{"id":2359,"date":"2013-06-30T11:15:22","date_gmt":"2013-06-30T11:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matsati.com\/?p=2359"},"modified":"2013-06-30T20:44:45","modified_gmt":"2013-06-30T20:44:45","slug":"bits-of-torah-truths-parshiot-matot-and-maasei-fire-water-and-gods-holiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/bits-of-torah-truths-parshiot-matot-and-maasei-fire-water-and-gods-holiness\/","title":{"rendered":"Bits of Torah Truths, Parshiot Matot and Maasei, Fire, Water, and God&#8217;s Holiness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This weeks reading is from Parshiot Matot and Massei (<em>Bamidbar \/ Numbers 30:2-36:13<\/em>), Moshe speaks to the heads of the tribes of the sons if Israel saying <span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u05d0\u00a0 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc-\u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05db\u05bc\u05b0\u05db\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8-\u05e6\u05b4\u05d5\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05d4:<\/span> <em>30:1 Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, \u2018This is the word which the Lord has commanded. (NASB)<\/em>\u00a0 Moshe says that if a man makes an oath that he is not to violate his word (<em>30:2<\/em>) according to all that he speaks out of his mouth.\u00a0 A woman who makes a vow to the Lord binds herself to her father\u2019s house.\u00a0 According to the Torah, the daughter\u2019s father has the right to allow or disallow her from taking the vow (<em>30:4-7<\/em>).\u00a0 The husband also has the right to allow or disallow his wife from taking a vow (<em>30:8-15<\/em>).\u00a0 This confirms the place of the husband and wife, the man is over the woman in authority according to God\u2019s design.\u00a0 The Scripture goes on to tell us the Lord speaks to Moshe to take vengeance on the Mideanites for the people of Israel (<em>31:3<\/em>).\u00a0 One thousand from each tribe (12,000 men) are to go out to make war with Midian.\u00a0 Pinchas is described as going with them to war (<em>31:6<\/em>).\u00a0 The army kills the kings of Midian and captures the women and children, cattle and flocks, and all their goods as plunder (<em>31:8-9<\/em>).\u00a0 The people burn the cities of Midian and then bring the spoils of war before Moshe.\u00a0 Moshe becomes angry with the men of war for sparing all of the women, even the women who caused the men of Israel to sin (<em>31:15<\/em>).\u00a0 Moshe commands that all the women who have had sexual relations with men and all of the boys are to be killed.\u00a0 Only the girls who have not known a man sexually are to be kept alive.\u00a0 Moshe goes on to say that everything that can withstand the fire of purification will be clean.\u00a0 Those things that can not withstand fire will be purified by water (<em>31:21-24<\/em>).\u00a0 Moshe gives instruction on how to divide the spoils of war amongst the people and the Cohenim (<em>31:25-47<\/em>).\u00a0 The people then brought an offering before the Lord from the spoils of war (<em>31:48-54<\/em>).<\/p>\n<p>\u05db\u05ea\u05d1\u05d9 \u05d4\u05e7\u05d5\u05d3\u05e9 \/ The Holy Scriptures<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px; text-align: right;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u05e1\u05e4\u05e8 \u05d1\u05de\u05d3\u05d1\u05e8 \u05e4\u05e8\u05e7 \u05dc\u05d0<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u05db\u05d0\u00a0\u00a0 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc\u05b0\u05e2\u05b8\u05d6\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d4\u05b7\u05db\u05bc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b5\u05df \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc-\u05d0\u05b7\u05e0\u05b0\u05e9\u05c1\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05e6\u05bc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05b8\u05d0\u05b4\u05d9\u05dd \u05dc\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b4\u05dc\u05b0\u05d7\u05b8\u05de\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d6\u05b9\u05d0\u05ea \u05d7\u05bb\u05e7\u05bc\u05b7\u05ea \u05d4\u05b7\u05ea\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8-\u05e6\u05b4\u05d5\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05b9\u05d5\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05d4: \u05db\u05d1\u00a0\u00a0 \u05d0\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05d4\u05b7\u05d6\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4\u05b8\u05d1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05d4\u05b7\u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05e1\u05b6\u05e3 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05d4\u05b7\u05e0\u05bc\u05b0\u05d7\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05ea \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05d6\u05b6\u05dc \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05d4\u05b7\u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05d3\u05b4\u05d9\u05dc \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05d4\u05b8\u05e2\u05b9\u05e4\u05b8\u05e8\u05b6\u05ea: \u05db\u05d2\u00a0\u00a0 \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05dc-\u05d3\u05bc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8-\u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d1\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d8\u05b8\u05d4\u05b5\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05de\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b4\u05d3\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05d8\u05bc\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0-\u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d1\u05bc\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd: \u05db\u05d3\u00a0\u00a0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b4\u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05e1\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05b6\u05dd \u05d1\u05bc\u05b4\u05d2\u05b0\u05d3\u05b5\u05d9\u05db\u05b6\u05dd \u05d1\u05bc\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05d5\u05b9\u05dd \u05d4\u05b7\u05e9\u05bc\u05c1\u05b0\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e2\u05b4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05bc\u05d8\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05e8\u05b0\u05ea\u05bc\u05b6\u05dd \u05d5\u05b0\u05d0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b7\u05e8 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05d0\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc-\u05d4\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e0\u05b6\u05d4:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong><em>Bamidbar \/ Numbers 31:21-24<\/em><\/strong><br \/>\n<em>31:21 Then Eleazar the priest said to the men of war who had gone to battle, \u2018This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses: 31:22 only the gold and the silver, the bronze, the iron, the tin and the lead, 31:23 everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity. But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water. 31:24 \u2018And you shall wash your clothes on the seventh day and be clean, and afterward you may enter the camp.\u2019\u00a0 (NASB)<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Reading this week from Parsaht Matot, Moshe says\u00a0 <span style=\"font-size: medium;\">\u05db\u05d2\u00a0\u00a0 \u05db\u05bc\u05b8\u05dc-\u05d3\u05bc\u05b8\u05d1\u05b8\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8-\u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d1\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d8\u05b8\u05d4\u05b5\u05e8 \u05d0\u05b7\u05da\u05b0 \u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05de\u05b5\u05d9 \u05e0\u05b4\u05d3\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b4\u05ea\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05d8\u05bc\u05b8\u05d0 \u05d5\u05b0\u05db\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05d0 -\u05d9\u05b8\u05d1\u05b9\u05d0 \u05d1\u05bc\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05e9\u05c1 \u05ea\u05bc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05d1\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8\u05d5\u05bc \u05d1\u05b7\u05de\u05bc\u05b8\u05d9\u05b4\u05dd:<\/span> <em>31:23 everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean, but it shall be purified with water for impurity. (NASB)<\/em>\u00a0 But whatever cannot stand the fire you shall pass through the water.\u00a0 It is interesting the way Moshe speaks of cleansing the things that were taken following the war with Midean, the Scriptures say<em> \u201call things that are able to come through the fire, passing through the fire, it will be clean (purified) from water like one is clean from menstruation.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Fire and water are necessary to cleanse the spoils of war, the valuables that are taken from Israel\u2019s enemies.\u00a0 If we think on the biblical usage of both fire and water there are many interesting points that may be made regarding these verses from this week\u2019s reading.\u00a0 Regarding <em>\u201cfire,\u201d<\/em> the revelation of the Torah was received in the context of fire.\u00a0 When Israel received the Torah at the Mountain Sinai, the revelation of God\u2019s Word was given in fire,<em> \u201cNow Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently\u201d<\/em> (<em>Shemot \/ Exodus 19:18<\/em>) and <em>\u201c\u2018The Lord gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the Lord had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly.\u201d<\/em> (<em>Devarim \/ Deuteronomy 9:10<\/em>)\u00a0 Here at Sinai the spirit of wisdom and revelation was given and received in the context of fire.\u00a0 Fire speaks of God\u2019s holiness in that all wealth must be purified in God\u2019s holy fire.\u00a0 <em>\u201cFor our God is a consuming fire\u201d<\/em> (<em>Hebrews 12:29<\/em>).\u00a0 The fire of God\u2019s holiness burns away the worthless things and purifies, just as here in our verse, fire burns away wood, hay, and stubble, so too in our lives, the Lord is purifying us (see <em>1 Corinthians 3:10-15<\/em>).\u00a0 Water on the other hand, the Scriptures say those things that cannot stand the fire will be purified with water like women who are purified following their menstrual cycle.\u00a0 The Apostle Paul wrote our minds are renewed as they are sanctified and cleansed <em>\u201cwith the washing of water by the word\u201d<\/em> (<em>Ephesians 5:26<\/em>).\u00a0 In the Torah portion, the children of Israel chose what is wrong when gathering the spoils of war by keeping everyone alive when God clearly said to destroy the people of Midean.\u00a0 Realize that we need to be careful how we choose to make money and how we spend our finances; these must be done having regard for God\u2019s Word.\u00a0 It is possible to obtain a financial ethic that is ungodly from the enemy.\u00a0 Sending our finances through the fire washes them clean for God\u2019s use.\u00a0 Note how God gives us the opportunity to choose what is right or to choose what is wrong.\u00a0 Deuteronomy provides us with the choice of life and death<em> \u201cIf you obey by loving the LORD your God and walking in His ways, then you shall live and become numerous; but if your heart turns away you shall perish.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 The dual image of the Torah, to choose between life and death, between what is right and wrong and the Great salvation of the Lord our God is what makes our faith unique.\u00a0 Truly great are the ways in which He works in our lives because in all that we do we seek Him and His glory.\u00a0<em> Tehillim \/ Psalms21:13 Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength; We will sing and praise Your power.\u00a0 (NASB)<\/em>\u00a0 <a href=\"http:\/\/www.matsati.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/BTT_Parashat-Matot-Massei-2013.pdf\">BTT_Parashat Matot-Massei 2013<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This weeks reading is from Parshiot Matot and Massei (Bamidbar \/ Numbers 30:2-36:13), Moshe speaks to the heads of the tribes of the sons if Israel saying \u05d0\u00a0 \u05d5\u05b7\u05d9\u05bc\u05b9\u05d0\u05de\u05b6\u05e8 \u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05dc-\u05d1\u05bc\u05b0\u05e0\u05b5\u05d9 \u05d9\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05b9\u05e8\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u05dc \u05db\u05bc\u05b0\u05db\u05b9\u05dc \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05e8-\u05e6\u05b4\u05d5\u05bc\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b9\u05b8\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea-\u05de\u05b9\u05e9\u05c1\u05b6\u05d4: 30:1 Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, \u2018This is the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2359","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-bits-of-torah-truth"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2359\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matsati.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}