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Parasha Matot (Tribes)/Masei (Journey)
by Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber
The Scripture readings for the Shabbat of July 26/26 Tammuz are: Bamidbar/Numbers 30:2-36:13; Yermiyahu/Jeremiah 2:4-28, 3:4; Pilifim/Philip 3:12-16; Yaacov/James 4:1-12. Melech Mashiach's Genealogy This week's reading is a double portion incorporating two Parashiot, Matot and Masei. I have chosen to focus my attention on Parasha Masei because of its relevance to the Kingship of Mashiach (Messiah) Yeshua. Bamidbar {36:1} The heads of the avot' (father's) [houses] of the family of the Bnei (children of) Gilead, the ben (son) Machir, the ben Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Yosef, came near, and spoke before Moshe, and before the princes, the heads of the avot' [houses] of the bnei of Yisrael: {36:2} and they said, HaSHEM commanded my L-RD to give the land for inheritance by lot to the Bnei Yisrael: and my L-RD was commanded by HaSHEM to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters. {36:3} If they be married to any of the sons of the [other] tribes of the Bnei Yisrael, then will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our avot, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will it be taken away from the lot of our inheritance. {36:4} When the Yovel (Jubilee) of the Bnei Yisrael shall be, then will their inheritance be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong: so will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our avot. {36:5} Moshe commanded the Bnei Yisrael according to the word of HaSHEM, saying, The tribe of the sons of Yosef speaks right. {36:6} This is the thing which HaSHEM does command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them be married to whom they think best; only into the family of the tribe of their 'ab shall they be married. {36:7} So shall no inheritance of the Bnei Yisrael remove from tribe to tribe; for the Bnei Yisrael shall cleave everyone to the inheritance of the tribe of his avot. {36:8} every daughter, who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the Bnei Yisrael, shall be wife to one of the family of the tribe of her 'ab, that the Bnei Yisrael may possess every ish (man) the inheritance of his avot. {36:9} So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the Bnei Yisrael shall cleave everyone to his own inheritance. Certainly you would be correct in asking what can this mitzvah (command) possible have to do with the Kingship of Yeshua? Allow me to explain. Of the four gospels writers, only Luke and Mattityahu (Matthew) give us any information about the genealogy of the Mashiach, each however each gives us a totally different perspective. Mattityahu traces Yeshua's genealogy through His stepfather Yosef (Joseph) and as you read through Mattityahu's genealogy Yosef plays an active role while Miriam (Mary), His mother, plays a passive role. Luke traces Yeshua's genealogy through Miriam and as you read Luke's genealogy Miriam plays and active role while Yosef plays a passive role. It is not by accident that we have these two perspectives, it was ordained by G-d as such! Why? Mattityahu's genealogy tells us that Yosef was a direct descendant of king Yekhanyah (Jeconiah). That is exactly what is significant about His genealogy. King Yekhanyah, also referred to in Scripture as Koniyahu (Coniah), had a curse pronounced against him by HaShem (see Yirmeyahu [Jeremiah] 22.24-30). This curse started that none of Koniyahu's descendants would ever have the right to sit on the throne of David and be king in Yisrael (Israel). Yosef was a direct descendant of king Yekhanyah therefore he was not an heir to the throne of Yisrael. If Yeshua therefore was in fact Yosef's son He could not be Melech Yisrael (King of Yisrael). That is why in Mattityahu 1.16, Mattityahu expresses the virgin birth of Yeshua. Mattityahu {1.16} And Yaacov (Jacob) begat Yosef the husband of Miriam, of whom was born Yeshua, who is called Mashiach. Please note that the "of whom" referred to in this Scripture is in the feminine tense and therefore refers to Miriam and not Yosef. In composing the passage this way Mattityahu leaves Yosef out of the reproductive process indicating that "to Miriam" was born Yeshua and not to the both of them. Luke also expresses the virgin birth of Yeshua at the very beginning of his genealogy: Luke {3:23} And Yeshua Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the Son of Yosef, which was the son of Eli (Heli), In presenting his genealogy, Luke followed strict Jewish halachah (law). He did not mention any women, not even Miriam even though it is through her line his genealogy is taken. Luke shows how Yeshua can be the King of Yisrael, because He was from the house of David but not through the line of king Yekhanyah. David's lineage in Mattityahu was traced through king Shlomo (Solomon), which ended at Jechonian and the curse. Luke however shows us that Miriam's lineage through her father Eli, traces through David's other brother Nathan, which bypasses the curse and allows Yeshua to be King of Yisael. According to Luke's genealogy Eli died being survived by only his daughter Miriam. Bamidbar 27.8 in last week's Parasha Pinchas informed us of the following: Bamidbar {27:8} You shall speak to the Bnei Yisrael, saying, If an ish die, and have no son, then you shall cause his inheritance to pass to his daughter. So Miriam was entitled by this mitzvah to receive her father's inheritance. Now this is where our passage in Parasha Masei comes into play (Bamidbar 36.1-9). According to this mitzvah Miriam could only keep her inheritance and thus pass it on to her Son if she married within her own tribe. Had she married outside of her tribe she would have lost her inheritance and none of her offspring would have claim to the throne of Yisrael. As we know however from Mattityahu's genealogy Yosef and Miriam were in fact from the same tribe, the tribe of Yehuda (Judah). Therefore because of the miraculous virgin birth of Yeshua, HaShem circumvented the curse placed on the line of Yekhanyah allowing Yeshua to be Melech Yisrael. Do we not serve an awesome G-d?Rabbi Jack "Yaacov" Farber is the spiritual leader of Congregation Melech Yisrael in Toronto, Canada. Copyright 2003
- Romans 1:16, NIV |