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Parasha Shelach (Send Thou)
by Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber
The Scripture readings for the Shabbat of June 27/27 Sivan are: Bamidbar/Numbers 13:1-15:41; Yehoshua/Joshua 2:1-24; Ivrim/Hebrews 3:7-19. Tzitzit/Fringes - The Original WWYD How I love this Parasha. It contains such a wealth of teaching, a true inspiration to the student of the Word. This year I have chosen to focus in on the last few Scripture verses of Parasha Shelach, known as the Maftir portion. A boy who is celebrating his bar mitzvah (son of the commandments) normally reads this portion in synagogue on Shabbat. It is at bar mitzvah that a boy becomes responsible for his own spiritual life, in other words he becomes a son of the commandments, a responsible person. This information is significant for our teaching, as it deals with the wearing of tzitzit (fringes) on our garments, a commandment of HaShem. Bamidbar {15:37} HaShem spoke to Moshe (Moses), saying, {15:38} Speak to the Bnei Yisrael (Children of Israel), and bid those who they make them tzitzit in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put on the tzitzit of each border a cord of blue: {15:39} and it shall be to you for a tzitzit, that you may look on it, and remember all the mitzvot (Commandments) of HaShem, and do them; and that you not follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to play the prostitute; {15:40} that you may remember and do all my mitzvot, and be kadosh (holy) to your G-D. {15:41} I am HaShem your G-D, who brought you out of the land of Mizrayim (Egypt), to be your G-D: I am HaShem your G-D. HaShem has given us many reminders of who He is and what He desires for us to do. The most prominent of these reminders are the moedim (appointed times) commonly know as feast days. Each moed is designed to be a perpetual remembrance of a specific event or command of the L-rd. Here now in Parasha Shelach, HaShem is giving us another such reminder. However instead to this reminder being a once a year event as are the moedim, it is a continuous one, never ending, ever present on the clothing we wear. There is no guesswork involved here in trying to figure out what G-d had in mind when He instructed us to wear tzitzit. In fact He spells it out quite clearly in verses: {15:40} that you may remember and do all my mitzvot, and be kadosh to your G-D. {15:41} I am HaShem your G-D, who brought you out of the land of Mizrayim, to be your G-D: I am HaShem your G-D. The tzitzit are to be a continual, perpetual reminder of who we are, who G-d is and what He expects us to do. Because the tzitzit are to be attached to the clothing we wear, it would be impossible for us not to notice them and in noticing them it would therefore be impossible for us not to make the connection between the tzitzit and the commandments of HaShem. In fact the tzitzit represent HaShem's Torah. A rather enterprising non-Jewish believer (he/she may have been Jewish for all I know), came up with a trend which has an uncanny resemblance to the purpose of tzitzit. They are a collection of "What Would Jesus Do" bracelets and necklaces, as well as other items either worn or carried on your person. The wearer of a "WWJD" item supposedly would look upon it, perhaps even while contemplating a sin and be reminded of G-d's commandments, thereby resisting sin and choosing instead righteousness, what Jesus would do. Although I doubt the person who started this trend had the Torah in mind (then again maybe they did), its purpose is identical to tzitzit. In fact tzitzit are the original "WWJD" However they are but a substitute, a compromise of G-d's will, even though they are better then nothing at all. The tzitzit of biblical times were normally worn on the hem of a garment. The Cohen HaGadol (High Priest) wore them, as clearly outlined for us in Torah. Yeshua our Cohen HaGadol (after the order of Melkisedek) of course then also wore them. We are shown this in the Scriptures about the woman with the issue of blood. Mattityahu (Matthew) {9.20} And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him (Yeshua), and touched the hem of His garment: {9.21} For she said within herself, If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole. {9.22} But Yeshua turned Himself about, and when He saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; your faith has made you whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. The implication from these verses, taking them in context with what we have learned so far if you have been following my teachings, explains what took place here. The Torah as we know is a physical document given to a physical people for the purpose of their sanctification through following the commandments, thus growing them in their salvation. The Brit Chadasha (Renewed Covenant) is the spiritual application of the physical Torah, because it is the Torah written upon our hearts. This woman whether Jewish or non-Jewish, we do not know, is pictured here as someone who is far from Torah. She had strayed from the commandments of G-d, which resulted in her incurable condition. Now, in the presence of the living Torah (Yeshua) she is faced with the decision of whether or not to make teshuvah (return) to embrace the Torah of G-d thus choosing life. Having an issue of blood made this woman tamei (ritually unclean), which put her in the realm of death. Remember, tzitzit represent the Torah and were normally worn on the hem of a garment. What we are seeing here is a woman who was previously far from Torah, caught up in the realm of death, reaching out to finally embrace Torah, which brings life and healing. As we make a conscious decision to live our lives in fulfilment of the commandments of G-d - embrace Torah, we too choose life and healing.Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada. Copyright 2003
- Romans 1:16, NIV |