Prison weekly Shabbat Elul 27, 5768

Shalom

The Hebrew month is Elul these Parashahs

 are for Shabbat Elul 27, 5768

Parashahs are Torah Nitsavim " you are standing " Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20 Haftarah Isaiah 61:10-63:9 Brit Hadasha Romans 10:1-13

 Next weeks Torah  Va Yelech "And he went" Deuteronomy 31:1-30 Haftarah Hosea 14:2-10 & Brit Hadasha Joel 2:16-27

Perceptions

Torah Parashahs HaShavuah‏ Netzavim Deuteronomy 29:9-30:20 

I call Heaven and earth today to witness that I have placed before you life and death, blessing and curse; choose life so that you and your seed shall live. (Devarim 30:19) Since this year, a leap year, Nitzavim is a stand-alone parsha, it gives us a good opportunity to discuss what should be an obvious concept to all of us, and that which is the basis of our judgment on Rosh Hashanah, the choosing of life. However, the Torah is obviously not trying to convince us to not jump from the roof of a high building, because for anyone, for whom that is an option, God forbid, more help would be required than a verse from the Torah. We're talking about choosing to live on higher levels of consciousness here.

Like what, for example?

Imagine a room filled with four sets of study partners (which we will call SP1, SP2, SP3, and SP4 respectively), each one learning a different area of Torah. SP1 is learning Chumash with Rashi, and they are only interested in knowing the simplest explanation of the verses. There may be a lot more to what the Torah is saying, but for the time being, they aren't interested in knowing it. SP2, on the other hand, has decided to learn Mishnah. They too are only interested in learning "Pshat" — the simplest explanation. However, the terse wording of the Mishnah, as well as what seem to be certain inconsistencies, has forced them to engage in discussions that take them beyond the simple words of the teaching. As they do, their discussions become more lively than those of SP1, which is wondering what all the excitement is about. Still, their discussions do not compare to those of SP3, which is learning Talmud. The discussion of their section of learning is not only lively, it seems to have put them into a world of their own. They seem somewhat oblivious to the world around them, as they get up and pace back and forth, contemplative, and yet full of energy and the need to explain themselves. However, SP4 is learning Kabbalah. No one seems to notice them, because they are learning quietly and off to themselves. They are not only enthralled by their learning, they seem entranced by it. Indeed, they seem to be there, and yet, not there. In fact, they seem other-worldy, as the expressions on their faces seem to indicate. These are, of course, the four levels of Torah referred to as "Pardes," a word which means "orchard," but which also stands for the four levels of  Torah learning: Pshat, Remez, Drush, and Sod, literally: Simple, Hint, Exegesis, and Secret, or Mikrah, Mishnah, Talmud, and Kabbalah. There are four levels [of Torah understanding] and the pneumonic is Pardes: Pshat, Remez, Drush, and Sod. A person needs to toil in all of them to the extent that he can, and seek out a teacher to teach them to him. If a person lacks one of these four levels relative to what he could have achieved then he will have to reincarnate. (Sha'ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 11) They are the four levels on which a single Torah concept can be understood, and as one probes from level to level, he also moves from a lower level of consciousness to a higher one: The rabbis taught: Four entered Pardes: Ben Azzai, Ben Zoma, Acher, and Rebi Akiva. Rebi Akiva told them, "When you arrive at the Stones of Pure Marble, don't say, 'Water, water,' because it says, 'He who speaks falsehood will not be established before My eyes' (Tehillim 101:7)." Ben Azzai gazed at the Divine Presence and died, and with respect to him it says, "Difficult in the eyes of God is the death of His pious ones" (Tehillim 116:15). Ben Zoma gazed and went mad — to him the following verse may be applied: "Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, so that you do not consume too much and have to vomit"(Mishlei 25:16). Acher "cut off his plantings" (i.e., he became a heretic). Rebi Akiva entered in peace and departed in peace. (Chagigah 14b) As Tosfos explains, their journey had not been a physical one, but rather, an intellectual one, as the Leshem further explains: It says in the Zohar HaKodesh further regarding the four who entered Pardes, that it had been their intention to rectify the sin of Adam HaRishon, as it was said previously: to meditate and ascend from level to level until the Torah of Atzilus at the root of all Positive and Negative mitzvos. (Sha'arei Leshem, p. 454)

For, just as there are four levels on which Torah can be learned, there are four levels of consciousness, and they correspond: Pshat-Asiyah, Remez- Yetzirah, Drush-Beriyah, and Sod-Atzilus. Therefore, as a person moves from a lower level of Torah understanding to a higher one, he is, in fact, entering a higher level of consciousness, and coming closer to God. It is a process that begins in the mind, but one which eventually spreads to the body as well, since the four levels also correspond to the four lower levels of one's soul: Pshat-Nefesh, Remez-Ruach, Drush-Neshama, and Sod-Chiyah. What this essentially means is that, if one only learns Torah on the Pshatlevel, he will only access the level of Nefesh, which will limit the amount of Godly light that will make it to the level of the body, also limiting the impact on the body. Elevated he will feel, but not beyond the reality of everyday life. He will feel holier, but not enough to take him beyond mundane matters. To learn on the level of Remez is to access the light of Ruach, and to elevate the body significantly higher. While learning it, the person will remain aware of the world around him, but he will also feel above it, to some degree. He will feel a greater sense of identification with the material he is learning than he did when he only learned Chumash. Learning Talmud, as Talmud is meant to be learned, will draw the mind of the person to the level of Neshama, which will have a profound impact on the body of the person as well. Though the physical appearance of a person learning Talmud may not change, he will feel quite different. He will become more spiritual, which is why many students who previously had difficulty learning Chumash and Mishnah for long periods of time, can become "hooked" on the learning of Talmud.

It is also one of the reasons why entry into the world of Talmud can be so difficult for many, even after they have learned Aramaic, the language of the Talmud. It is not merely a matter of simply opening a larger and longer book than that of Mishnah. It is a matter of going to a higher level of consciousness to relate to the words inside, which can be read by just about anyone, but which are related to only by those who make the jump to the level of Neshama. If this is true of the level of Talmud-Neshama, then it is even truer about the level of Sod-Chiyah. The leap from the first level of learning to the second level, or from the second level of learning to the third one, is not nearly as great as the quantum leap from the third level of Drush to that of Sod. To make such a leap is to never turn back again, for on the level of Sod, one is so close to God (as much as possible in this world), that it would be tantamount to spiritual suicide to do so. Again, this is only true if the person learning Sod is doing far more than simply reading the words and repeating them as they appear. On each level, the body must line up with the light that is coming to it, or the Torah will not have its desired impact. Sod is the level of Neshama, an extremely high level of Ohr Ain Sof, and if the body is not a fitting container for such a holy level of light, it won't even try to enter it. In essence, this is what Rosh Hashanah evaluates, and this is the basis of the teshuva we are expected to do. On Rosh Hashanah, the question is: did we reach the level of consciousness that we were capable of achieving? And if yes, did we work to maintain it? The evidence to answer these questions is, for the most part, how we spent our time and resources the previous year, and what we hope to achieve in the upcoming year, and the rest of our lives, for that matter.

Therefore, when the Torah admonishes us to choose life, it is really telling us to choose higher levels of consciousness, whenever it is possible to do so. For, to live on a lesser level of consciousness than we are capable of is a level or death, one that can even result in physical death, either as afunction of Divine response to our waste of life, or, as a result of our lack of ability to rise to a level of consciousness that affords us a clearer picture of the hand of God, and where history is heading. This discussion becomes especially pertinent in our present generation, for the Arizal has revealed: Since these ten colleagues [of Rebi Shimon bar Yochai's time] … are from the level of the Chassadim of the Upper Zivug [in the Sefiros] …that is Yisroel with Rachel, all the secrets of Torah were revealed and explained to them without any suffering. This will not occur again until the Generation of Moshiach as mentioned in the Zohar in many places. (Sha'ar HaGilgulim, p. 26) If you want to know what all these terms mean, you'll have to start studying Kabbalah. However, in the meantime, on a simple level, it means that the generation in advance of Moshiach's arrival will have an easier time accessing higher levels of light and consciousness than previous generations.And, as we have already seen, this not something that is optional, but obligatory, and something, history has proven, that can only enhance one's quality of life and his closeness to God. L'Shannah Tova u'Metuka. Kesiva v'Chasima Tova. Perceptions, Copyright © 2008 by Rabbi Pinchas Winston and Torah.org.

           

GOD IS STILL KING of THE FLOODS-by David Wilkerson (Sep 15).

The Psalmist writes, "The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves" (Psalm 93:3). The floods represent the rising waters of afflictions, the overwhelming crises that are coming on the earth affecting multitudes. This is the flood of unemployment, housing nightmares, ever-growing financial difficulties. We now face a great flood of fear and confusion about what to do to survive the storm. It tears my heart to have a single mother stop me on the street weeping, "Pastor, what am I going to do? I lost my job, and I may lose my apartment. I have nothing to live on. Where will I go?" Top-level executives are being laid off with no warning. Workers tell me they see bosses crying at their desks, asking, "What will I do? I'm broke. What about my mortgage? I have no benefits."Some terrible things are happening, even to some of the godliest believers. I ask God, "Lord, what do I tell them? They are in the flood." I know these saintly people pray and read God's Word. Indeed, they have learned to trust the Lord. But now their faith is being tested to the limit. I get calls from some who are soon to lose everything. I can't just give these people a pep talk and a few Scriptures and ask them to cheer up. I am not suffering the way they are. I still get paid, and I am not in danger of losing my home. I ask you, please, hear my heart as I say this: The time is not far away before we all will be deeply affected by the economic flood coming to the whole world. Great trials are ahead for all of us who deeply love the Lord. Here is what I am led to do by the Holy Spirit. I ask it of my family, all of whom work with the church body. I urge you to pray to see if the Lord is leading you to do the same: No more buying of luxuries. Cut all spending except absolute necessities. Sell every unneeded item. Turn it to cash and give it to ministries to the poor and needy. Downsize as much as possible. Be willing to let it all come to this: "Having food and raiment [covering], let us be therewith content" (1 Timothy 6:8). Build up your faith by reminding the Lord daily of his promises: "The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever" (Psalm 29:10). "In thee, O Lord, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness" (Psalm 31:1).
In Christ, David Wilkerson

Rosh Ha Shannah Tishri 1, 5769 or Sept. 29, 2008

This report is for those who would like to observe God's Holidays. This has absolutely nothing to do with the Law; this has everything to do with the Holidays God has given us to be observed. It is not complete, and if I tried to make it complete it would be more than most would want to read. So I do hope it wets your appetite. The Hebrew word Rosh means "head" or "Beginning" Ha means "the" and Shannah means "year". It's only used once in the Tenach "Old Testament" Ezekiel 40:1 says, "in the beginning of the year" in the Hebrew it says Rosh Ha Shannah. The more common Biblical name is "Feast of Trumpets." Lev.23:23-25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, In the seventh month in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord. Rosh Hashannah is considered the Jewish New Year, but it comes on the seventh month on the first day. In the Jewish world it is considered the birthday of the world. If you count from the first day of Elul (the 6^th month) until the 1^st day of Tishri (7^th month) which is Rosh Ha Shannah you will have counted 30 days. Known as the 30 days of preparation ending with Yom Teruah, Yom in Hebrew is "day" Teruah means "Trumpets" so it's the day of sounding the trumpets, or known today as Rosh Ha Shannah. If I haven't lost you yet, you are doing well, don't let this get to complicated, because it will come to you in time. Now lets go on…. Rosh Hashannah is the Spiritual New Year, not the regular new year, for it would come on the first day of Nisan, the first month on the Jewish calendar. Much like the 6 days of creation, the 7^th day is the Sabbath. The same is true with the first 6 months and the 7^th month being a Sabbath, and the 1^st day of the 7^th month is Rosh Ha Shannah, the spiritual New Year. Recognized in Israel and the Jewish world as the New Year. Rosh Ha Shannah is the beginning of the ten days called High Holy Days or "Days of Awe" They are also called the Days of Repentance, Days of Admitting, Days of Returning. These ten days end with the Day of Atonement, "Yom Kippur" It's interesting living in Israel during these ten days of repentance, everyone you know will most likely call you and make sure everything is all right with you and them. They will ask you to forgive them for anything they may have done during the year that may have offended you. There seems to be more nice people in Israel during these ten days.

Traditional Jewish Observance

In the Synagogue the Shofar (Trumpet) is blown daily to be sure that everyone knows that the time of Judgement is near. Most of the orthodox will take a water immersion called in Hebrew (tevilah mikveh) better known to you as baptism. It means that one has cleansed his ways. Or been separated unto a Priestly Ministry. This is what John the Baptist was calling the Jews to do, but with a Messianic meaning. Because of the meaning of repentance this day takes on a somber character, but with a hint of hope of God's forgiveness there is room for a festive meal. It is the custom to serve a fish cooked with its head. Placed in front of the father. It shows that he has been ordained by God to be the head of the family. It is also a time to test the first fruits of the new harvest. Find a fruit that gets ripe in your region and do not eat any until this meal. Make it an occasion for the family, they will enjoy it much more than if they have eaten it earlier. Make the meal even more interesting by blowing a shofar, or trumpet, you don't have to be a professional to do this. In the Synagogue there are four different notes blown, tekia (blast) shevarim (broken notes), teruah (alarm) and tekia gedolah (the big blast). In Biblical times the Shofar was blown to Hail the King, on this day it's said that all Israel is said to be before the King in anticipation of personal judgement. It's customary for slices of apple to be dipped into honey, this is in hope that the coming new year will be a sweet one. After dipping the apple in honey, the Father says a special prayer. Instead of the regular twisted loaves of bread, the challah, for this meal you have round bread, symbolic of our desire for a full and round year. If you bake your own bread, save a little dough and form a small latter on the top of the loaf. Showing that your prayers are for God Who sets on high, that when we pray we are not just talking to each other, but to God through the Person of Yeshua our Messiah. When the meal is over and the grace has been said, (the Jewish way and biblical way is to say grace after you've eaten) then read the story of Abraham and Isaac Gen. 22:1-14. Talk about God's provision of a ram to be sacrificed in Isaac's place. A living picture of what was to come in His greater gift to us "Yeshua" Jesus.

TASHLICH

"Thou shalt cast unto the sea"

Tashlich, on the afternoon of Rosh Ha Shannah it is traditional to go to a river or a body of water. This Hebrew word Tashlich means "thou shalt cast unto the sea". Bring your kids to the lake, river, sea, or any body of water. Make sure they wear cloths with plenty of pockets, and fill them with pebbles or small stones. Throw the rocks into the water each time designate each rock with a sin. Each time asking God to forgive you of that sin in your life. Micah 7:19 and thou shalt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. And see how far you can throw each stone Ps. 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.It almost always happens that a child will find a very pretty stone that they want to keep, and it will give you a wonderful opportunity to talk about the sins we seem to like, but must cast off as well. It is a great family experience. For the child it opens the door for the Holy Spirit to do a work. Much like when you introduce another to Yeshua and open the door for the Holy Spirit (Rauch Ha Kodesh) to do a work in their life.There are many special foods for this day, and I could go on and on, but I will close this article with this. The Holidays that God has given us are real and pure, not pagan like so many celebrated in the Church today, like Christmas, Easter, Good Friday etc, etc. Try this one, you will love it, your kids will be brought closer to God because you did. Shalom, jerry golden

Mission update: Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Shalom in Yeshua Messiah

Praise Yahweh he is so good & will NEVER forsake nor Forget His Faithful.

I just finished paying all of September bills as well as a few of the October ones that are already in. I also have the funds to get eggs tomorrow as I only have six dozen there to start the day. Last Tuesday I made fourteen food boxes and the supplies are nearly gone. I can make about four boxes today but then I will only be able to give out bread and jelly. We won't go to the food bank again until Ipay for what we already got. The bill is 286 something and that account is down under a hundred.

Next week will be time for the newsletter and the price for that has sky rocketed. last month it cost 388 an some change to get it printed and mailed out to you.

I must close for now it is very early/late an I have lots to do. Besides feeding today our oldest son will be getting Married Saturday at 7pm and I am Blessed with overseeing all the arrangements for that.

We must stay on track and KEEP doing as Yahweh provides. HE WILL SUPPLY all the needs we must have FAITH AND BELIEVE!

enough said you know the drill keep us in prayer as we do you have a very blessed week and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

love sisterlinda/Messiah's Branch

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

Mark 9:23,10:27

 Y " THE Truth will set you FREE" Y

 

 

 

 

Prison Weekly Elul 20, 5768

 

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The Hebrew month is Elul these

 Parashahs are for Shabbat Elul 20, 5768

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The Torah Parashahs HaShavuah Ki Tavo "When you enter in "

Deuteronomy 26:1-29:9 Haftarah Isaiah 60:1-22 & Brit Hadasha Romans 11:1-15

Next weeks Parashahs are Torah Nitsavim " you are standing " / Va Yelech "And he went" Deuteronomy 29:9-31:30 Haftarah Isaiah 61:10-63:9 Brit Hadasha Romans 10:1-13 & Hosea 14:2-10

Connecting to Above

On the day you pass over the Jordan to the land which God, your God gives to you, set up large stones and plaster them. Write upon them all the words of this law, once you have passed over. In order to for you to enter the land flowing with milk and honey which God, your God, and the God of your fathers gives to you, as He promised. (Devarim 21:10- 12) On one hand, it is perfectly understandable that the Jewish people had to perform this mitzvah on their entry into Eretz Yisroel. It was a good way of bringing the Torah experience of the desert into Eretz Yisroel as well. On the other hand, it was a somewhat unusual request, and therefore, at least symbolically, it must have something to say about living in Eretz Yisroel as well.If yes, then what? Everything in the physical world is also a parable with which to better understand the spiritual world, which is invisible to the eye. By understanding how the physical world functions, we can also understand how the spiritual world works, because the former is a function of the latter. Everything down here has "grown" from "roots" that exist up there. Hence, as technology advances, so does our understanding of the spiritual world. For example, wireless technology¹ is a rather new invention that as created all kinds of new possibilities that didn't exist even just 15 years ago. We take it for granted now, but 15 years ago, the idea of going on line, without actually being physically attached to a modem, seemed too futuristic to the average person. The advantage of going wireless is obvious. With less wires attached to your computer, your work area becomes less cluttered. More importantly, you can sit in the middle of some public area, like at an airport for example, and maintain contact with your server without actually physically hooking up to any device. It allows for work to be done while on the road, which can amount to a lot of time saved, and money made.

The disadvantage of being wireless is also obvious. The signal can only maintain its strength for a specific distance. As you move further away from the source of the signal, it weakens, and therefore, so does one's connection to the Net. He might even lose the signal from time-to-time, or it might get bumped off by a competing signal, all problems that do not exist when one is physically attached to a modem. What can we learn from this to better relate to the spiritual world? Obviously, the "signal" in this case is the light of God, the information and understanding necessary to stay on course in life. Even more obvious is the Source of the signal, God Himself, and the stronger the signal, the more plugged-in we are to God, and His reality. The easier it is to stay spiritually online. To learn Torah and to perform mitzvos for the right reasons is to be directlyplugged in to God. As the Leshem points out, the letters and words of the Torah are conduits for the light of God, and by looking at them, and by learning their meaning, we channel God's light towards us. The deeper the level on which Torah is learned, the more this is true.
Likewise, when a person performs a mitzvah as a mitzvah, the action of the mitzvah itself creates a direct connection between God and the person. For the duration of the mitzvah, Ohr Ain Sof flows to the person, and this is the sense of elevation a person feels as a result of the mitzvah, the sense of Godliness he inherits. It is also the reason why "the reward of a mitzvah is another mitzvah" (Pirkei Avos 4:2): the first mitzvah brings the light that inspires a person to do the second mitzvah. However, in-between learning Torah and performing specific mitzvos, when a person takes care of the necessary but mundane matters of everyday life, it is like being "al chutie" (Hebrew for wireless). At such times, it is possible to maintain a decent signal and remain on line with God, but it is also possible to move too far away, by getting involved in aspects of life that really don't keep one focused on God, or at least on what is meaningful in life. With such a weak spiritual connection, it is possible to lose it altogether, or to get bumped off God's network by another signal, of which there are many in this world. Such foreign signals, given out by false realities, can draw a person further away from God, until God's signal is not only too distant from the person to be picked up, it is history. Kabbalistically, this is symbolized in the following way. The Ten Sefiros — Keser, Chochmah, Binah, Chesed, Gevurah, Tifferes, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchus, act as the spiritual conduit through which God filters His light down to us. They, in turn, correspond to the four letters of God's Ineffable Name, as follows: the Yud corresponds to Chochmah, but the pointed top of the Yud corresponds to Keser above it. The first Heh corresponds to Binah, followed by the Vav, which corresponds to the six sefiros from Chesed through Yesod. The final Heh corresponds to Malchus, the world in which we live.In the ideal situation, such as during times of redemption, all letters are attached to one another, and light flows uninterrupted from the Keser to the Malchus, vis-à-vis the eight sefiros in-between, though it is filtered as it goes from level-to-level. However, during times of exile, which are the result of sins, which cause a person to move away from God, the final Heh is said to be pushed away from the upper three letters. It no longer receives its signal directly, but rather, long distance; it becomes wireless, so-to-speak.

The effect of this spiritual breakdown on the world is, well, take a look around you. The inherent lack of Godliness in the world today is due to the fact that final Heh of God's Name has been pushed away, due to the constant sinning in the world. If it moves to its most extreme limit away from the rest of the letters, past which point it would be completely devoid of Godly light, Heaven usually steps in to remedy the situation, and it is not usually a pleasant time of history. Therefore, we want to return the Heh to its proper place before God steps in. This is the concept of teshuvah, which is spelled: Tav-Shin-Vav-Bais-Heh, and which can be read, tshuv-Heh, which means, "return the Heh." Repenting is like going back on line with God, in a very direct manner, which has the effect of drawing the Heh closer to the rest of the four letters of God's Name, until it is finally attached.
That is called "redemption," which can happen on the level of the individual, as well as on the level of the nation. Doing that which enhances one's reception of the Divine signal is the basis of returning the Heh to the rest of the letters, which is tantamount to sanctifying God's Name, and being a light unto the nations. It is, in essence, the service of the Jew while in this world. This is why we have six constant mitzvos — Know there is a God, Don't believe in other gods, God is one, Love God, Fear God, and Don't be misled by your heart and eyes — which should be evident from our lives whether we are focused on them or not. They are mitzvos necessary to build an environment around a Jew to such an extent that he can never really be too
wireless, too far away to receive the signal of God. When one's life is an expression of these mitzvos, so that all he does reflects his devotion to the fulfillment of them, he remains attached to God, even in the most spiritually void places. And, this is why Eretz Yisroel is so important to the Jew as well. Just as it is important, when working wireless, to stay as close to the source of the signal as possible, living in Eretz Yisroel is exactly that for the Jew. Whatever complaints Jews have about Eretz Yisroel today, and whatever claims they make about living on a higher level in Chutz L'Aretz, they cannot dispute the reality that all the light that God sends to this world descends first over the Kosel HaMa'aravi — the Western Wall — before going out to the rest of the world (Sha'arei Leshem, p. 87). And yes, it does get weaker as it moves out from that point to the rest of the world, not because God can't maintain the strong signal, but because He chooses not to, in order to distinguish one level of holiness from another (Nefesh HaChaim, 3:6). No matter how hard one tries to create a holy environment in the Diaspora, it can never equal what he could have created had he made the same effort in Eretz Yisroel. That is why many secular Jews in Eretz Yisroel tend to be more extreme in their secularism than many of their Diaspora counterparts. If you want to leave the earth's gravitational force, you have to have strong engines to do so. If one wants to leave the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel, one has to be more extreme in one's secularism. Indeed, the extent to which secular Jews in Eretz Yisroel go to shun their three millennia heritage only testifies to just how strong it is in the Holy Land. When I first returned to Israel, I was totally secular. In fact, I was only there because I had heard that travel was cheaper there than in Europe. However, shortly after landing there, I felt very strange, and it began to annoy me. And, though going to Eilat made me forget about it for the time being, returning back to Jerusalem only made it more intense. With each passing day in Jerusalem, the feeling became even stronger, until I found myself running away, not just from Jerusalem, but from Israel altogether.Yet, the moment my Olympia Airlines flight took off from Ben Gurion airport, I felt a strange reversal, even a sense of lack as the plane moved further away. I even heard a voice inside me say, "I'll be back here some time soon." At that time, I couldn't have known just how soon, but over the next year, due to a series of events, I began to attend Torah classes, and gradually, I became more observant. About six months later, I couldn't get enough learning fast enough, and by the following year, I knew that I had to go to yeshivah, preferably in Israel. So, I dropped everything else I was doing, and headed for the Holy Land. Amazingly, after landing and heading for Jerusalem, I had the same intense feeling, but this time, it was welcoming. This time it greeted me, and this time it made me feel perfectly at home, because this time, I didn't resist it. Rather, I embraced it, because it made me feel even more Jewish than back in the Diaspora, even closer to God. That's when I realized that the previous year, it had been annoying because, at that time, I had wanted to go in the opposite direction. Now, thank God, I was free to go with the Godly flow, and I loved it. Thus, for the Jew who acquiesces to the kedusha of Eretz Yisroel, what our parsha is telling us, it is like attaching oneself to the Source of life itself.One not only survives spiritually, one thrives spiritually. And, at the end of the day, and at the end of one's life, that is all that really counts. It is certainly what the Bais Din Shel L'Ma'ala — the Heavenly Court — is going to be checking out on this Rosh Hashanah, and throughout the Aseres Yemai Teshuva — the Ten Days of Repentance.
1.Obviously wireless technology has existed for some time, in the form of two-way radios, etc. Here I refer to recent developments in the technology that has allowed for such devices as cell phones, wireless modems, etc., — and at more affordable rates — all of which has greatly enhanced, technologically-speaking, the quality of life of the average consumer.

Perceptions, Copyright © 2008 by Rabbi Pinchas Winston and ^Torah.org.

Parshas Ki Tavo "when you enter in" The Power of One Word

Time was running out for Moses, and as the Jewish people massed on the east bank of the Jordan River on the threshold of the Promised Land, he issued his final instructions. Immediately after crossing the river under the leadership of Joshua, there was to be a solemn gathering of all the people in the valley bordered by Mount Gerizim and Mount Eival, which formed a natural amphitheater. Half the tribes were to take positions on one slope and half on the other. The tribe of Levi was to deploy in the lowlands in the center around the Holy Ark. The Levites were to pronounce the twelve cardinal tenets which determine blessing and accursedness, and the people massed on the mountainsides were to respond with a resounding, "Amen!" Forty years had passed since the Jewish people had received the Torah at Mount Sinai, forty years under the guidance of Moses, the greatest prophet who ever lived. Why then wasn't this special pledge of allegiance to the Creator and His Torah taken at some time during Moses's tenure as the leader of the Jewish people? Why leave it to his successor? Furthermore, why was the pledge encapsulated in the single word "Amen"? Why wasn't each and every individual required to make an explicit statement of allegiance of his own? Let us reflect for a moment on this mysterious word - Amen. What exactly does it mean and what does it signify? The Talmud tells us that the one who answers Amen is greater than the one who makes the blessing. Why is this so? What gives this one word its extraordinary power? The commentators explain that the word Amen is related to the word emunah, faith. The person who makes a blessing over a delicious fruit, for instance, is poised to enjoy this wonderful pleasure, and naturally, he expresses his gratitude to the Creator of all things. A person who makes a blessing under other circumstances, such as the performance of a mitzvah, expresses an intellectual appreciation for the capacity of a mitzvah to reinforce the relationship between a human being and his Creator. The one who answers Amen, however, is not acknowledging the bounty of the Creator out of gratitude, nor is he communicating his appreciation on an intellectual level. Rather, he is grasping the occasions that warrant blessing to express himself to Hashem in terms of a pure faith unrestricted by the limits of his gratitude or the boundaries of his intellect. His connection with the Almighty transcends the human condition entirely and derives directly from the absolute spirituality of the divine spark in the human soul. It is a total sublimation of the self in the Infinite. This connection as expressed by the single word Amen, explains the Talmud, is far greater than the blessing itself. With this in mind, we can gain new insight into the purpose and tone of the solemn gathering on Mount Eival and Mount Gerizim. During their years in the desert, the Jewish people had existed in a celestial oasis, fed by manna from heaven and guarded by pillars of cloud and fire. Their faith, instead of being much tested, was continuously reinforced by the miracles which characterized their everyday lives. But now the situation was about to change drastically. Once they crossed into the Promised Land, they would have to engage the physical world in the conventional manner. They would till the soil, ply the seas and frequent the marketplaces. No longer would they walk on a cushion of miracles. In this new environment, they would need a new and powerful infusion of faith and allegiance. And the most effective, powerful, soulcharging expression of faith would be the thunderous declaration of "Amen!" A king wanted to test the loyalty of two of his ministers. "What will you do for me?" he asked the first minister. "For you, your majesty," said the first minister, "I would move heaven and earth. I would battle your enemies and bring you vast riches. I would build you palaces in every city and I would provide food and entertainment from morning until night." "And you?" said the king to the second minister. "What would you do for me?" "Absolutely anything you wish," he replied. The king beamed. "You, my good minister, are a truly loyal servant." In our own lives, we also find ourselves between a spiritual oasis and the teeming world of affairs. On the Sabbath, we enjoy the wonderful tranquillity of being totally removed from the cares and concerns of mundane living, the soul-satisfying rewards of Torah study, meditation, introspection and uninterruptable family time. But when these sylvan hours pass, we once again face the challenges of the workplace and the world, and we must once again fortify ourselves with a reaffirmation of our faith. The formula is not complex. It is simple, short and powerful. One word. Amen. Text Copyright © 2006 by Rabbi Naftali Reich and ^Torah.org.

Mission Updates:

2 Corinthians 9:6 6But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: 9(As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. 10Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) 11Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 12For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God;13Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; 14And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. 15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Greetings Saints in His Perfect Peace, I have prayed and asked my Father if it is now time to stop doing what we do, with until this last month progress just keep being made forward. More donations had picked up over the summer but not near the level when we moved into this new building which mom says I said over 2 years and it really is over a year. We got the building in Feb. 2007. Each month then we from what I will call main supporters donated at least $1,000 a month along with others that just as importantly donated from $10 to up to a $1,000. This paid for the work on the building and was an answer as to if we should restore this building that was ready for the bulldozer, really it even had a no occupancy sticker on the door. As the gas prices have grown, the donations have slowed way down while the number of people coming in for help are larger. August donations were way down and they have not picked up much, bills doubled and we have shut off's for September 16th which is tomorrow. For one that means for the storage house/office we lose 3 freezers that has food in them, and no office so no net, no radio, etc. As I prayed I asked if I were supposed to stop and I have not gotten the word to stop and he told me to start back in June of 2000. I do not know how I will go on but people need my help I was told to help them and I will. Many people say that if your mission is of The Father it will not fail, well the Word tells us to expect all forms of persecution and this is one of them, as well as mini-van not yet fixed, no defroster/heater in my daughter's car. I drove the bus how which takes twice as much gas but Thank the Father for it without it I am about a foot. He will pull us out of this and you know the funny thing? People donated when other people donate, if they think you are doing bad, well most wait till others do let's say. Yes I thank all the people that are helping me right now as I have been getting enough to buy gas and some shoes etc. Without those donations I would be stuck in the yard. We also need money to buy some things for food boxes, mom has a separate account for that if you scroll down it says Support Online to Donate food……So tonight please lift us in prayer as tomorrow is critical……….and I am just thankful for being able to serve….

The LORD bless thee and keep thee;The LORD make His face shine upon thee,
and be gracious unto thee;The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee,
and give thee shalom. (peace)Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:24-26

In Yeshua's Name, Bro. Dan, Pastor of Messiah's Branch

Daniel 12:1-2 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. Haggai 2:6-7 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
Shalom in Yeshua Messiah, Well I got the electric and the insurance bills paid "Praise Yahweh." I still have close to seven hundred in bills that need paid for September. I need to stock the Mission which means a run to Sams and that is usually around two hundred. We need clothing the clothes room is near empty. We were blessed with several bags of socks to pass out Tuesday and about half were given out. We need warm things for the people it is dropping into the fifties at night and before long it will be in the forties. I thank Yahweh nearly everyday for my nice warm bed that's LONG over due for replacement mattresses but hey I have a bed and I'm warm amen. This week will be an exciting week as we look forward to our oldest son Daniel and his bride Tonia's wedding celebration on the 27th. Invitations will go out today for those close to our family. Their wedding with a small reception will be held at the Mission then our family will join together for a BBQ in Florence at the close of the Sabbath. Thank you all who join us in doing these works! We ask that you seek Yahweh and ask Him if you are to help in any way be lead by HIM!

"DO HIS WILL & HIS WORKS"

We Love you sisterlinda & family

 

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

    Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

&Mark 9:23,10:27

" THE Truth will set you FREE"  Y

 

Prison Weekly Sabbath Elul 13, 5768

The Hebrew month is Elul These Parashahs HaShavuah are for Sabbath Elul 13, 5768

Torah Parashahs HaShavuah Ki Tetse " When you Go out " Deuteronomy 21:10- 25:19

Haftarah Isaiah 54:1-10 & Brit Hadasha Luke 20:27-38

Next Weeks Readings are Torah Ki Tavo "When you enter in "

Haftarah Isaiah 60:1-22 & Brit Hadasha Romans 11:1-15

 

Topics in this week's portion include: Women Captives, First-Born's Share, The Rebellious Son, Hanging and Burial, Returning Lost Articles, The Fallen Animal, Transvestitism, The Bird's Nest, Guard-Rails, Mixed Agriculture, Forbidden Combinations, Bound Tassels, Defamed Wife, Penalty for Adultery, Betrothed Maiden, Rape, Unmarried Girl, Mutilated Genitals, Mamzer, Ammonites & Moabites, Edomites & Egyptians, The Army Camp, Sheltering Slaves, Prostitution, Deducted Interest, Keeping Vows, Worker in a Vineyard, Field Worker, Divorce and Remarriage, New Bridegroom, Kidnapping, Leprosy, Security for Loans, Paying Wages on Time, Testimony of Close Relatives, Widows and Orphans, Forgotten Sheaves, Leftover Fruit, Flogging, The Childless Brother-in-Law, Weights and Measures, Remembering What Amalek Did to Us.

Dvar Torah
based on Growth Through Torah by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin

The Torah commands us to assist others physically in their time of need:

"You shall not see the donkey or the ox of your brother stumble on the way and hide yourself from them. Rather, you shall lift them up with him" (Deut. 22:4).

Why does the Torah specify the words "with him"?

The Sages clarify in the Talmud that if a person who needs help tells you, "I'm going to rest right now. You have a mitzvah to help me, so help me all by yourself," then you are not obligated to help him for the Torah states "with him." You need not allow someone to take advantage of you just because you want to do kindness and he is lazy.

It is important to understand the Torah's definition of what constitutes being taken advantage of. If a person always refuses to lend you his things, but then one day he comes to request that you lend him something, what is your obligation? Here the Torah position is very clear that you are obligated to help him and to refuse is a violation of the commandment, "Do not take revenge" (Leviticus 19:18). What is the difference between this and the above?

The principle is that whenever a person sincerely needs your help you should help him - even if he does not reciprocate by helping you in return. This is true even if he will never help you. As a matter of fact, the highest level of kindness, chesed shel emes (true kindness), is to do a kindness when you know you will receive nothing in return. (Preparing a person for burial and burying him is the usual example; there is no way the individual can return the kindness.)

Therefore, if a person has a valid reason that he is unable to work with you, then you should help him in any event - and focus on the pleasure of helping without any resentment! by Rabbi Kalman Packouz

Mission Updates:

Greetings Saints, Just a short note of clarification or new update since have been blessed by being able to get into the food bank and to answer some questions to new people on our lists. We have been giving the people more snacks and things to drink like being able to give them energy drinks or canned tea to go or with their meals. It has been a blessing to be able to give them even 6 packs to go. We have been putting things like peanuts on the table things that are normal to us but a real blessing to the people. Also we have gotten meat to put on sandwiches and really I do not know what all, but it has been a blessing. The food-bank does have some things for food boxes we buy and mom went to aldi's to make up the rest. We had not been able to give out food boxes until we go into the food bank and now they are made up as they are asked for. No I do not know how many but as I am not Kitchen help, yuk yuk....but I did see them make up to 4 at once the other day for people waiting. We also had the question come up to us where we got money to buy food? Okay we have three sources for funding; Our mail out newsletter, people who read about us on the net, a few people, very few in Wichita or very close, and people who listen to us on radio. Some people as far away as say the Netherlands has donated funds. Sometimes we have money donated for certain reasons like the awning out back, that $1,000 is still in what we call the building account waiting on the blueprint to be bought off. Sometimes money is donated to the food account for food and that is separate, mostly people donate and leave it to our judgment. Sometimes people send us boxes of things like coats, blankets, clothing, toiletries, etc. More than once I have woke up to my yard full of boxes of this or that. How long have we been doing this, okay we have been feeding the people since June of 2000, and I have been an ordained minister for many years. Mission updates, PNS, and the mail out newsletter is how we put the ministry needs out this is how we keep in touch with supporters or others that want to know what is up, oh yes also radio which brings in much of our support, speaking of which radio needs paid. Anyway I pray this helps you new people and those that are curious about the foodbank since we got in as I do not think I have spoken much about it. We are very thankful to the Christians who helped us get into the food bank. Right now I am praying in support and blankets because it looks like the temperatures outside will drop before the over-flow shelters open so I need to get caught up on bills and have something for the people to sleep on because if they are not open when it get's below 39% at night I will open, the Good Lord Yeshua willing.... In His Perfect Peace, PD

Praise the Lord Yeshua We found the last thing needed for the walk in cooler, the hinges and lapse. Cost the woman that work's at ABC restaurant supply said $100. So we really need to pray this in as she called me and is wanting me to come over Friday. The electric guy was supposed to do the final fix Wed or Thursday, I will find out when I get there. This will allow us to do things like buy eggs when they are on sale like 200 dozen at once. So please lift this to prayer, also the people that wait on us are getting wet I can buy temepory awnings for the tables outs side at $100 a peace. This will work until they buy off our blue print... Lift these things to prayer Well got to go radio time..Shalom, PD

Greetings, Today as I have just a short time before radio today, I thought I would write and update. Think for a moment that what would happen if you became disabled, also add that you are an American barely making it or just out of poverty. The First thing that happens is you lose your job of course, then for most people if they had medical at all you would lose this. If you do not have a wife and children or just children then no help from welfare, maybe some food stamps.Very soon your bank account if you had any money in it is gone, with no way to pay rent and soon you are homeless. Now think about that, maybe with a terrible disk problem or some other reason you have no way to see a doctor other than the emergency room or a free clinic. When you become mental and most do from living homeless than you can get some help from a mental agency. In this age generally family and friends drift away from you. You go to social security only to find that you must have a doctor saying you cannot work, most free clinic will not jump in and say you cannot work so somehow you have to find a doctor.In Wichita if you are a woman there is no shelter for you, some beds are there but very few and they are full most of the time. Men can go to an overcrowded rescue mission that has 69 beds and the rest get floor space. This even get's full and if you do get in it is very easy to be kicked out for things such as forgetting to turn in your insulin or other medications when you come in. Some very hard rules and it takes a lot to live in this place. Very hard and very scary place to most people, yes it is dangerous.Many men chose to just live outside, or have to due to no room or being kicked out, women have no choices really it is then prostitute yourself or live under the bride or shack up with anyone who will give you a place to sleep, really!

Finally you somehow get a doctor and a letter for social security. Only to find they can take up to 3 to 4 years to go all the way through the process. And for get back pay you get only two year's worth and not all at once, welfare gets what if any they spent on first, then the attorney, so you might get a small amount of back pay.But what have you turned into? Many once hitting the streets that are disabled turn to drugs and alcohol in order to deal with their lives and by the time they do get money they are generally unable to then handle it after being the street 3 to 4 years…If you are going to help a homeless person get out of the street you need to get them with in the first 3-6 months before they get into the circle of disaster. Better yet we need programs like welfare used to help before a person is kicked to the curb.So they act different than you or I and some live in delusions, but would you know in given the same circumstances?And you do not have to be disabled to get stuck in the street, loose your job, loose your home or rental, car insurance goes un paid, lose your car and then you are in big trouble as no transportation to a job. Try going to look for a job with no clean clothing and your address is the Douglas Bridge.Anyway at the bottom I am going to post a short article that inspired me to write this one. The people we help many are disabled, some are not, some are women, so many cry to me about having lost their children because they lost their job….terrible. They come to me looking for blankets, coats, toiletries, and prayers among other things. They are in such despair..We need your help to stay open, last months bills mostly are unpaid and this month's are in, I have electric doubled and they will send shut off's after the 16^{th of this month! So please lift this to prayer and we need to do the Work The Lord Yeshua placed us in. And if you read your Bibles it is a book about great persecution for your faith, the closer you get to doing the right thing the harder the world fights against you because you are not part of this world. The Word Church means " called out ones" we are called out of this world and made different. We suffer this world so we gain the next and eternal life with Yeshua.Really we need bailed out, I believe if you really pray and ask The Father about it, he will lead you into supporting what we do, without your kind donations we will cease to exist.}

Thank all of you so much! In His perfect peace, Pastor Dan

Sunday, Aug. 3, 2008

Sick and homeless, man gets SSI benefits Days before dying By ^{Bryan Denson}

The Oregonian

Bobby Rutherford was a casualty of Social Security's other disability program. The native Oklahoman, homeless and mentally ill, was one of the roughly 1 million people who apply each year for Social Security's Supplemental Security Income. Those benefits, known as SSI, provide 5.4 million aged, blind or otherwise disabled adults an average of $493 a month. Beneficiaries of that program -- separate from the Social Security Disability Insurance program that American workers pay into paycheck by paycheck -- come from a swelling underclass of citizens too disabled to start or keep a job. Money of any kind would have greatly helped Rutherford, who had lifelong trouble holding a job. In 1970, when he was 22, the Marine Corps discharged him after diagnosing him with a "character and behavior disorder." Later diagnoses included schizoaffective disorder, hepatitis C, depression, anxiety and alcoholism. Rutherford lost jobs as a laborer and construction flagger because of his delusions and heavy drinking, says longtime girlfriend Debbie Williams. He was sick and penniless by the time he moved into the Klamath Falls Gospel Mission. He applied for disability benefits in January 2005, but Social Security denied his claims time and again. Then, in October 2006, one of the agency's administrative law judges ruled that Rutherford had been disabled since June 2004.

Rutherford had been sober for more than a year. But hepatitis savaged his liver. He was pale and losing weight. Still, he was thrilled when his first SSI check reached the mission Dec. 18, 2006, says Beverly Leigh, a homeless advocate who befriended him. He hoped the $545.50 check -- and the $13,248.88 in unpaid benefits heading his way -- would move him into an apartment of his own and help him get treatment for his hepatitis, Leigh says. But four days after his check arrived, a friend found Rutherford dead in his Gospel Mission bed. He was 58. Social Security officials identified no next of kin to whom to award his benefits. The agency kept his money. Do you have a story about dealing with the Social Security disability system? We'd like to hear from you by e-mail at ^{disability@news.oregonian.com or by phone at 503-294-5013. This two-part series is the first installment of an ongoing investigation by The Oregonian into Social Security's unprecedented backlog of disability claims.}

 

Greetings, Today I am in thought about all the various things that could happen if it is on the Father's timetable. I have been warning of these things for some years and now it amazes how so many think or act as if this is new information. Then I see people trying to first save their lives without first looking at their spiritual lives. Below I posted something from Isaiah, it is about why this is coming, but alas most people do not even know what the everlasting covenant is or what The Father's laws are..... I know the Father will deliver us as He always has, I still am trying to work while their is still light while so many are worried about themselves we are called to worry about others that lack salvation as well as physical need, you see that is the Father's work not hiding our lights under baskets where no man can see it and the light goes out. I know some of you are called to help so I ask you to really take this ministry to prayer as we indeed need your help. So many people have it in their heads if you do not have all the money you need for the ministry then you must be not doing His will. But The Word of The Father says that we are to be under persecution as His son Yeshua was, or even more so. No servant is greater than His master so I will work until I have no more breath or until He comes. Lift us in prayer and help if you can, In His Perfect Peace, PD

Isaiah 24:3 The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. 4The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. 5The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. 7The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. 8The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. 9They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. 10The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. 11There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. 12In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

Hi Pastor Dan and all, I needed to tell you what the Lord did for me during the fast and prayer days. First of all He filled me up with so much joy i was about to explode. For many days. Gustav was coming, and i also prayed for people to know if they should leave or not for that. During that time, the Lord reminded me to buy a giant bag of cat food for the wild cats that i feed.
It was during the Gustav weather, that i realized that He had led me to do this, and because of that , i knew that He was with me, and that He was letting me know that i would be here till next month when cat food time was here again. It is really simple and sounds silly. But, that is how the Lord let me know, also thru the joy, that i would be ok. And i also feel that i do not have to worry about any more hurricanes coming this month. I want to thank you for calling for the fast and prayer time. It was a great blessing for me, in every way. Sept first was also my birthday, i am 60 now. I think it was because i was thinking of someone besides myself that He did this for me.
God bless you, Name with-held by PD
^{Philippians 2:10,11 That at the name of Yeshua every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Yeshua Messiah is Lord, to the glory of Yahweh the Father. Colossians 3:23,24 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Messiah Yeshua.}

Shalom in Yeshua , First off let me say I'm sorry about not typing an update last week. I had planned on typing it before service but at the last minute we loaded the bus and went to see Ted Pierce play at Remenant of Israel. It was a wonderful concert I really enjoyed his music.
We managed to get the newsletter out on Tuesday so most of you should be recieving it by today. I've made several food boxes, we've averaged four ta five both days we're open everyweek. The food supplies for both the meals and boxes need replenished.
I haven't been able to pay many bills and I need 1000 just for the electric bills the shut offs are HERE and the turn OFF date is the 16th.
Together with all the other bills here now we need 1900 to get caught up and ready for October. I believe there may be a few more September bills come but they should be small ones.
Bless all of you who continue to support this ministry EVERY little bit helps. I believe if there is a need Yahweh will send what it takes to meet it. He will supply our EVERY need as these are HIS APPOINTED WORKS! HE WILL NEVER LEAVE NOR FAIL US! Will you be a part of HIS WORKS ?

We Love you Shabbat Shalom sisterlinda & family

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

    Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

&Mark 9:23,10:27

" THE Truth will set you FREE"  Y

 

FW: [bibletrivaweeklytorah] Prison weekly Sabbath Av 29, 5768

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

    Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

&Mark 9:23,10:27

" THE Truth will set you FREE"  Y

 

---

To: bibletrivaweeklytorah@yahoogroups.com
From: sisterlinda7@hotmail.com
Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:57:01 -0500
Subject: [bibletrivaweeklytorah] Prison weekly Sabbath Av 29, 5768

Shalom

The Hebrew month is Av These Parashahs HaShavuah are for Sabbath Av 29, 5768

Torah Re'eh "see" Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17

Haftarah Isaiah 54:11-55:5   Brit Hadasha 1 John 4:1-6

Next weeks Shoftim "Judges"

 Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9

 Haftarah Isaiah 51:12-52:12 Brit Hadasha 1 Corinithians 5:9-13

"Fortunate is a man who listens to Me, and sits by My doors every day, guarding the entrances of My house. Those who find Me have found life, and will obtain favor from Hashem. A sinner damages his soul; those who hate Me love death" (Mishlei 8:34- 36). Rabbenu Yonah z"l writes that the first two verses quoted here sing the praises of a person who devotes his time to Torah study. By contrast, those who hate the Torah, its teachings, and its ethics will have no peace in this world or the next. These lessons parallel the opening section of our parashah: "Behold I have placed before you a blessing and a curse." Later (in Parashat Nitzavim) the Torah elaborates: "Life and death I have placed before you, the blessing and the curse." Chazal teach that we are free to choose what we will-life/blessing or death/curse-but Hashem advises (Devarim 30:19), "Choose life so that you and your children may live." The choice described above is what the prophet Yirmiyah was referring to when he said (Eichah 3:38), "Good and bad do not come from the mouth of the One above." Rather, it is our choice. Therefore, (Eichah 3:39), "What can a person complain about, except each man over his own sins?" What should we do if we have sinned? Yirmiyah continues (3:40), "Let us search our ways and investigate, and return to Hashem." (Derashot U'perushei Rabbenu Yonah Al HaTorah)

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"And you shall eat your tithes before G-d, in the place where G-d will choose to rest His Name . . . , in order that you should learn to fear G-d all the days." (14:23)

R' Simcha Zissel Ziv z"l (the "Alter of Kelm"; died 1898) explains the end of this verse: This does not mean that one must fear G-d all of one's days; that goes without saying. Rather it means that one must learn more on each of his days about how to fear G-d. R' Chaim Friedlander z"l adds: This explains why one must "eat [his] tithes before G-d, in the place where G-d will choose to rest his Name," i.e., in Yerushalayim. Even though the Jews would pilgrimage to Yerushalayim three times a year for the holidays, the Torah wanted them to spend even more time in that holy and inspiring city. (Siftei Chaim)

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"If there shall be a destitute person among you . . . you shall not harden your heart or close your hand to your destitute brother. Rather, you shall surely open your hand . . ." (15:7-8)

R' Yitzchak Karo z"l (died 1535; uncle of R' Yosef Karo z"l) derives several lessons from these verses regarding how to give charity. First, why does the verse mention the heart? Doesn't the poor person need your hand, rather than your heart? He explains: When one is unable to give, he is often tempted to shut the door in the beggar's face. This is not proper. Even if your wallet is empty, open you heart and speak comforting words to the pauper. This, too, is charity. More generally, these words teach us to dispense charity with a smile. Why does the Torah use the seemingly redundant language: "[Y]ou shall not close your hand to your destitute brother. Rather, you shall surely open your hand"? R' Karo explains: Sometimes you may reach into your pocket and remove a larger coin (or bill) than you intended. Even in such a case, the Torah emphasizes through its double language, do not close your hand. If the pauper has seen the large coin that was in your hand, give it to him. (Toldot Yitzchak)

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"You shall make a holiday of Sukkot for yourself" (16:13)

R' Shlomo Halberstam shlita(the "Bobover Rebbe") notes that the root of the word "Sukkah" is the name for one of the forms of Ruach Hakodesh/Divine Inspiration, i.e., the ability to see that which is hidden (see Rashi to Bereishit 11:29). Thus, this verse may be read as a lesson that every person should set aside times ("make a holiday") devoted to introspection, i.e., seeing oneself. (Quoted in Sukkat Bet Ropshitz p.31) ******

"Shiv'ah D'nechemta"

The haftarot of the seven weeks following Tishah B'Av are known as the "Shiv'ah D'nechemta"/"The Seven of Consolation" This name derives from the fact that each of these haftarot promises that Hashem will console us after the terrible suffering that we have experienced in exile. R' Azaryah Figo z"l (Italy; 1579-1647) writes that the number seven is not random. He explains: Before Tishah B'Av, we read the haftarot known as the "Gimel D'puranuta"/"Three of Calamity." (The number three parallels the number of weeks between the Fasts of the 17th of Tammuz and Tishah B'Av.) Because we are taught that the measure of Hashem's good exceeds the measure of His retribution, therefore we double the number associated with calamity (i.e., three) when we read the haftarot of consolation. This results in six haftarot of consolation. As for the seventh haftarah, it is different in that it speaks of Bnei Yisrael's acceptance of the promised consolation.

In addition, R' Figo writes, each of the "Gimel D'puranuta" contains two calamities, and each of the six haftarot of consolation "undoes" one of them. The first haftarah after the 17th of Tammuz begins: "Divrei Yirmiyahu"/"The words of Jeremiah." Chazal teach that the verb "le'daber" (in contrast to "laimor") connotes harsh speech. Paralleling this is the haftarah of Va'etchanan, in which the prophet speaks gently, "Nachamu, nachamu"/"Be comforted! Be comforted!" Also, the first haftarah of calamity states: "See, I have appointed you [i.e., Yirmiyahu] this day . . . to uproot and to smash and to destroy and to raze." The haftarah for Eikev responds with verses such as: "Your spoilers and destroyers must depart from you" and "Hashem shall comfort Zion; He shall comfort all her ruins." The second haftarah of calamity rebukes Bnei Yisrael for distancing themselves from the Torah: "[E]ven those charged with teaching Torah did not know Me." The haftarah for Re'eh counters: "All your children will be students of Hashem." And, in response to the calamitous verse (from the second haftarah), "Is Israel a slave? . . . Why has he become prey?" the haftarah for Shoftim responds, "Wake up! Wake up! Don your strength . . . for no longer shall there enter into you any uncircumcised or contaminated person." While the haftarah of calamity speaks of Israel as a victim of oppressors, the haftarah of consolation speaks of Israel's strength and glory. Finally, the third haftarah of calamity informs us that Hashem will not accept our prayers because of our sins: "When you spread your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even if you were to increase prayer, I do not hear." The haftarah for Ki Tetze promises, however: "For but a slight moment I have forsaken you . . . With a slight wrath I have concealed My countenance." Also, while the third haftarah of calamity speaks of the punishment for misusing our wealth, the haftarah for Ki Tavo tells of the great riches that await us: "In place of copper I will bring gold; and in place of iron I will bring silver . . ." In the last haftarah, Bnei Yisrael accept these six consolations: "I will rejoice intensely with Hashem." (Binah La'ittim: Drush Aleph L'Shabbat Nachamu)

Sabbatical and Jubilee - Shemitah ve-Yovel

 

a) The Sabbatical Year

We are commanded to rest from working the land every seventh year and are forbidden to cultivate fields or trees during that year, as it says "And the land shall rest, a sabbath to Ha-Shem; [six years you shall sow your fields and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather its produce, and in the seventh year shall be a sabbath for the land, a sabbath to Ha-Shem]; you shall not sow your field and you shall not prune your vineyard"¹; and it says "In plowing time and harvest time you shall rest".² Types of agricultural work not mentioned in these verses are forbidden at most rabbinically.^a
Anything that grows during the seventh year can be eaten, as it says "And the sabbath of the land shall be for you to eat [for you and your slave and maidservant and your hired worker and the settler who lives with you and your animal and the wild beast in your land all its produce shall be to eat]".³ It is rabbinically forbidden to eat plants that are normally sown for cultivation unless they grow in a place that is not normally cultivated; but the fruit of trees and plants not normally sown can be eaten in any case. It is forbidden to harvest in the normal manner, as it says "You shall not reap a harvest of what grows by itself and you shall not gather the grapes of your untended vine; [it shall be a sabbatical year for the land]".⁴ All of these laws apply only in the land of Israel (and rabbinically in parts of Jordan and Syria; but everything that grows there is permitted, as is everything that grow s on land owned by a non-Jew even in the land of Israel).^b
We are commanded to abandon everything that the land produces in the seventh year so that all have equal rights in it, as it says"[Six years you shall sow your land and gather its produce;] and the seventh you shall release and abandon it and the poor of your people shall eat [and what they leave over the beast of the field shall eat; so too you shall do to your vineyard, to your olive]".⁵ This produce can be used only for normal eating, drinking and anointing, as well as for fuel or dye; it must not be destroyed or used for commercial purposes, but can be sold in small quantities to buy other food and the like. It can be eaten only as long as food of the same species is still to be found in the fields, as it says "And for your animal and the wild beast in your land all its produce shall be to eat"3 -- as long as a beast can eat it in the field one may eat it in one's house, but when it is finished for the beasts in the field one is required to clean it out of one's house.^c

We are commanded to abandon all outstanding loans at the end of the seventh year and are forbidden to claim them, as it says "At the end of seven years you shall make a release... everyone shall release his claim that he has against his friend; he shall not oppress his friend and his brother".⁶ This law applies in all lands; it applies rabbinically even when the Temple does not exist. It does not apply to loans on collateral or to loans registered in court, as it says "but abandon what you have with your brother"6 -- and not what a court can demand from him. It is forbidden to refrain from lending money before the seventh year for fear that it will not be possible to collect it, as it says "Take care lest an unworthy [thought] be in your heart, [namely that] the seventh year, the year of release, is near, and your eye be evil against your poor brother and you do not give him [a loan]...; you shall give to him and your heart sha ll not be sad in giving to him...".⁷,^d

 

 

b) The Jubilee Year

We are commanded to count seven times seven years and to sanctify the fiftieth year, as it says "And you shall count seven sabbaths of years, seven years seven times... and you shall sanctify the fiftieth year... it shall be a Jubilee for you".⁸ On the 10th of Tishrei of the Jubilee year we are commanded to blow a horn, as it says "And you shall pass a blowing horn in the seventh month on the tenth of the month; on the Day of Atonement you shall pass a horn throughout your land".⁸ The Jubilee year is exactly like the sabbatical year as regards cultivation [as it says "A Jubilee the fiftieth year shall be for you; you shall not sow and not harvest what grows by itself and not gather what is untended; for it is a Jubilee, it shall be holy for you, you shall eat its produce from the field"]⁹; but it does not require release of loans. The commandments involving the Jubilee year, including the laws of Jewish slaves, houses in walled cities, and land consecrated to the Temple or "devoted" to the priests, apply only when all of Israel dwells in the land of Israel.^e Land in the land of Israel must not be sold in perpetuity, as it says "And the land shall not be sold permanently".¹⁰ Land sold (or given away) for other than a fixed period of time can be bought back at any time after two years if the owner acquires the means, and in any case it reverts to the original owner at the beginning of the Jubilee year [as it says "In this Jubilee year you shall return each to his property.... by the number of years [to] the Jubilee you shall buy from your friend; by the number of years of crops he shall sell to you; if there are many years you shall increase the price; if there are few years, you shall diminish the price; for he is selling you [only] a number of crops"]¹¹; and it says "And in all the land of your possession you shall allow the land to be redeemed"¹²; [and it says "If your brother becomes poor and sells his property... and he finds the means to redeem it he shall compute the years of the sale and return the excess to the man to whom he sold it and return to his property; and if he does not find means enough to repay him his purchase shall be in the hands of its buyer until the Jubilee year and it shall be released in the Jubilee and he shall return to his property"]¹³; [and it says "In the jubilee year the field shall return to the one from whom he bought it, to the one whose property the land is"].¹⁴ But if the buyer improved it he must be paid for the improvements.^f If one sells a house in a walled city he must redeem it within a year; if he does not, it does not revert to him at the Jubilee year [as it says "And if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city its redemption shall be until a full year from its sale... but if it is not redeemed by the time a full year is completed the house in the walled city belongs to the buyer in perpetuity, to his generations; it does not go out at the Jubilee"].¹⁵ A house not in a walled city can be redeemed at any time, and if it is not redeemed it reverts to the original owner at the Jubilee [as it says "But houses in villages that have no wall around them shall be counted with the fields of the land; it can be redeemed and it goes out in the Jubilee"].¹⁶,^g The Levites were given 48 cities in the land of Israel [as it says "They shall give the Levites... cities to dwell in and pasture around the cities... the cities that you shall give to the Levites, 48 cities together with their pastures"].¹⁷ The pastures extend 3000 cubits outside the cities, as it says "[And the pastures of the cities that you shall give to the Levites] from the wall of the city and beyond a thousand cubits all around; and you shall measure from outside the city... two thousand cubits with the city in the middle} -- the first thousand for pasture; the two thousand that are measured beyond the pasture, for fields and vineyards. The pasture should not be used as a field nor the field as a pasture, as it says "And the field of the pasture of their cities shall not be sold".¹⁹ If a Levite (or the heir of a Levite) sells or consecrates any of this property he can redeem it at any t ime, even after the Jubilee year, as it says "The Levites shall have perpetual redemption".²⁰ The Levites have no other share in the land of Israel or in the spoils of its conquest, as it says "The priests and Levites, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance in Israel..."²¹; and it says "And Ha-Shem said to Aaron: You shall have no inheritance in their land and you shall have no portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance".²²,^h

Sources: 1. Lev. 25:2-4 a. 1:1,10  2. Ex. 34:21 b. 4:1-4,22,25-29 3. Lev. 25:6-7 c. 4:24; 5:1,17; 6:1; 7:1 4. Lev. 25:5 d. 9:1-4,14-15 5. Ex. 23:10-11 e. 10:1,8-10,15-16 6. Deut. 15:1-3 f. 10:16; 11:1-2,4-5,8-9,17,19 7. Deut. 15:9-10 g. 12:1,4,10 8. Lev. 25:8-10 h. 13:1-2,4,7-8,10 9. Lev. 25:11-12 10. Lev. 25:23 11. Lev. 25:13,15-16 12. Lev. 25:24 13. Lev. 25:25-28 14. Lev. 27:24 15. Lev. 25:29-30 16. Lev. 25:31 17. Num. 35:2,7 18. Num. 35:4-5 19. Lev. 25:34 20. Lev. 25:32 21. Deut. 18:1 22. Num. 18:20

Halacha Overview, Copyright © 2008 by Rabbi Dr. Azriel Rosenfeld and Torah.org. 

 

Joel 2:12 - Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:   

Shalom in Yeshau Messiah

Praise be to Yahweh for He is Good!

I haven't written for awhile so I thought I had better type ya a few words to let ya know what I been doin. I pretty much have the items I need to make about twenty maybe more food boxes. I still need to pick up a few things but I have the funds to. The garden has been puttin out tomatoes and cucumbers for every meal the past few weeks an the people love'm. I know Dan has been keepin you all updated so I wasn't worried about ya not hearin from me. LOL

 The newsletter should of went out but no funding for it yet. The bus needs tags taday they expire on Sunday. My car also expires but I dropped the insurance on it today because it over heats and needs to be taken to the dealership. I did have it inthe shop for ten days and they told me they couldn't find anything wrong with it but when I picked it up I drove twenty miles and it overheated so I drove it home and parked it. The mini van was done it ran about fifteen miles the had a loud pop and quite so I dropped the insurance on it today also and the tags expire Sunday.

 

Bills oh Bills I'm beginning to believe that is what live is all about is paying bills. I have three bills left to pay for August and five or more coming due the first of the week for September. They never seem to STOP! Pray about supporting Yahweh may be waiting to use You!

 

I will turn 46 this coming Wednesday and I really can't believe how fast time is going! Everything moves so fast a month is like a week and a week like a day. Anyway it's late an I need ta get some shut eye for taday so lift us in prayer keep your eyes and ears open and watch TIME IS SHORT!

Love ya sisterlinda 

 

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua HaMashiach

    Peace in the Name of Yeshua, the Messiah

&Mark 9:23,10:27

" THE Truth will set you FREE"   

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