In our Torah portion this week (i.e., parashat Bo) we are commanded to retell “in the hearing of your son and your grandson” how the LORD overthrew the arrogance of the Egyptians and performed wonders to deliver us” (Exod. 10:2). This commandment is the basis of the Passover haggadah (i.e., הַגָּדָה, “telling”), the “oral tradition” of our faith, when we personally retell the story from generation to generation so that the spirit of the message is not lost. We participate in the Passover seder to make it “our own story,” a part of who we are. Therefore b’khol-dor vador: “Every Jew must consider himself to have been personally redeemed from Egypt.” Retelling the story of the exodus enables us to “know that I am the LORD” (Exod. 10:2). We recall the words, bishvili nivra ha’olam – “For my sake was this world created,” while we also recall the words, anokhi afar ve’efer – “I am but dust and ashes.” When we retell the story of the great redemption, we strengthen our faith and better know the LORD our Savior.
Category: Holidays
Importance of the Exodus…
The exodus from Egypt (יציאת מצרים) is perhaps the most fundamental event of Jewish history; it is “the” miracle of the Torah. In addition to being commemorated every year during Passover (Exod. 12:24-27; Num. 9:2-3; Deut. 16:1), it is explicitly mentioned in the first of the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:2), and it is recalled every Sabbath (Deut. 5:12-15). The festivals of Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) likewise derive from it (the former recalling the giving of the Torah at Sinai and the latter recalling God’s care as the Exodus generation journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land), as does the Season of Teshuvah (repentance) that culminates in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Indeed, nearly every commandment of the Torah (including the laws of the Tabernacle and the sacrificial system) may be traced back to the story of the Exodus, and in some ways, the entire Bible is an extended interpretation of its significance. Most important of all, the Exodus both prefigures and exemplifies the work of redemption given through the sacrificial life of Yeshua the Messiah, the true King of the Jews and the blessed Lamb of God.
The deeper meaning of exile concerns blindness of the divine presence. The worst kind of exile is not to know that you are lost, away from home, in need of redemption… That is why Egypt (i.e., Mitzraim) is called metzar yam – a “narrow strait.” Egypt represents bondage and death in this world, and the exodus represents salvation and freedom. God splits the sea and we cross over from death to life. Since Torah represents awareness of God’s truth, Israel was led into a place of difficulty to learn and receive revelation (Gen. 46:1-7). Out of the depths of darkness God’s voice would call his people forth. Likewise we understand our “blessed fault,” the trouble that moves us to cry out for God’s miracle in Yeshua… Indeed the New Testament states that Yeshua “appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus (τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτου) which he would accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31).
Birth Date of Jesus Revisited…
Was Jesus (Yeshua) really born on December 25th, as the Western Christian Tradition maintains, or does the careful study of Scripture allow us to infer a different time for His advent here on earth? Two cases can be reasonably made: one case for a Tishri (Sukkot) birth, and the other for the traditional late December (or early January) date. As I hope you will see, the crux of the arguments both for and against the late December dating of the birth of Yeshua depend upon when we think Zechariah (John the Baptist’s father) was in the Temple when he was visited by the angel Gabriel…
The Nativity Prophecies…
Regarding the birth of Messiah it is written in our Scriptures: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the dominion shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called: ‘the Wonderful Counselor (פֶּלֶא יוֹעֵץ), the Mighty God (אֵל גִּבּוֹר), the Father of Eternity (אֲבִיעַד), the Prince of Peace'” (Isa. 9:6). “Unto us a child is born” – this is the first advent – when the Messiah would be rejected, suffer, and die for our sins; and “unto us a son is given” – this is the second advent – when the Messiah will reign as David’s greater regent in the kingdom promised to Zion.
Hebrew Lesson
Isaiah 9:6a Hebrew reading lesson:
Priests of His Light…
The Chanukah holiday is now over, chaverim, though may its message pervade our souls every day, as we dedicate our lives to serving the Lord and choose to walk in His light… Amen, we are chosen to be a “kingdom of priests,” a set-apart people, and a light to the nations (Exod. 19:6; Isa. 42:6; 1 Pet. 2:9). Note the very first responsibility given to the priests was to care for the ner tamid (נר התמיד), the light of the Menorah (Exod. 27:20-21), which represents our consciousness of the Divine Presence (Psalm 18:28; 36:9). The challenge we all face is to remain “in the light as God is in the light” and not to be seduced by the world of fleeting appearances (Isa. 2:5; 1 John 1:7, 2:17). God’s eternal light radiates through all things (Isa. 6:3; Psalm 139:11-12), just as the great “yehi ohr” (יְהִי אוֹר) – “Let there be light” – is the first word spoken to creation (Gen. 1:3). To be a priest means being so filled with the truth that you radiate peace; your inner light shines and you glorify your Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16). That is how we draw others to the truth, by receiving the beauty of the LORD (Psalm 27:4).
Of course being a “witness to the light,” that is, being a “priest,” does not mean you are a “perfect person” who walks about with a blissed-out attitude despite the various trials and tests we all face in this life. No, we all still sin, and we therefore need to confess the truth of our condition to abide in the light (1 John 1:9; James 5:16). Like everything else in Scripture, here we encounter paradox, as Yeshua taught: “Blessed are the impoverished in spirit (πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι), for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; blessed are the ones who mourn (οἱ πενθοῦντες), for they shall be comforted; blessed are the meek (οἱ πραεῖς), for they shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5:3-5). Yea, “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong, God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Cor. 1:27-29).
An Everlasting Radiance…
Though the whole earth is filled with the miracles and glory of the LORD, we must choose to see, to open our hearts, and to become God’s partners in calling forth goodness and truth. God is the Source of all Light and truth, and therefore we first turn to receive his radiance within our heart. As Yeshua said, “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your heavenly Father” (Matt. 5:16).
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 100:5 Hebrew reading lesson:
The Source of Light…
“God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). Yeshua said: “I am come a light into the world, that whoever believes in me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46). The ultimate message of Chanukah is eschatological and full of hope. This world is passing away and the Kingdom of Heaven will one day be established upon the earth. We live in light of this blessed hope (Titus 2:11-13). The world’s rulers are “on notice” from God Almighty: their days are numbered and they will surely face the judgment of the LORD God of Israel (Psalm 2). We must stand against evil by refusing to conform to the world around us (Eph. 6:11-18). Now is the time. “Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Followers of Yeshua are made part of His Dwelling – extensions of His Presence in this dark world – and during this Chanukah season may we remember the call to rededicate our lives to Him! יְהִי אוֹר – May your light shine!
Hebrew Lesson
Psalm 36:9 Hebrew reading:
Chanukah vs. Humanism…
We read in the New Testament that “the Greeks seek for wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:22), which of course does not refer to the ethical wisdom of the Torah (i.e., chokhmah: חָכְמָה), but rather to the venture of the human intellect to investigate and speculate about the nature of “ultimate reality.” Since Greek culture during the time of the Second Temple was without a viable religious outlook (it’s earlier pantheon of Olympian gods had been abandoned by that time), various Greek philosophers arose to fill the void by offering an account of the nature of the universe. Some of these philosophers sought abstract essences and archetypal patterns, while others regarded reality as a product of random chance (or fate) that rendered it essentially unknowable. What was common to these speculative approaches, however, was faith in the power of human reason to discover truth apart from older mythological explanations.
Despite the fact that ancient Jewish culture likewise valued truth and wisdom, in general the sages of the Second Temple period regarded Greek humanistic wisdom as chokhmah hachitzonit, “superficial wisdom,” since it wasn’t deeply grounded in the revelation and conviction of a moral Lawgiver who was the Sovereign Center and purposive cause for everything that existed. For this reason the Greek worldview was deemed spiritually dangerous, since it surreptitiously implied that Torah should be understood in strictly human terms, a product of mere men, rather than as special revelation directly given from the LORD God. At issue, then, was a clash between the role of faith and the role of reason…
The Beauty of Truth…
It has been said that the Greek mindset regards what is beautiful as what is good, whereas theHebraic mindset regards what is good as what is beautiful. The difference is one of orientation. Doing our duty before God, in other words, is what is truly beautiful, not merely appreciating the appearance of symmetry, order, and so on. This explains why moral discipline (i.e., musar, מוּסָר) is so prominent in Hebrew wisdom literature. True beauty cannot exist apart from moral truth.
The word chinukh (חִנּוּךְ), “education,” shares the same root as the word “chanukah” (חֲנֻכָּה, dedication). Unlike the Greek view that regards education as a pragmatic process of improving one’s personal power or happiness, the Jewish idea implies dedication/direction to God and His concrete purposes on the earth. Disciples of Yeshua are likewise called talmidim (תַּלְמִידִים) — a word that comes from lamad (לָמַד) meaning “to learn” (the Hebrew word for teacher is melamad (מְלַמֵּד) from the same root). In the New Testament, the word “disciple” is μαθητής, a learner or a pupil of a διδάσκαλος, or a teacher. True education is therefore foundational to being a disciple of the Messiah…
The Light Still Shines…
Chanukah is important because it stands in decided opposition to the relentless propaganda of humanism and its ongoing attempt to deny the reality of the Divine Presence in our lives… It makes bold the statement that reality is not reducible to merely natural categories, and it repudiates the “Hellenistic” conceit that all religions are true, and it especially rejects the arrogant notion that the LORD God of Israel is just “one more member” of some globalist pantheon… Chanukah adamantly denies the politically correct dogma that despair is the universal condition of humanity and that darkness will finally extinguish the light. Like the gospel message, Chanukah scandalizes human rationalism and the solipsism that affirms that “man is the measure of all things.” “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world (νικᾷ τὸν κόσμον); and this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith” (1 John 5:4).
Think counterculturally. It is written: Do not let your mind be conformed (lit., “squeezed into the mold”) of this world, but be transformed (μεταμορφόω, i.e., metamorphosized like a caterpillar is changed into a butterfly) by the renewal of your mind (Rom. 12:2). The Greek word translated “renewal” is ἀνακαίνωσις, from ἀνά, meaning “into the midst,” and καινός, meaning “newness.” The idea here is that we are inwardly transfigured as we take hold of the truth of the new covenant and make it central to our lives. For this we must “put on the mind of Messiah” and repudiate the world’s values and vain philosophy (1 Cor. 2:16). “When the devil is called the god of this world, it is not because he made it, but because people serve him with worldliness.” The “god of this world” blinds the eyes of those who do not believe so they cannot see the truth of the gospel of Messiah (2 Cor. 4:4). The philosophy of this world is always based on lies, propaganda, fear, lust, pride, anger, appeals to vanity, and so on. We must be vigilant, friends, and use discernment by testing the world’s assumptions against the truth of the Scriptures.
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