Weekly Sidra: Ki Tisa (when you lift up)
Torah Portion: Shemot / Exodus 30:1-34:35
Haftorah: Melachim Alef / I Kings 18:20-18:39

This parashah, Ki Tisa begins with the giving of the half shekel by every man over 20 years, equally rich and poor alike as an offering to make atonement for their souls.  This takes place after the golden calf incident showing us that we cannot take this book chronologically but according to the stories and pictures it is telling us. We have become so caught up in the idea that only the shedding of blood can bring atonement and forgiveness for our sins.  Here is another paradigm shift where the focus is not on the subject but on the One who brings true atonement or forgiveness.  Forgiveness can only come from God; it does not lie in the ransom money or in the animal sacrifices.  The more we read about Moshe, the more we can see the picture that God is painting for us about our Messiah.

God’s Torah brings principles to those who need it in order for us to live a better life.  It is important not to get caught up in the details, but to look for the teachings which he brings to us by his revelation in pictures.  Unfortunately, we have changed the direction, where we think the teachings are further God’s sake instead of our own; "I am doing this to honor God", not because it is good for me as the recipient of a wealth of God’s blessings.  We need to move beyond mere obedience and understand that what God is trying to teach us is to have a better life.  The fault began with the translation of the Hebrew into Greek known as the Septuagint.  The word for Torah was translated as "nomos" which literally means law.  There was no Greek concept for Torah.  This has created a completely different understanding of how God deals with his people right up until today.  Most people think that God rejoices in making our lives miserable, pointing a finger when we fail, and thus making him into something that he is not.  Ha Satan is the accuser, not God. We cross lines and say things without even thinking about it and we remove the Kvod- the Glory of God. Most people do not want to look at principles but prefer rules and regulations.  Each of us is responsible for our own behavior. 

God speaks through pictures and the Hebrew language is a pictorial language which contains descriptions more than cognitive knowledge. We are entering the area of the picture God is giving us. Why the ochel moed? Why does the sanctuary envelop the golden calf? Exodus chapter 31:18 picks up where Ex 24:12-15 leaves off. Then chapters Ex. 25 – 31 continues with the instructions about the Mishkan and the narration of the golden calf in chapters 32 through 34; falls in between this two sections of the Sanctuary; which ended with the chapters 35 – 40 building of the Sanctuary.  The elements of the Sanctuary are described in chapters 25-31 and the building in chapters 35-40; these envelop the central story of the golden calf. This gives us a beautiful picture of the centrality of the Sanctuary in the midst of Israel and refers to the atonement or forgiveness of Israel for their sin. In other words, the golden calf incident is surrounded by the building of the mishkan where the Presence of God would dwell. It represents a covering of their sin. We can see that God is teaching us that He is the one who forgives us and covers our sins.

Chapter 32:7-14 are crucial passages for us to understand. The people thought that Moshe was not coming back and they had no leader. They cried out to Aharon, “make us "elohim".  The people brought their gold which Aaron melted down and “out jumped the golden calf. God tells Moshe to hurry down because as He said ‘your’ people are getting into trouble. It then becomes a ping pong game between God and Moshe both saying “your” people. He hurries down and we know what happens next. Ninety percent of our sages blame the Erev Rav, mixed multitude who left Egypt with the Israelites. Our sages say that we were pushed and deceived by them and that the ones who really needed to be punished were the mixed multitude. They say that this was an act of idolatry of pagan origin which followed the Israelites exit from Egypt; that they were amazed at what God was doing and the only reason they followed was because of the miracles.  The Israelites really believed in God while the mixed multitude perceived this manifestation but did not have a fundamental idea of the roots of this God. I disagree with that line of thinking. We constantly try to blame others and make extra effort to justify our actions. God is teaching us that we need to accept our own actions and to be responsible for what we ourselves do. We cannot blame others, our neighbor for what we do. God told Moshe when they go to other lands, don’t mix with the other people for they would follow their ways of living and would be taken out of living God’s principles. We too need to learn to choose our friends who are going to influence us.  This influence might not be good. God is teaching us and giving us this information so we can learn from our own mistakes and the only way to go back to God is through teshuva…to return to Him. We need to ACKNOWLEGE what we have done; we need to come clean before God and say I did it; there is no other way. That’s when we can truly be set free.  Another important teaching which we can draw from 32:13 where it says, "remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel your servants …: the Hebrew does not say Yaakov, but ISRAEL. The Commonwealth of Israel includes the mixed multitude, those foreigners who joined with us desiring to follow the God of Israel.  They are one with us; as Rabbi Shaul spoke about in the grafting of the wild branches into the true tree. 

Another important aspect to understand about this expression “remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel”…in Judaism is that when we say “zechut avot” (in the merits of our fathers) we are asking God to remember what He promised to our ancestors. When the Scriptures are translated as saying “in the name of so and so” it actually means we have a right to approach God due to the merits of what our forefathers have done.  When we pray in the name of Messiah Yeshua, we are really saying, “zechut shel Mashiach Yeshua”, in the merits of Messiah Yeshua.  His name doesn’t hold magic powers but due to what he did for us, in his merits we are able to approach our heavenly Father.

Back to Chapter 32: 7-14. God said to Moshe, go down to “your” people, who “you” brought out of Egypt, for they are a stiff-necked people and I will destroy them and make a great nation out of you.  It looks like Moshe had to calm God down and finally was able to get God to change His mind. It seems that Moses won an argument with God. This is not possible and it is not the case.  Can we change God’s mind? God is speaking to Moshe and we need to understand relation with God and Moshe who until this time was a reluctant leader.  Moshe never wanted the job and never regarded these people as his own even though he fought and killed an Egyptian trying to defend an Israelite so many years before. He still had not appropriated his role; he still considered himself the hired hand.  Here God is using “reverse psychology” on Moshe as a parent does when he or she tries to get a child to do something they want the child to do. The better and actual translation from the Hebrew for וַיִּנָּחֶם   vayinachem from the Hebrew root "mercy or comfort’ where we can derive ‘to console’. Until this time, Moshe had simply been the intermediary, always saying to God- Your People. Now God was showing His mercy to Moshe and coaxing him to appropriate the position for which he had been chosen. 

The next subject discussed right after the golden calf is the Shabbat. What does it mean that if we do not keep Shabbat, we will die?  Little by little we become disconnected from God’s presence and we die a spiritual death, when we do not keep the Shabbat. Spiritual death is the worst thing that can happen to a human being.  Without God we are only mere human beings; the only thing we are living for is what we have and how long we can live.  We are almost agitated and have a great fear of death looking to prolong our life as long as we can.  The truth of the matter is that God is giving us everything, the best and the best always comes after death because we are returning to God – the best vacation of all!

In Chapter 34:6&7 we read the Shalosh Esrei Midot עשרה מדותשלש the 13 principles of Biblical Judaism.

1. The Lord is merciful
2. God is not only merciful but ready to receive our teshuva, to come back to him
3. God almighty is rightful judge
4. God is compassionate (Rachum), merciful to poor and downtrodden
5. God is gracious (V’chanun)  and generous even to the undeserving
6. God is slow to anger, Erech Apayim  patient waiting for our repentance
7. God is abundant in kindness, V’Rab Chesed to both the righteous and wicked
8. God is truthful (V’Emet) and faithful to His promises
9. God is showing kindness (Notzer Chesed La’alafim) for a thousand generations
10. God forgives iniquity (Nosei Avon), even committed with premeditation, when we come back when did you do today in school and make restitution; we need to pay for what you did; we are forgiven but there are still consequences for our actions
11. God forgives transgression,( V’Fesha) wrong doing with a rebellious spirit
12. God forgives sin,(V’chata’at), those wrongfully deeds, done without knowing
13. God will cancel (V’Nakeh), all punishment for those who are truly repentant
14. From the beginning, God knew that we were going to get out of the ways He set down for us. From the beginning He was willing to help us find true forgiveness; the way is teshuva, by returning and coming back to Him.  One of the most beautiful parables that Messiah Yeshua taught us is the Prodigal son.  We all in a certain way are a type of prodigal son. We all have to go back to God.  But we cannot return to God without being included as part of the community of Israel.  I pray this community will grow to be a light and a blessing to all those people who are still to come in. we need to open our arms to anyone who wants to do teshuvah to come back to God.  We are here to receive each other and accept each other.  We don’t differentiate between people, in regards to class, or race because we all despite the difference in language or culture are part of the kingdom of God.

May God add blessings to His Word

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGvamaSof1A

Sidra Semanal: Ki Tisa (Cuando Levantas)
Porcion de Tora: Shemot / Exodo 30:11-34:35
Haftora: Melajim Alef / 1 Reyes 18:1-39

En la parasha antepasada hablamos de que debemos disponer nuestro cuerpo y nuestro corazón para que la presencia (shejiná) del Eterno esté en nosotros… Este estudio tiene que ver con el tema, solo que desde otro punto de vista… entonces…

¿Qué es la shejiná (presencia) de D-s? ¿Conoces la shejiná de D-s? ¿Haz estado en algun momento en su shejiná? o… mejor aun, ¿la shejiná de D-s ha estado o está en ti? ¿Acaso es una experiencia momentánea, sobrenatural y de un momento no más? ¿Es sentir calor, temblor o quebrantamiento de corazón por un instante?

Muchas veces pensamos que con ciertos momentos de oración o de intimidad con D-s, donde sentimos o experimentamos algo especial, eso es suficiente para decir “estuve o senti la presencia del Eterno”. Pienso que no deberia ser asi.  Muy importante si es, el que cada vez que estás en tu lugar secreto en comunión con tu Padre experimentes y sientas que Elohim si está ahi, que El te escucha, que El te consuela, te dá nuevas fuerzas, te reconforta, etc… Experimentar esto es algo muy lindo, edificante y muy bueno, pues nos ayuda a crecer y a fortalecernos como hijos y siervos de D-s. Pero quiero ir mas allá de “una experiencia”, es decir, si, debemos buscar “estar en la presencia del Eterno” pero tambien igual de importante debemos buscar que la “Su shejiná este en nosotros”, ¿notas la diferencia?

La shejiná del Eterno es y deberia ser importante para sus hijos, ya que con ella mostramos que en verdad le tenemos y no somos esas vidas vacias que andan por el mundo divagando sin rumbo ni dirección. Con su shejiná somos luz, somos diferentes, actuamos diferente, hablamos diferente y hasta nuestra parte externa, nuestro semblante es diferente… asi como sucedió con Moshé… Ex 34:29 Y aconteció, que descendiendo Moisés del monte Sinaí con las dos tablas del testimonio en su mano, mientras descendía del monte, no sabía él que la tez de su rostro resplandecía, después que hubo con El hablado.  Con su shejiná lograremos dar y recibir amor como El nos lo pide y como nosotros lo anhelamos. Con su shejiná podremos de una mejor forma (actos y palabras) llevar a cabo la tarea de la “gran comisión” encomendada por su Hijo. Mr 16:15 Y les dijo: Id por todo el mundo; predicad el Buenas Nuevas á toda criatura. ¿Ahora, está la shejiná de D-s en tu vida actualmente? ¿Sientes el mover de Su Ruaj HaKodesh (Santo Espiritu)?

Todos (eso espero) sabemos quien fue Moshé (Moises) y qué clase de siervo fue en las manos de D-s; sin embargo me resulta llamativo sus oraciones.  Siempre pidio del Eterno que su shejina estuviera con él… pero lo que quiero resaltar es que él tambien pedia que esta shejiná estuviera con el pueblo que él estaba dirigiendo en su salida a la libertad de la esclavitud. Ex 33: 15Y él respondió (Moshe): Situ presencia no ha de ir conmigo, no nos saques de aquí. 16    ¿Y en qué se conocerá aquí que he hallado gracia en tus ojos, yo y tu pueblo, sino en andar tú con nosotros, y que yo y tu pueblo seamos apartados de todos los pueblos que están sobre la faz de la tierra?  No solo él como lider, sino que tambien el pueblo, a pesar y con mayor razón necesitaba que la shejiná de D-s estuviera en medio de ellos.  Es muy importante que hagas lo mismo que Moshé. Tu pueblo es tu hogar. El lugar donde habitas. También tu conyugue, tus hijos, tus padres o con quien vivas… necesitan de la shejiná del Todopoderoso. No importa si piensas que “tu pueblo” es duro de cerviz. El Eterno  prometió a Moshé que aun cuando su pueblo era terco y duro de cerviz, El estaria en medio de ellos para guiarles. Ex 34: 9 Y dijo: Si ahora, Señor, he hallado gracia en tus ojos, vaya ahora el Señor en medio de nosotros; porque este es pueblo de dura cerviz; y perdona nuestra iniquidad y nuestro pecado, y poséenos. 10Y él dijo: He aquí, yo hago pacto delante de todo tu pueblo: haré maravillas que no han sido hechas en toda la tierra, ni en nación alguna… Es una hermosa oración y petición, ¿no te parece?  ¿Te imaginas el que la shejiná del Todopoderoso, Creador de cielos y tierra habite en ti y en medio de tu casa, en medio de los que amas? …entonces ya tienes algo más por lo cual pedir; ora conmigo:

Padre nuestro que estás en los cielos (Abinu shebashamaim) hoy quiero venir a Ti para darte gracias por los momentos donde me permites sentir tu shejina, a traves de tu Ruaj HaKodesh, a traves de sentir tu amor, tu compania, tu consuelo y hasta tu abrazo. Pero Señor hoy quiero pedirte algo más… Quiero que tu presencia este en mi y en mi hogar en medio. Guiame y guia a mi familia, habita en medio de nosotros, en nuestro hogar. Somos pecadores y falibles y es por eso que mayormente dependemos de Ti. Te amo Aba (Padre) y es por eso que anhelo de Ti. Apartame y aparta a mi hogar para Ti, para tu servicio y para que cumplas tu propósito en nuestras vidas, beShem (en el nombre) Yeshua, amen y amen. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8Ts0x1E-Vk