TORAH PORTION BIBLE STUDY 5767 (2006-2007)

[grani4fam1]

Let's study the Torah portions together! Torah portions are the 2-5 chapter portions of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) that Jews (and Messianic believers in Yeshua) study all over the world at the same time each week throughout the Jewish civil year (from Sept/Oct through the next Sept/Oct). (See the TORAH PORTION SCHEDULE thread to see which portion goes with which week.) Share each week what you learned that was new and cool. How are you applying it to your life? How is this week's portion showing up in your life? What other portions of scripture apply to this portion, in the Tanakh or New Testament? How does it apply to Yeshua HaMashiach and His fullfillment of prophecy?

Remember: The goal here is to discuss how the Scripture applies to our lives, not to compile every possible meaning of every possible portion. There is so much to learn in Torah, no one can learn it all at once. Adonai will be pleased if we just apply what we learn.  

[grani4fam1]

I'll start with Parashas Balak in Bamidbar (Numbers) 22:2-25:9. This portion includes the story about Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam, a prophet of God, seeking to curse Israel, Balaam being stopped by the talking donkey, and Israel sinning in regards to Baal of Peor.

I learned that Balak was a foreshadowing of modern false prophets and teachers who love "the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15). They are always "flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage" (Jude 16). Basically, Balaam was looking for an opportunity to get paid a lot of money for cursing Israel, and he kept giving in to Balak in hopes of finding a way to do it.

I learned that Balaam "kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality" (Revelation 2:14). Once Balaam wasn't able to curse Israel with words because the LORD kept him from it, he was able to teach Balak to entice Israel to sin when the leaders of Moab plotted to send their daughters to "invite the people to the feasts of their gods; the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods. Israel became attached to Baal-peor..." (Bamidbar 25:2-3). Artscroll Chumash p. 875 says, "The Moabite women invited the Jews to feast and drink wtih them, and when the men...wanted to cohabit, the women drew their Baal-peor idols from their robes and insisted that the Jewish men bow to them. (Rashi)."

There are some really great prophecies in this portion about Messiah:

"He crouched and lay down like a lion, and, like a lion cub" (Bamidbar 24:9). - prophecy about Messiah being the Lion of the Tribe of Judah

"A star has issued from Jacob and a scepter-bearer has risen from Israel" (Bamidbar 24:17). - prophecy about the star of Bethlehem and the future return of Messiah the King

The way this lesson showed up in my life is that I had to say no to someone who was greedy for my money and thinks I am obligated to finance something they chose to do. It's not something they need money for to live on. They aren't really a false prophet, but it feels the same when people try to get money from you because they see an opportunity.

Titles of Messiah (from First Fruits of Zion Torah Club Vol. 2)
Highly Exalted One (Philippians 2:9)
Star from Jacob (Numbers 24:17)
Son of the Star (Numbers 24:17)
Mighty King of Jacob's House (Targum Yonaton on Numbers 24:17)
Scepter from Israel (Numbers 24:17)
Powerful Scepter of Israel (Targum Yonaton on Numbers 24:17)
Last Messiah (Maimonides, Mishnah Torah)
One from Jacob (Numbers 24:19)  

[RoseRose]

grani4fam1

I'll start with Parashas Balak in Bamidbar (Numbers) 22:2-25:9. This portion includes the story about Balak, king of Moab, and Balaam, a prophet of God, seeking to curse Israel, Balaam being stopped by the talking donkey, and Israel sinning in regards to Baal of Peor.

I learned that Balak was a foreshadowing of modern false prophets and teachers who love "the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15). They are always "flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage" (Jude 16). Basically, Balaam was looking for an opportunity to get paid a lot of money for cursing Israel, and he kept giving in to Balak in hopes of finding a way to do it.

I learned that Balaam "kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality" (Revelation 2:14). Once Balaam wasn't able to curse Israel with words because the LORD kept him from it, he was able to teach Balak to entice Israel to sin when the leaders of Moab plotted to send their daughters to "invite the people to the feasts of their gods; the people ate and prostrated themselves to their gods. Israel became attached to Baal-peor..." (Bamidbar 25:2-3). Artscroll Chumash p. 875 says, "The Moabite women invited the Jews to feast and drink wtih them, and when the men...wanted to cohabit, the women drew their Baal-peor idols from their robes and insisted that the Jewish men bow to them. (Rashi)."

There are some really great prophecies in this portion about Messiah:

"He crouched and lay down like a lion, and, like a lion cub" (Bamidbar 24:9). - prophecy about Messiah being the Lion of the Tribe of Judah

"A star has issued from Jacob and a scepter-bearer has risen from Israel" (Bamidbar 24:17). - prophecy about the star of Bethlehem and the future return of Messiah the King

The way this lesson showed up in my life is that I had to say no to someone who was greedy for my money and thinks I am obligated to finance something they chose to do. It's not something they need money for to live on. They aren't really a false prophet, but it feels the same when people try to get money from you because they see an opportunity.

Hmmm... I'm not sure if I agree with you about all the prophecies, but then, I'm not a Messianic Jew, so... it just makes me wonder how some of these apply, and how the heck you tell who fufills the prophecies!... Also, relating the lion, that could easily be a general reference to the tribe of Judah, which is symbolized with a lion pretty consistently through the Tanakh.

I don't exactly agree with your opinion of Balaam. If you read the beginning of the story, he tells Balak's messengers that he can only say what G-d has told him to say, and he doesn't leave until G-d told him it was okay... He's not exactly a false prophet.  

[grani4fam1]

RoseRose

Hmmm... I'm not sure if I agree with you about all the prophecies, but then, I'm not a Messianic Jew, so... it just makes me wonder how some of these apply, and how the heck you tell who fufills the prophecies!... Also, relating the lion, that could easily be a general reference to the tribe of Judah, which is symbolized with a lion pretty consistently through the Tanakh.

I don't exactly agree with your opinion of Balaam. If you read the beginning of the story, he tells Balak's messengers that he can only say what G-d has told him to say, and he doesn't leave until G-d told him it was okay... He's not exactly a false prophet.

I realize that what I was saying is pretty much a Messianic (Yeshua) point of view. I'm openly and unapologetically giving my biased opinion, but hey, that's what a forum is for, right? I appreciate your view, and want to hear it in more detail. I'm just curious: don't Jewish sages teach that whoever you believe Messiah is, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah prophecy applies to him? Whether he's Shimon bar Kokhba, Rabbi Schneerson, etc.?

I did read the beginning of the story of Balaam, and without those references from the Brit Hadasha (N.T.), it is hard to see how he was the bad guy in this. But, don't the Sages teach the story behind the story? Otherwise, how could there even be a legend about Balaam? I figure the Oral tradition of the Jews (Talmud, etc.) must have it somewhere. A lot of the N.T. was written by people steeped in Jewish oral tradition, so I figure they knew something about this. Don't get me wrong - I personally accept the N.T. as an extension of the Tanakh given by G-d. However, even without believing that, the writers were real, historical figures. Sha'ul (Paul) was a student of Gamaliel in 30 CE who became a believer in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), but he was a Jew zealous for Torah (in spite of what Christian churches have taught or omitted in their traditions). Even if you don't believe in the N.T. as divinely inspired, you could look at it as a commentary on the Tanakh wink .

Thanks for listening to my logic. 3nodding  

[RoseRose]

grani4fam1

RoseRose

Hmmm... I'm not sure if I agree with you about all the prophecies, but then, I'm not a Messianic Jew, so... it just makes me wonder how some of these apply, and how the heck you tell who fufills the prophecies!... Also, relating the lion, that could easily be a general reference to the tribe of Judah, which is symbolized with a lion pretty consistently through the Tanakh.

I don't exactly agree with your opinion of Balaam. If you read the beginning of the story, he tells Balak's messengers that he can only say what G-d has told him to say, and he doesn't leave until G-d told him it was okay... He's not exactly a false prophet.

I realize that what I was saying is pretty much a Messianic (Yeshua) point of view. I'm openly and unapologetically giving my biased opinion, but hey, that's what a forum is for, right? I appreciate your view, and want to hear it in more detail. I'm just curious: don't Jewish sages teach that whoever you believe Messiah is, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah prophecy applies to him? Whether he's Shimon bar Kokhba, Rabbi Schneerson, etc.?

They might... I'm not sure. I haven't read too much commentary on this parasha... I had just read the text recently, so I was going by my own knowledge.

Quote:

I did read the beginning of the story of Balaam, and without those references from the Brit Hadasha (N.T.), it is hard to see how he was the bad guy in this. But, don't the Sages teach the story behind the story? Otherwise, how could there even be a legend about Balaam? I figure the Oral tradition of the Jews (Talmud, etc.) must have it somewhere. A lot of the N.T. was written by people steeped in Jewish oral tradition, so I figure they knew something about this. Don't get me wrong - I personally accept the N.T. as an extension of the Tanakh given by G-d. However, even without believing that, the writers were real, historical figures. Sha'ul (Paul) was a student of Gamaliel in 30 CE who became a believer in Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), but he was a Jew zealous for Torah (in spite of what Christian churches have taught or omitted in their traditions). Even if you don't believe in the N.T. as divinely inspired, you could look at it as a commentary on the Tanakh wink .

Thanks for listening to my logic. 3nodding

I'll have to look it up. The Talmud is HUGE, and I need to learn more of it. It could very well be there somewhere...

And considering the commentary I've seen for other things, too, it could be true.

*is trying to get enough money to get an Artscroll annotated Tanakh so I can actually know these things*  

[grani4fam1]

RoseRose

I don't exactly agree with your opinion of Balaam. If you read the beginning of the story, he tells Balak's messengers that he can only say what G-d has told him to say, and he doesn't leave until G-d told him it was okay... He's not exactly a false prophet.

Further comment on this: I think you're right that Balaam isn't a false prophet. A false prophet is someone whose prophecies don't come true (Vayikra 13:1-3). I believe his prophecies have been fulfilled one way or another.

The things I mentioned before about false prophets from the Brit Hadasha seem to include more details about 30-70 CE false prophets' character traits in light of Balaam's character and how to spot them.

RoseRose

*is trying to get enough money to get an Artscroll annotated Tanakh so I can actually know these things*

I have an Artscroll Chumash and an Artscroll Tanakh. The Chumash has much more information than the Tanakh. Either that, or there's another more annotated Tanakh that we don't have. (I can't afford to buy too many of these at a time - kind of expensive.)  

[RoseRose]

grani4fam1

RoseRose

I don't exactly agree with your opinion of Balaam. If you read the beginning of the story, he tells Balak's messengers that he can only say what G-d has told him to say, and he doesn't leave until G-d told him it was okay... He's not exactly a false prophet.

Further comment on this: I think you're right that Balaam isn't a false prophet. A false prophet is someone whose prophecies don't come true (Vayikra 13:1-3). I believe his prophecies have been fulfilled one way or another.

The things I mentioned before about false prophets from the Brit Hadasha seem to include more details about 30-70 CE false prophets and how to spot them. Having been a church member for 40+ years, there are lots of opportunities in Christian churches for false prophets to take advantage of believers by flattery and money-grubbing, and I have met some of them sad .

RoseRose

*is trying to get enough money to get an Artscroll annotated Tanakh so I can actually know these things*

I have an Artscroll Chumash and an Artscroll Tanakh. The Chumash has much more information than the Tanakh. Either that, or there's another more annotated Tanakh that we don't have. (I can't afford to buy too many of these at a time - kind of expensive.)

Hmmm... Maybe I'll go for the Chumash, then. I want good commentary, but I'd LOVE to see the commentary for Ketuvim, especially, not just the Chumash.

And yeah... A false prophet's prophecies do not come true. There have been many false prophets in history, though.  

[grani4fam1]

Here are a couple of TALMUD websites. I hope they help.

www.sacred-texts.com/jud/talmud.htm

www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Talmud/talmudtoc.html


Also, a good website to look up things by subject in the Tanakh and Brit Hadasha:

www.blueletterbible.org  

[grani4fam1]

NEXT UP: Pinchas (Bamidbar 25:10-30:1)  

[RoseRose]

grani4fam1

NEXT UP: Pinchas (Bamidbar 25:10-30:1)

With that one, speaking as someone who has read from a Torah scroll, take into note that after the incidents in Pinchas, the yod in Pinchas' name is written smaller than before the incident, and yod is the only letter Pinchas and the name of G-d share in the Hebrew.  

[grani4fam1]

RoseRose

grani4fam1

NEXT UP: Pinchas (Bamidbar 25:10-30:1)

With that one, speaking as someone who has read from a Torah scroll, take into note that after the incidents in Pinchas, the yod in Pinchas' name is written smaller than before the incident, and yod is the only letter Pinchas and the name of G-d share in the Hebrew.

Yay! Thanks! I love jots and tittles! (Is that what it's called?) We hear it at our "shul" sometimes, but it doesn't get mentioned in each portion every year.  

[grani4fam1]

Here's what I learned from Parashas Pinchas:

1. Phineas was given an eternal covenant of peace. Our "rabbi" told us that there is a broken vav in the word, Shalom, in an actual Torah scroll in Bamidbar 25:12, although it doesn't show in my Artscroll Chumash (except for a little asterisk with no note). I was interrupted when he said the meaning of it (oy!), so if you know what it means, please tell me.

I love these jots and tittles. To have G-d reveal these little things to me is the personal fulfillment of Jeremiah 33:3, "Call unto Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." It's like having intimate knowledge of Him and His ways, like being a Friend of G-d. He has answered my cry for more of Him. I still want to know Him more! Baruch atah Adonai!

2. The situation with Phineas, Zimri and Cozbi applies to my life in that it talks about being careful not to approach the LORD with contempt (hatred, disrespect), and how approaching His leaders and their decisions with contempt (as Zimri and Cozbi did when they flaunted their rebellion in front of everybody) is showing contempt for the LORD. It scares me to think how I've done this in different ways over the years. How merciful the LORD is to forgive me, to cover my sin with His sacrifice and to enable me to stop doing such things. I am thankful that He opens my eyes to behold wonderful things out of His Law (Psalm 119:18 ).

3. The moedim are holy sanctuaries in time (I love hearing this!). The appointed times are chances for each of us to have time totally set aside to be with Him without the cares of life to stand in our way. I love Shabbat and the rest and refreshment that comes to me that day, and I love that someday we will all be at rest in Messiah's eternal kingdom. I need to work more on the daily moedim of shacharit (morning prayer) and minchah (evening prayer). I am so bad at remembering Him during the day! I need to memorize the Amidah at least to have something to say when it's prayer time.

4. The moed of Rosh Chodesh is something my family needs to do. Sometimes, I pay attention to when the new moon is here, but don't know how to celebrate it. We are new to the moedim and doing our best to do better each time they come around, but we haven't gotten going on this one. It is a commandment, after all, and we need to obey it. I guess the Orthodox communities use it as a time of prayer, fasting, confession and repentance, which is a monthly microcosm of Yom Kippur. It is a monthly time of rebirth, which as Messianic believers, we need to give Him a chance to remind us of our rebirth in Yeshua and get a good cleansing just as women needed a mikveh to be able to enter the Temple after their "monthly blessing." It's a chance for a monthly honeymoon with Him just as healthy couples have after the mikveh.

Titles of Messiah (from First Fruits of Zion Torah Club Vol. 2)
Man whom God has appointed (Acts 17:31)
The Messiah appointed for you (Acts 3:20)
Lord of lords and King of kings (Revelation 17:14)  

[RoseRose]

The broken vav, according to what I've heard, shows that no peace is perfect when won through violence, like the Lord's peace granted to Pinchas. There have even been drashes that I've heard stating that the reason the yod is written smaller (as I've stated above) is that Pinchas NEEDED that closeness with the Lord, to temper his violent tendancies.

Another thing in this parasha that you didn't talk about was Zelophad and his daughters. He had only daughters, and he wished to keep a share in the Promised Land for his descendants, so he went to Moses, and the Lord told Moses that the daughters could inherit, as long as they married within their tribe.  

[grani4fam1]

Parashas Mattot (Numbers 30:2-32:42)

1. Messiah our Husband annuls our vows and bears our guilt by His death as the Lamb of God on the cross (Numbers 30:15).

2. I am reminded that I should make no rash vow in Numbers 30:2: “He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” I have made some of these without fully letting my husband have the chance to nullify them before I started them. Then, after having gotten myself into a lot of deals and withdrawn from them, I have, at times, left a burden of guilt on my family for broken promises.

3. The 12,000 in Numbers may correspond to the 144,000 in the book of Revelation. There is a legend about the repeated resurrection of the 12,000 in Numbers 31:49 to be able to kill all of Midian. The 144,000 of Revelation 14:1-5 will live through the Great Tribulation after being sealed on their foreheads by the Messiah. We are supposed to find one of these 144,000 to lead us through the wilderness during the Tribulation since they cannot die.




Titles of Messiah (from First Fruits of Zion Torah Club Vol. 2)
Husband (Ephesians 5:23-25)
War Messiah (Song of Songs Rabbah 2:33)
Turtledove (Song of Songs Rabbah 2:33)