us His Elect and has called us all from amongst all the nations and peoples of the earth and we have now become the Lord’s inheritance. And finally, as with the Children of Israel were bought to Canaan as promised to their Patriarch’s (and to this day and forever, Eretz Yisrael stands), so Yeshua has Promised that He has now gone to His Father’s Kingdom to prepare a place for us and has Assured us that He soon will return for us and forever we will be with the Lord! In this, dear friends, the Exodus is not simply an event in human history as recorded in the Torah or even a powerful Feast commanded in Scripture, but with it is a constant reality in our lives each and every day! Yeshua has promised that nothing could ever separate us from His loving, faithful hands and the reality of the Exodus is our ever-present reality where God reveals Himself to us by Name and provides us with a Hope and Redemption that can never be taken away! Blessings in Yeshua, - Rabbi Mark Rantz January 16, 2021 | 3rd of Sh'vat, 5781 “Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.” - Shemot (Exodus) 1:8, JPS With chilling detail, the above verse reminds of the constant struggle of anti-Semitism which we all face as Jews, and as like-minded Gentile believers. In the last number of Parashiot, Adonai raises up Joseph to the second most prominent position of leadership in Egypt and by doing so, blessing and honor is given to Adonai as the only true God, and where His chosen people are also honored. Yet as we come to Parashah Shemot, we are immediately confronted with how circumstances can so easily change when people choose the path of intolerance, prejudice and a hate for God’s chosen people. In this, Exod. 1:8 speaks volumes by indicating how this “new king” of Egypt had neither been taught, nor was willing to learn the lessons of the past concern Israel and the God of Joseph! Per Rashi (Sotah 11a, Exod. Rabbah 1:8) there are two possible views of this passage where one Sage indicates that Pharaoh at the latter end of Genesis had died, or of a second Sage, that it was just that the first Pharaoh’s policies and beneficial graces toward the Jewish people had radically changed back to a spirit of oppression, as he saw the Hebrews increase in both number and influence. Regardless, this is for us as a Midrash, reminding that in every generation, the nations can so easily turn against us because we are chosen and aligned with the One and Only True God! Yet, in considering these truths, the will of God is not that we slip into despair or fear of what might be - but instead to know that He is always faithful and He will never leave or forsake us, where Deut. 31:6 reminds, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them., for Adonai your God goes with you, He will never leave you or forsake you.” With this friends, we are assured with confidence that no matter what 2021 might hold for us, God in Yeshua our Messiah is always with us and in every circumstance we can fully and completely rest in Him! Yes, of every generation there are those who rise up against us, but Every Moment of Every Day the Lord is watching over us and is our Hope and Salvation. - Rabbi Mark Rantz Shabbat - January 9, 2021 | 25th to Tevet, 5781 At the beginning of Parashah Vayechi (Genesis 47:28-50:26) we find our Patriarch Ya’akov (Jacob) living the final 17-years of his life in Mitzra’im (Egypt), away from the promised and of Canaan. Before his death, he asks his son Joseph to not allow his body to be buried in a foreign land … in the land of “slavery,” but instead he pleads. carry my body back home to be buried in the Holy Land. At this setting, he blesses Joseph’s sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and by doing so they are elevated to the status of his own sons as progenitors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and as God’s Chosen People! As was promised to Abraham and Isaac, now we find Jacob extending the blessings of God to those who will now out distance him and proclaim God’s Word after he’s gone! This is comparable to Rav Sha’ul (Paul), who near the end of his life declared, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith [and] All that awaits me now is the crown of righteousness which the Lord, ‘the Righteous Judge,’ will award to on that Day….” (2 Timothy 4:7-8a, CJB) Therefore, form this weeks Torah reading, our Patriarch knows that not only does the rewards of Adonai soon await him, but that he is assured that God has been faithful in every generation and that He will continue to fulfill all He has promised! This is an assurance to us today as well, knowing that in every generation - Adonai has been and will continue to be faithful to the Nation and People of Israel, the Apple of His eye! We today are further reminded that in our generation, despite the visceral attacks which fly against God’s people, the Lord has never forsaken Israel and that He will always protect and be with His Messianic Community, Yeshua has never broken a single promise and His covenant stands forever! Dear friends, from these promises we can REST this Shabbat in the Goodness of God, knowing that He alone is Good and His Mercy Endures Forever! Rejoice in the Lord - Beit Hallel! Rest in the Lord O Servants of Adonai and Sing His Praises all you Peoples - We serve a God who is Faithful and True and He is for us and never against us! Rabbi Mark Rantz Beit Hallel Messianic Congregation Shabbat, January 2, 2021, 18th of Tevet, 5781 Throughout this last year, the world has seen untold suffering - both economically and as a result of the devastating Coronavirus. With such trouble, religious persecution in the past few years has skyrocketed - where believers in Yeshua are being beheaded and imprisoned around the world at numbers not seen in centuries! According to the ADL’s “Center on Extremism,” anti-Semitism is surging at numbers unheard of in decades. Of this, in 2019 alone, some 234 incidents of violent anti-Semitism were reported in the United States and around the world! Even with the recent COVID-19 shutdowns, some believe there has even been undue targeting against Orthodox communities (all disproportionate to non-Jewish areas) in New York City, where some have even wondering if the powers at be are possibly using this pandemic to justify religious bigotry? Of the tsuris (troubles) we are all facing many hardships at this time as many are isolated from their families and loved ones Yet, in this there is a Message of Hope found in this week’s Parashah (Vayigash) in Genesis 44:18-47:27, and with it, a reminder of our Calling in Messiah Yeshua! In Genesis 45:1-11, Joseph is brought to a place of not just healing - but also the necessity of Forgiveness and possibility of full Restoration. In the chapters prior, he had been sold into slavery by his own brothers, suffered as a slave and then imprisoned - only to later be elevated by God to a place of power ad prominence! From a secular-mind, many might falsely think this new-found wealth and power of Egypt would erase past memories, but we all know that no amount of money can really do that! Thus, in vs. 3 he reveals, “I am Joseph,” your brother and the family is again Reunited, Healed and Restored. In reading this, you might wonder how do the events of this week’s Torah portion have ANYTHING to do with us in 2020? To this, we would have to state - EVERYTHING! Joseph faced trouble beyond imagination, even greater than ours today and in the end through pain, tears and a healing which only God could provide, Joseph became an agent of God’s Hope and Deliverance not only to his family, but also many thousands of others! For Joseph it began with forgiveness and in seeing a sinful world through God’s loving and forgiving eyes and as manifest in his declaration that what his brothers had meant for evil, God nevertheless intended for their good! In this, we are reminded of the goodness, faithfulness and sovereignty of Adonai! So, friends, when we see the troubles and experience the hurts of betrayal and rejection for the sake of Messiah - know that today we are also being chosen by God to be agents of restoration to a broken nation and world! Following last week’s betrayal and enslavement of Joseph in Parashah Vayeshev, and his imprisonment due to the lies of Potiphar’s wife, today (in Parashah Miketz, Genesis 41:1-44:17) we see the end of his unjust incarceration. ___ With the life of Joseph, the miraculous always seems to follow him. Although, in the telling of his vision to his brothers Joseph should have used more wisdom, God nevertheless still chose and anointed him as an anointed prophetic voice in a time of great spiritual and physical need. However, when Joseph is released from prison, it was not because his sentence had reached its end, but because of his ability to interpret dreams and give direction from God to a pagan king. In this, Pharaoh dreamt of seven fattened cows who were swallowed up by seven lean ones of which Joseph interpreted that there was a time coming of seven years of plenty, only to be follow by seven terrible years of great famine! In this, Joseph’s advised Pharaoh to take the next seven year to prepare for the dire times ahead. These times which were coming was not something that simply could be “prayed or wished away” nor could Joseph or Pharaoh “bargain with God” for a different outcome … The time of famine had been set, determined, in fact it could accurately be said that it was predestined and the job of Pharaoh was to simply prepare and keep his focus in the right place and the right things. This is a lesson which many of us have a hard time with in the Body of Messiah. We think that in every circumstance we can just work harder, pray harder or even believe harder and this will always tip the circumstances in our favor. Truth be told, sometimes God does do this (Baruch HaShem), yet in a calling to even deeper faith, we are often positioned in an uncomfortable place to persevere and through hardship and hope, declare the Glory and Sovereignty of God to a world that is perishing! Friends, never forget that He will never lead us where He will not guide or protect us - Adonai is a good Father and He will never let you go! EVER! So, in our daily cares, needs or desires, as we seek the Lord and long to know His heart, let’s also be honest with our hearts before Him asking, … Am I praying that my will would be done in every given circumstance, or am I choosing to be faithful to Yeshua, in allowing my first and primary prayer to be, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt. 6:10) Because Adonai is always faithful and true, we can trust Him in every situation and for every outcome! Rabbi Mark Rantz December 19, 2020 | 4th of Tevet, 5781 In this week’s Parashah of Vayeshev (Genesis 37:1-40:23) we find a remarkable story which all of us can relate in some way or another, as God calls Joseph as a Prophet and Seer and in turn, through a great act of betrayal, his bother Simeon plots to kill him out of jealousy, Yet instead of death, through the leading of Reuben refutes the will of Simeon and Levi and they throw Joseph into a pit, where later he is sold to a band of Ishmaelites who drags him off to as a slave to Egypt! For Joseph, all seems lost, and his father Jacob is deceived and lead to believe that his favorite child has been ravaged by beasts and was killed and eaten alive! If our story was to stop there, what hope or suggestion of good news would there be, but this was not the end of the story where later in Genesis, Joseph is affirmed by Pharaoh for his prophetic gift and is elevated to the second-highest office in the land! Now in saying that this is a remarking story which all can relate to, some might retort and disagree , stating, “No, not everyone can - for who can claim to having to endure such dire circumstances and as a result, receive such a great elevation or high-reward?" Although this may be true for many, what nevertheless stands true is that the indelible imagery and reality of hope in the human heart and our desire to be free from oppression, neglect and seemingly hopeless circumstances is ever with us! Such a story is also reminiscent of our Chanukah story, where God sent Judah Maccabee (a young man like Joseph) to do great exploits for the purposes of God and His Kingdom and people. Through invasion and assimilation, we as Jews faced utter annihilation and extinction, yet from the direst circumstances Adonai used a band of teenagers to change the course of both Jewish and human history! Through Chanukah we are reminded that our greatest fears and worries can be transformed to light and to a hope fulfilled for us and for all the nations of the nations of the world in Messiah’s name! Yet as with Joseph and Chanukah, it was never our own strength which has saved us, but as Maoz Tzur reminds, it has always been the Lord who has been our defense and He will rescue us in every circumstance! Rabbi Mark Rantz Happy Chanukah, 5781 26th of Kislev | December 12, 2020 |
Rabbi MarkPlease follow our Rabbi's blog as he shares from our weekly Torah Portion from a distinctively Messianic Jewish Perspective! Shalom! Archives
March 2024
Categories |