My Beloved Dad

Today is the last day of the Sukkot 5772 celebration time frame, as well as the fiftieth-fifth day of my grieve for my beloved dad, the late Mr. Ho Wui Tong who return to the Lord on the 25th of August 2011 (25 Av 5771). I have a very funny feeling right now and it may seems rather contradictory but that’s my feeling and I can’t help it.

I am deeply grieved from 22 Aug 2011 to 28 Aug 2011 as my dad got a sudden major heart artery blockage crisis on 22 Aug evening and admitted to Tan Tock Seng Hospital ICU ward 6A on 23 Aug morning. Because of the unethical medical treatment and delay in handling of my dad’s heart attack case at the A&E dept and ICU ward hasten the death of my dad. It was the Wednesday night shift (24 Aug 2011) duty lady doctor in green (registrar) and male doctor in blue (duty M.O.) attending to TTSH ward 6A bed 7 who are unkind to my dad in the sickbed. The lady doctor in green seems to be the assistant of a senior consultant by the name of Dr Ooi at TTSH.

Because of my deep grieve for my dad during the above period that I am unable to concentrate on my Torah study for Parshah Ekev and Re’eh. May HaShem give my dad fair justice because of the ill treatment at TTSH. May HaShem punish the lady doctor in green & the male doctor in blue (darren) working that night at ward 6A bed 7 on 24 Aug evening at TTSH. Amein!

The last time I seen my dad in good perfect health condition was on 22 Aug 2011 6.05pm. We all got shocked that our beloved father just leave us like that. It was so utterly SUDDEN!!! Every one of us missed him very much and I especially missed him a great deal because I have always pray for both my dad and mom for long life and good health 2 times a day daily and also during minchah prayers when I am off. And yet my dad passed away during a minchah prayer session.

Forgive me Adonai because of my grieve I am unable to do any Torah / Haftorah / Brit Chadashah portions reading for the rest of the Parshah and not only just for Ekev and Re’eh. I can’t even celebrate any of the High Holiday festivals that HaShem has appointed for us in the Torah. My dad was taken away by the Lord on 25 Aug 2011 at 3pm during Parshat Ekev’s week. He was born on the 22 June 1934.

26 Aug to 28 Aug 2011 was my dad’s funeral wake. On 28 Aug 2011 at 5pm sent for cremation. 29 Aug 2011 morning was to take dad’s ashes to install onto the Chua Choo Kang Columbarium chosen niche. From 26 Aug 2011 to 31 Aug 2011 is 6 days. Hence, August is not only just the saddest month for the Jewish people because of the 2 lost Temples but it is also the saddest month for us all that we have lost our beloved dad so unexpectedly. Lord, please have mercy on all of us.

I have written about my dad in my past blogs ie The BEST Gift from GOD on November 5, 2009 and Testimony due on April 17, 2008 and some others.

It has been a year that I have stopped writing blogs over here but I will continue especially to discuss about Torah study as well as about the place where my dad is right now.

Praying during Yom Kippur

This week I am solemn and weeping occasionally whenever I recalled back how many times HaShem is there for me and for my family members inclusive of my elderly-aged parents. Yom Kippur is usually a time for me to fast with psalms offering and study the Word of God seriously. Just yesterday I happened to read up this blogsite

http://derek4messiah.wordpress.com/2009/09/27/classic-reprint-reflections-on-a-yom-kippur-noob-experience/. This is a very interesting read because I feel the same kind of thoughts he had when I saw many Christians in Singapore churches have this kind of a superior religious attitude towards others whether believers or non-believers. When they commit sins to others, instead of repenting they continue to hurt others after they have prayed to Lord Jesus for forgiveness. In my personal opinion, I would feel that a pious Jew is more fearful to God and always offering penitential prayers with their siddur with their heart albeit they may not have the blessing of knowing their suffering Jewish Messiah than the Christian do. Still, HaShem receives them and still, I believe our beloved Master Yeshua is watching over them whether they believe in Him or not. Anyway our Master will come back for all of us whether Jews or Gentiles and we will all be One before Him.

This week Haftarah study will be on Parashah Ha’azinu and also Shabbat Shuvah study but I will just blog about the former one will do. The Haftarah portion for Ha’azinu is a psalm.

With some small variations, the same psalm also appears as Psalm 18 in the Psalter. In the psalm, David praises the LORD as a fortress of refuge and strong deliverer. He recounts how he came close to death and called out to the LORD for salvation. The LORD, seated in the heavenly Temple above, heard David’s cry for help. He rose in anger and quickly traveled to David’s assistance in the midst of storm and splendor. He beat back David’s enemies and rescued him from the grave. David states that his righteousness merited the LORD’s deliverance. David praises the LCRD who strengthened him for battle and saved His anointed king.

This week’s Torah portion (Ha’azinu) contains the Song of Moses, a prophetic oracle warning Israel about apostasy to come and the resulting wrath of God. The song looks far into the future, even envisioning the messianic advent amid rich and frightening apocalyptic imagery. It contains a theophany in which the LORD descends to make war against the nations on behalf of His people. In the song, Moses refers to the LORD by the title “Rock,” a name denoting God’s solid and unshakable attribute of justice. The sages selected 2 Samuel 22:1-51 for the Haftarah because it contains several similarities to the Song of Moses. David describes a vivid theophany in which the LORD descends to fight against his enemies. The description of the battle contains imagery similar to the Song of Moses. Moreover, David’s psalm alludes to the Song of Moses in describing God as the “Rock.” The two passages are also related in that David wrote his psalm near the end of his life and Moses composed his song on the day of his death. The synagogue lectionary designates the same psalm as the Haftarah for the seventh day of Passover. According to FFOZ, this week’s commentary repeats the content presented for Haftarah Yom Shevi’i Shel Pesach which I didn’t blog down earlier.

The sages enumerated ten songs. Israel recited the first song on the first Passover, the night that they ate their Passover lambs and the LORD struck down Egypt’s firstborn. They sang the second song after crossing the Red Sea on the seventh day of Passover. On Shabbat Ha’azinu, we read the Song of Moses, and for the Haftarah, we read a psalm of David. The sages enumerated them as songs four and seven respectively. The tenth and last song awaits the coming of Messiah.

1. The first was recited in Egypt, as it is said [in Isaiah 30:29], “You will have songs as in the night when you keep the festival.”

2. The second was recited at the Red Sea, as it is said [in Exodus 15:1], “Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song.”

3. The third song was recited at the well, as it is said [in Numbers 21:17], “Then Israel sang this song.”

4. The fourth Moses recited, as it is said [in Deuteronomy31:30], “Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song.”

5. The fifth Joshua recited, as it is said [in Joshua 10:12], “Then Joshua spoke to the LORD.”

6. The sixth Deborah and Barak recited, as it is said [in Judges 5:1], “Then Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam sang on that day.”

7. The seventh David recited, as it is said [in 2 Samuel 22:1]: “And David spoke the words of this song to the LORD.”

8. The eighth Solomon recited [when dedicating the Temple], as it is said [in Psalm 30:(1)], “A Psalm, A Song at the Dedication of the House.”

9. The ninth song was the one which Jehoshaphat recited, as it is said [in 2 Chronicles 20:21], “He appointed those who sang to the LORD … and said, ‘Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.’”

10.The tenth song will be recited in the future, as it is said [in Isaiah 42:10], “Sing to the LORD a new song, sing His praise from the end of the earth!” (Mekhilta on Exodus 15:1).

David prefaces the psalm by saying “the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” Why does he specifically single out Saul for special mention? David did not consider Saul an enemy in the same sense as his other enemies. David did not want to lump Saul together with the Philistines and other idolatrous nations with which he had made war. Of all David’s enemies, Saul was the most dangerous. Saul’s malice required David to rely on the LORD’s protection even more than he did when facing other foes, only because David could not strike back against Saul. If David faced a Philistine on the field of battle. he could kill him and end the matter. With Saul, however, David did not have that option. He said, “I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:10). Saul’s pursuit required David to lean completely upon the LORD for deliverance and victory.

Ok, so far what have we learnt from this Haftarah study? This is a very interesting study I would say and also very inspiring regarding God’s assurances. Needless to say, we also need to know how to get hold of this same assurances that King David got from the LORD time after time without fail. 2 Samuel 22 is a very good piece of study in which we can learn why and how? The only understanding that came from my study of this passage is that because David fear God’s anointed and he don’t dare to go against what God had chosen. Only God can punish and destroy what he had form. Never take vengence into your own hands especially those whom God protected at all times. But sometimes those God protected ones maybe somehow evil before you, what would you do? Pray to God for help and rely upon Him completely just like what King David is doing in this passage.

Shalom for now and may your fast be a memorable one for Him and for yourself! Tzom Kal! G’mar Chatimah tovah!

Rosh Hashanah 5771

Guess what? I writing now on a Rosh HaShanah evening and listening non-stop to the shofar blowing from all parts of the world through the internet via youtube videos especially from Israel. I don’t have a shofar myself but listening to religious Jews blowing their shofars out loud donning their tallits and tzitzits and tefillins is a joy to watch and hear. This week we have lots of commentary to study especially this week we have double-portion reading for Parshah Nitzavim / Vayelech. Anyway, Shanah Tovah to my parents, my wife and all my family members. Shanah Tovah to all my friends and colleagues. Shanah Tovah to all my Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel and in all parts of the world whether they believe in Yeshua (Jesus) or not. May HaShem bless Israel and all the Jewish people another sweet and blessed new year of 5771 in the gracious Name of Yeshua haMashiach Rabbeinu. Amein.

In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. (Leviticus 23:24)

On the first day of the seventh month is this festival the Torah simply calls a “reminder by blowing of trumpets.” This is the festival we call the “Feast of Trumpets,” the day of trumpet blowing. The Torah tells us to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets by blowing a ram’s horn or shofar in Hebrew. The Feast of Trumpets is a festival that is meant to prepare us for the Holy Day of Atonement that comes ten days later. The festival is called Rosh HaShanah (the head of the year).

This is the Hebrew way of saying New Year’s Day. The Torah commands us to blow the shofar on the Rosh Hashanah as a memorial, but it does not tell us what the blowing of the shofar memorializes. The Sages offered various attempts to explain the festival. They searched through the Scriptures for references to shofars and trumpet blasts and derived a plethora of different remembrances. The early medieval sage Rav Saadiah Gaon codified these various explanations of the Feast of Trumpets and listed them. According to Rav Saadiah Gaon, there are ten primary remembrances for which the shofar is blown on the Festival of Trumpets.

Each of these remembrances highlights a unique aspect of the festival:

1.  The Coronation of the King

2.  The Call to Repentance

3.  The Giving of the Torah at Sinai

4.  Warning of Impending Judgment

5.  The Destruction and Future Rebuilding of the Temple

6.  The Binding of Isaac

7.  Fear of God

8.  The Day of Judgment (Yom Kippur)

9.  The Ingathering of Israel

10. The Resurrection of the Dead

Even as we wait to hear the trumpet blast of the king, the great shofar of our returning Redeemer, we celebrate the appointed time of the Rosh Hashanah. The annual blast of the shofar during the Feast of Trumpets foreshadows that day when the heavens will be rent by the blast of Messiah’s trumpet. For disciples of the Messiah, Rosh Hashanah is a reminder of that appointed time yet to come when the Master “will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” (Matthew 24:31)

The Haftarah for Shabbat Nitzavim is the last in a series of seven successive Haftarah readings that follow the Fast of Av and the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Seven Consolations, each drawn from Isaiah’s Book of Consolations (Isaiah 40-66), offer words of comfort to Zion and promises of future redemption. Each one prophesies the return from exile, Zion’s restoration, and, ultimately, the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Haftarah Nitzavim, the seventh of the Seven Consolations, begins in Isaiah 61:10, but for purposes of Torah Club Volume 3 study, FFOZ recommend a Messianic reading that begins in 61:1. The commentary includes those first nine verses of the chapter in which the Servant of the LORD declares that the LORD has anointed Him with His Spirit to proclaim the good news of redemption to the afflicted of Israel and to announce the day of vengeance. He comes to comfort the mourners and to replace their sorrow with gladness. Then Israel will rebuild and resettle her land. Under a new everlasting covenant, they will possess a double portion, and the nations will recognize them as blessed by the LORD.

The Haftarah proper begins in 61:10 with the Servant of the LORD exalting and rejoicing over the promises of redemption which will sprout up like seeds planted in a garden. God announces that He will no longer remain silent, but will actively involve Himself in bringing about the redemption of Zion. He will give Zion a new name. Jerusalem will be called “My delight is in her,” and the land of Israel will be called “Married.” Watchmen on Jerusalem’s walls will keep her in remembrance before the LORD forever. The LORD vows never to allow foreigners to oppress His people again. In preparation for this redemption, the way to Zion must be cleared. Then the nations will call Israel “The Holy People” and they will call Jerusalem “Sought Out.” In the day of vengeance, the LORD will crush Edom and His enemies as a man treads out grapes. Their blood bespatters his garments. The Haftarah concludes with a statement about God’s goodness and mercy to His people. He is faithful to save them from their distress. He will carry them in the future just as He carried them in days of old.

Haftarah Nitzavim begins in Isaiah 61:10. The first nine verses of the chapter do not occur in the annual Haftarah cycle, but our Master read them as a Haftarah. Luke describes Yeshua participating in the scripture reading service in the synagogue in Nazareth. The Gospel of Luke says, “As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read” (Luke 4:16). This means that it was the Master’s custom to attend synagogue on the Sabbath and participate in the public reading of the Torah. Luke tells us that Yeshua “stood up to read.” From a non-Jewish perspective one would understand that phrase as a lead-in to the verse that follows, that is to say that He stood up to read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. From a Jewish perspective, however, the words “He stood up to read” imply that He stood to read from the Torah scroll. After reading from the Torah, He then goes on to read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. In modern practice, eight successive readers read from the Torah on Sabbath. The last Torah reading is called the maftir. The maftir consists of a repetition of the last three verses of the weekly Torah portion. After the eighth reader concludes those last three verses of the Torah portion, the Torah Scroll is displayed to the congregation and then set aside. A scroll of the prophets is handed to the maftir reader. He says the blessings for the reading from the prophets and proceeds to read from the scroll. If modern practice reflects Sabbath services from the first century this may indicate that Yeshua was the last reader called to read Torah that Sabbath in Nazareth.

After concluding His allotted Torah portion, He rolled the scroll of Isaiah to the place where it says, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me … ” We do not know if this was the assigned Haftarah reading for that Sabbath or if, at that time, synagogue custom allowed the reader to make his own selection for a Haftarah reading. Luke only quotes the most pertinent verses from the Master’s reading that day but we may be certain that Yeshua read a much larger portion of Isaiah. The synagogue rule required a minimum of twenty-one verses for the Haftarah.

Now this Haftarah study has been another huge pages for me to study only second to the Ki Tetze study which have 24 pages long. This one have 16 pages to digest. I will not be blogging about the Vayelech study for this round. Ok, since the previous 6 Haftarah studies are basically more or less the same pertaining to Zion’s restoration and the comfort of the afflicted Israelites from God and so forth. God love Israel and the Jewish people a great deal no matter how He deals with them. He chastise them because He love the Jewish people very much just like a good father do not spare a rod on his children because he love them very much. And whoever mistreat the Jewish people, surely the Most High God will punish them severely with no mercy. May HaShem saves Israel and all the Jewish people who inhabited within. For His Son’s sake we pray. Amein.

Shalom and Shanah Tovah!

A kosher Torah scroll

The month of Elul is certainly a wonderful and joyful month for those who are truly repenting and looking forward eagerly to feel the glorious presence of HaShem again as in the ancient of days. The month of Tishrei is even more closer to Him than in any days of the year because of the awesome High Holy Days of God. I am repenting each day and telling myself not to do this again to who and who. When there’s an opportunity, I will seek forgiveness from that person before Rosh Hashanah comes next week. Have you done the same for the sake of HaShem or for His Son’s (HaMashiach) sake? I will write more about Rosh Hashanah the next time.

The Haftarah for Shabbat Ki Tavo is the sixth in a series of seven successive Haftarah readings that follow the Fast of Av and the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Seven Consolations, each drawn from Isaiah’s Book of Consolations (Isaiah 40-66), offer words of comfort to Zion and promises of future redemption. Each one prophesies the return from exile, Zion’s restoration, and, ultimately the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Haftarah Ki Tavo, the sixth of the Seven Consolations, begins with a stirring charge to Zion. The prophet tells Zion to arise and shine because the glory of the LORD has risen upon her; that is, the redemption is at hand. The nations will come to Zion carrying the exiles of Israel with them. They will bring tribute to the Messianic King in Jerusalem, just as they did in the days of King Solomon. They will offer sacrifices on God’s altar in the holy Temple. As in the days of Solomon, ships carrying tribute will arrive in Israel’s ports, and foreigners will assist in the building of Jerusalem’s walls. The Almighty will punish those nations who do not submit to King Messiah. Their kings will be taken in fetters and led through the gates of the city. The revelation of the LORD will be like a bright light that outshines the sun and the moon. In the Messianic Age, all Israel will be righteous. The LORD will firmly plant the nation in the land, never again to be uprooted. When the appointed day of redemption arrives, the LORD will hasten it.

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. (Isaiah 60:1)

Darkness hangs heavy on the endless night of exile. Zion lies desolate in the darkness. Suddenly a gleam in the east, the sky is lighting, and the first direct light of the morning sun spills over the horizon. “And this light is salvation, because the Holy One loves Zion: it is also glory, because it not only dispels darkness, but sets itself, all glorious as it is, in the place of darkness. The prophet consoles exilic Jerusalem with an announcement of the daybreak of redemption. He tells Zion to rise up and shine forth. He tells her to arise and reflect the radiance of the glory of the LORD that has dawned upon her. Targum Yonatan says, “Arise, shine, O Jerusalem, for the time of thy redemption is come!” With the dawning of redemption, the light of Messiah shines on Zion: “He is the radiance of His glory” (Hebrews 1:3), the glory of the LORD that rises on Zion and appears upon her. “For God, who said, ‘Light shall shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

“The tremendous sufferings and hardships of exile are described as ‘darkness.”‘ The darkness of exile also represents the spiritual state of the sinner. He is separated from God, blind to spiritual light, lost in a world of materialism. The redeeming light of Messiah, however, can pierce even the thickest darkness. Israel suffers in the darkness of exile, and darkness covers the earth; deep darkness covers the nations of the earth. Nevertheless, “the people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them” (Isaiah 9:2). This is the light of Messiah. The LORD tells His people, “I shall cause a great light to shine upon you in the Messianic Age.” The coming of Messiah will bring both light and darkness. He brings darkness to the ungodly and the wicked of the nations, but upon His people, light will shine.

So what do we learn from this Haftarah? Well, I would say it’s divinely interesting as a whole. If you are expecting the Second Coming of the Messiah soon then get ready to feel the light that will be shining on you soon and not what the tribulation Christian would direct you to look up. The prophetic sign given by Isaiah in this passage is certainly a glorious future for us all who believes and trusts in the LORD with all our hearts.

Shalom and wait for the LORD!

Isaiah and the angel

Being reading lots of blogs lately especially on Messianic Judaism, a branch of belief that really tinkers the inner thoughts of any faithful and Jewish-friendly Christians. I like how Derek of Messianic Jewish Musings blog termed them as Judeo-Christians. I don’t mind being called as such, even the term Messianic Gentile suits perfectly to us Christians who accepted the Jewish Jesus Who is our beloved Yeshua haMashiach Rabbeinu – the Holy One of Israel. I have been blogging since the beginning of my Torah Club Volume 3 study with FFOZ and have been using their copy-righted summary together with my own thoughts on its material after reading them. I will still be continuing with their Torah Club Volume 4 study but I will not be blogging with their study materials but rather my own thoughts alone if I think they are of much use to share. My heart is still looking forward to the coming soon wonderful and awesome High Holy Days of the Tanach.

Haftarah Ki Tetze is somehow related to Parashah Noach and Parashah Shoftim historically in context. The Haftarah for Shabbat Ki Tetze is the fifth in a series of seven successive Haftarah readings that follow the Fast of Av and the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Seven Consolations, each drawn from Isaiah’s Book of Consolations (Isaiah 40-66), offer words of comfort to Zion and promises of future redemption. Each one prophesies the return from exile, Zion’s restoration, and, ultimately, the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Haftarah Ki Tetze, the fifth of the Seven Consolations, returns us to Isaiah 54, a passage that also serves as the Haftarah portion for Parashah Noach. The Haftarah personifies the city of Jerusalem as a barren woman, a widow and an abandoned wife. The prophecy offers consolation to Jerusalem during a period of exile, promising her that her inhabitants will return in great numbers. Surprised by the sudden influx, she must expand her borders to accommodate the population boom.

The Haftarah portion begins in Isaiah 54:1. FFOZ TCv3 commentary however, starts more than a chapter earlier in 52:13 to include the critical prophecies of the Suffering Servant, which the synagogue lectionary omits. The Suffering Servant oracles describe how the Servant of the LORD will be high and lifted up, but must first undergo suffering for the sin of Israel. Communities that replaced Haftarah Re’eh (Isaiah 54:11-55:5) with the reading for Rosh Chodesh Elul append Haftarah Re’eh to Haftarah Ki Tetze in order to ensure that all seven of the Seven Consolations are read.

Luke said in his gospel, “That which refers to Me has its fulfillment.” (Luke 22:37)

Who is the “Suffering Servant” described in Isaiah 51:13-53:12? Christianity and Judaism have contended over the identity of Isaiah’s “Servant of the LORD” since the first recorded debate between a Christian and a Jew: Justin Martyrs’ Dialogue with Trypho. Christians identify the Suffering Servant as the Messiah; whereas many Jewish commentaries identify the Suffering Servant as a personification for the entire nation of Israel.

In the broader context of Isaiah’s references to the Servant of the LORD, both interpretations have merit. Sometimes Isaiah’s mysterious Servant of the LORD appears as an agent of Israel’s redemption, and at other time, the Servant appears to symbolize the whole of the people.

For example, in Isaiah 49:6 God commissions the Servant of the LORD to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the nation of Israel. The Servant of the LORD is an agent working on Israel’s behalf. Clearly, in this passage, the Servant is a minister to Israel, an individual separate from Israel. On the other hand, some passage seem to identify the Servant of the LORD as the nation of Israel. Isaiah 41:8-10, for example, is a passage that prefaces the servant songs of Isaiah.

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 depicts the Servant of the LORD as a “man of sorrows,” a “lamb led to the slaughter,” “pierced through for our transgressions… crushed for our iniquities …” (53:4-7). Since the days of the apostles, believers have interpreted these passages in light of our Master’s suffering. The apostolic writers make frequent allusions to Isaiah 53, and their messianic interpretation of Isaiah 53 seems to have been a foundational text for their interpretation of the crucifixion of Yeshua of Nazareth. Polycarp, a disciple of John, called it “the golden passional of the Old Testament.”

Even before the birth of our beloved Master, the Qumran community that left us the Dead Sea scrolls understood Isaiah’s Suffering Servant as a messianic redeemer. The Thanksgiving Scroll contains a messianic hymn which the anticipated Messiah declares, “[Who] has been despised like [me? And who] has been rejected [of men] like me? [And who] compares to m[e in enduring] evil?” This means that the messianic interpretation of the Suffering Servant existed in early Judaism before the first century.

FFOZ has produced a 24 pages commentary for this Haftarah study and I am only getting the glimpse of it so far and blog it down here to share. So what did we learn for this study? First, let me point out that the Suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecy is definitely pointing to our beloved Yeshua haMashiach Rabbeinu – Jesus the Christ, our Teacher. Anti-missionary Jews likes to use the Suffering Servant passage to deviate unbelieving Jews from believing in their Jewish Messiah and possibly the Only One to be. But I am really sad to hear a devout Christian turning away from his beloved Saviour Lord – Jesus Christ by simply listening to a famous anti-missionary rabbi radio talkshow. May HaShem lead him back to His Messiah as in his earlier belief. Yeshua is a man when he suffers on our behalf during his ministering lifetime but when he resurrects, He is now on the right of the Glory. And the God of the Tanach where the Jews know has passed all authority of heaven and earth to His Son who is called Yeshua. So now those who believes in Yeshua are worshipping God and not man. For He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father (God of the Tanach) except through me. (John 14:6)” Amein.

Shabbat shalom and simcha to all!

Take me to His house

Another week toil, another week rest and we have another Shabbat coming soon! I always look forward to the next Shabbat and also the next Holy Day of God. And especially in the month of Elul, I am ever waiting for the High Holy Days of God to come, so that we can joyously celebrate the Feast Days at home in His mighty glorious presence in the Name of our beloved Master Yeshua. Ok, according to the Jewish calendar, Yom Kippur in 2010 will be on a Saturday, the 18th of September. I will be off on that day, so that means I can prepare to fast and afflict my soul for HaShem. Sukkot in 2010 will start on Thursday, the 23rd of September and will continue for 7 days until Wednesday, the 29th of September. For Sukkot, so coincidental that I am unable to celebrate it at home as I am away for a short vacation to Hokkaido, Japan with my wife. Maybe I can still celebrate it while I am there with my siddur and stuff like that. May God forgive me and my wife that we are not able to celebrate it at our home but allow us to still enjoy the Holy Days wherever we are in His mighty omnipresence.

This week is the study of Haftarah Shoftim. Isaiah did not address the prophecies of chapter 40-66 to his contemporaries or to his historical situation. Instead he left behind these prophecies concerning the redemption from Babylon and the final messianic redemption to provide hope for later generations. He intended that his prophecies should encourage the exilic Jewish communities, which Babylon would deport (in the sixth century BCE) more than a century after Isaiah’s lifetime. His prophecies were relevant for the exiles in Babylon, and they are even more relevant for us today. They are an encouragement to those of us who have been awaiting the restoration of Israel, the building of Messianic Jerusalem, and the return of our Davidic King for almost twenty centuries.

The Haftarah for Shabbat Shoftim is the fourth in a series of seven successive Haftarah readings that follow the Fast of Av and the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Seven Consolations, each drawn from Isaiah’s Book of Consolations (Isaiah 40-66), offer words of comfort to Zion and promises of future redemption. Each one prophesies the return from exile, Zion’s restoration, and, ultimately, the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Haftarah Shoftim, the fourth of the Seven Consolations, begins with the LORD’s declaration, “I, even I, am He who comforts you” (51:12), and goes on to declare an end to the exile and freedom for captives. Though Jerusalem has drank from the cup of the LORD’s wrath, the prophet tells her to rouse herself and shake off the effects of the draught. The LORD has taken the cup from her hand and given it into the hands of the nations that have oppressed her. The prophet tells Jerusalem to awaken herself, raise herself from the dust, and clothe herself in beautiful garments because the LORD will restore her. Foreigners will no longer invade her or defile her sanctuary. The LORD’s name is blasphemed among the nations because His people are in exile. He never sold or exchanged His people, therefore He can take them back at will. When He does, heralds of the good news will carry the word to Zion. The prophets will rejoice, and the LORD will reveal His salvation before the nations. He calls the exiles to come out of Babylon as He brought them out from Egypt in the days of Moses.

The fourth of the Seven Consolations opens directly with the LORD’s comforting word to His exiled people, “I, even I, am He who comforts you.” Under the oppression of foreign powers and their idols, the exiles of Israel live in fear of their oppressors and forget the power of the LORD who made all mankind and “who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth” (51:13). They see only the might and power of the nations that have conquered them, and subsequently, they live without hope of restoration. They anticipate persecution, extermination, and holocaust. It seems like the LORD is helpless to defend His people, or, perhaps, He has utterly forsaken Israel. The LORD seems remote, but the reality of the enemy’s power is present and tangible. The LORD assures Israel that He will prevail, and He will offer the consolation of redemption as interpreted by the sages:

You say [in Lamentations 1:2], “She has none to comfort her.” But in the future she will have one to comfort her, as it says [in Isaiah 51:12], “I, even I, am He who comforts you.” (Lamentations Rabbah 126)

The LORD repeats the formal form of the personal pronoun ‘Anochi’ which means “I.” He says, ”Anochi, Anochi am He who comforts you.” Why does He repeat the word, ‘Anochi’? When God gave the Ten Commandments, the first word He spoke to Israel from Sinai was “Anochi – I am the LORD your God” (Exodus 20:2). Likewise, in the time to come, He says, “Anochi, Anochi.” This indicates that the revelation of God in the Messianic Era will surpass and exceed even the revelation at Sinai. It is as if the LORD says to Israel: I am He who comforts you after the destruction of the First Temple, and I am He who comforts you after the destruction of the Second Temple. I am He who redeems you from Babylon, and I am He who will bring the final redemption. I am He who comforts you with the first coming of the Messiah, and I am He who will comfort you with the second coming of the Messiah. The LORD reminds Israel that their enemies are mere men who will fade and die like grass of the field. The fury of their oppressors wiil vanish, but the Almighty One is eternally all powerful because NONE is like HIM.

Ok, what do we study in this Haftarah? Consolations from God? Yes. Comfort from God? Yes. But most importantly God is telling us that everything is under His control and He knows from the beginning to the end. As always whenever I read about the book of Isaiah, I am almost completely filled with the mighty Holy Spirit to understand the divine revelation of God through His beloved prophets.

Shalom and until the next Shabbat!

Isaiah the prophet

Alright! This month is the blessed month of Elul where many sages called it the month of joy as written in many rabbinical literatures. I personally like this month too as it gives me the feeling of excitement of ushering in the High Holy Days of HaShem/Elohim. Very happy for it but also very sad on the other hand that I have read news concerning the Messianic Jews in Israel been violently persecuted by the uncivilised ultra-orthodox Jews. May Yeshua haMashiach Rabbeinu help them by praying for them in the heavenly kingdom. May HaShem/Elohim change the hearts of all these ruthless ultra-orthodox Jews to accept our beloved Master Yeshua as their Jewish Messiah in due time. Amen.

On Chai Elul (5458/1698), the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the greater Chasidic movement, was born. On that date 26 years later, Achiya Hashiloni began to teach him Torah “as it is studied in Gan Eden.” Also on Chai Elul (5505/1745), the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, spiritual grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Chabad Chasidic philosophy and of the Chabad-Lubavitch dynasty, was born.

One of the main teachings of the Baal Shem Tov was to always remember God and to thank Him frequently. The obligation to remember God constantly and thank Him begins as soon as a Jew wakes up in the morning. Before he does anything else, he says “Modeh Ani — I offer thanks to You, Living and Eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great.” The lesson of Modeh Ani, that everything we have comes from God especially our lives and we must constantly thank Him, is connected to another important teaching of the Baal Shem Tov: God did not just create the world once [5770 years ago]. He constantly recreates everything anew at every moment, and gives it new life every second.

Ok, back to our Haftarah study for this week Parashah Re’eh. In Isaiah 54, the prophet writes from that vantage point. He is prophetically looking backward into the future to comfort the ruins of Jerusalem after 586 BCE, that is, after the Babylonian destruction of the city. He depicts the city of Jerusalem as a desolate place, a barren woman, a widowed wife bereft of children – snapshots of Jerusalem’s bleak future after the Babylonian destruction and deportations. Those prophecies also foreshadowed Jerusalem’s desolate, distant future following the apostolic-era Jewish revolts against the Romans.

Isaiah 54, however, is not a warning of impending doom. Instead, it is a song of hope about the final redemption, the return of the exiles, and Jerusalem’s glorious future in the Messianic Era under a Davidic king. Isaiah did not address these prophecies to his contemporaries or to his historical situation. Instead he left these prophecies behind to hearten later generations. He intended that they should encourage the exilic Jewish communities, which Babylon would deport (in the sixth century BCE) more than a century after Isaiah’s lifetime. Those communities felt abandoned by God. They wanted to return to their homeland, and they wondered if the people of Israel had any future. Isaiah left his prophecies about Jerusalem in the Messianic Era to provide hope for those communities. His prophecies are even more relevant for us today. They are an encouragement to those of us who have been awaiting the restoration of Israel, the building of Messianic Jerusalem, and the return of our Davidic King for almost twenty centuries.

The Haftarah for Shabbat Re’eh is the third in a series of seven successive Haftarah readings that follow the Fast of Av and the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Seven Consolations, each drawn from Isaiah’s Book of Consolations (Isaiah 40-66), offer words of comfort to Zion and promises of future redemption. Each one prophesies the return from exile, Zion’s restoration, and, ultimately, the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Refer to the past few blogs below regarding the 7 Consolations passages of Isaiah.

Haftarah Re’eh, being the third of the Seven Consolations, returns us to Isaiah 54, a passage that also serves as the Haftarah portion for Parashah Noach. This week’s commentary repeats the content presented for Haftarah Noach which I have written a blog for the summary of it a few months back. Isaiah 54 is about the end of the exile, the beginning of the final redemption, and Jerusalem in the Messianic Era. Our passage begins mid-point in one complete oracle (Isaiah 54) and continues through the introduction of a second oracle (Isaiah 55:1-5). The first oracle stands apart from the second because it uses second person, feminine, singular forms of address. The feminine, single form of Isaiah 54 is the city of Jerusalem personified as a barren woman, a widow, and an abandoned wife. The prophecy offers consolation to Jerusalem during a period of exile, promising her that her inhabitants will return in great numbers, she will be rebuilt of costly stone, no future enemy will prevail against her, and God will take her back as His own.

The second oracle, beginning in Isaiah 55, starts with a general address, an open invitation to all Israel and all humanity. It invites everyone to come, learn the revelation of God, find satiation in knowledge of Him, and enter into an everlasting covenant with Him through the agency of the Davidic Messiah. The oracle then turns to speak directly to that Davidic Messiah, prophesying that all nations will fall under His dominion and all peoples will respond to His summons.

The LORD promises that in the future, He will rebuild Jerusalem with precious stones. The New Jerusalem’s foundations will be made of sapphire. Sapphire is a blue stone that represents the heavens, as it says, “they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself” (Exodus 24:10). The precious stones of New Jerusalem are foreshadowed in the precious stones that the high priest wore upon his breastplate, teaching that the tabernacle and priesthood symbolize the New Jerusalem of the World to Come.

So what have we here for this study? To all Christians, believing in Jesus Christ means having eternal life and be saved from eternal condemnation. They also strongly believed that they will be going to heaven after their death. To the Messianic faith, believing in Yeshua haMashiach Rabbeinu means the same as above but with a full preparation of the World to Come and not necessarily must be in heaven. And Torah study is good for us for that preparation. This study is all about that preparation.

Shalom and until the next Shabbat!

Having quiet time with God

Don’t know why this time round most of my Torah study has been lagging, always start doing the study when it is ending the Parashah week. Today is Shabbat for Parashah Re’eh already and I am just doing the Haftarah Ekev study. Anyway, a late start is better than no start, right? Okee, okee… What’s happening this week? Well, basically nothing happen this week but I just got disturbed news from my company that our regional director is doing a resource integration planning for our department and that means NOT GOOD FOR US!!! I am praying that HaShem/Elohim will help me that this move will not jeopardize my job. I need this job to support my family as well as my Torah study. May God help me in the precious Name of our beloved Yeshua Rabbeinu haMashiach. This news just came in this morning and all of us are very sad especially my mom because my grandma has just passed away on erev Shabbat at Friday 11pm. May God receive her unto His bosom and comfort her in the heavenly kingdom. Amen.

The Haftarah for Shabbat Ekev is the second in a series of seven successive Haftarah readings which follow the Fast of Av and anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem. The Seven Consolations, each drawn from Isaiah’s Book of Consolations (Isaiah 40-66), offer words of comfort to Zion and promises of future redemption. Each one prophesies the return from exile, Zion’s restoration, and, ultimately, the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Kindly refer to the previous blog which I listed the seven consolations of Isaiah passages.

Haftarah Ekev is the second of the Seven Consolations, begins with a personification of Zion in despair. She believes that she has been forsaken and forgotten by the LORD. But the LORD can no sooner forget her than a mother can forget her baby. The walls of Jerusalem are ever before Him. He will rebuild Jerusalem and summon the exiles of Israel. Zion will adorn herself with her children as a bride adorned for her wedding. The influx of her returning children will crowd the city and repopulate the land. The LORD will summon the nations to carry her children back. The nations will prostrate themselves before Israel, and Israel’s oppressors will be slain. The LORD has not divorced His people. His Servant will speak to the nation on His behalf. The exiles of Israel need only look to the example of faith left behind by Abraham and Sarah. Then the LORD will indeed comfort Zion and transform it into a paradise on earth.

Haftarah Ekev begins with Zion’s dejected response to the words of comfort offered in the first consolation. In the previous Haftarah, the LORD proclaimed the good news of His kingdom. He declared that the time of redemption is at hand. In the verse before Haftarah Ekev commences, He tells the heavens to rejoice and shout for joy. He commands the earth to break into glad shouts. “For the LORD has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted” (Isaiah 49:13). Despite the glad prophecy, the people of Israel still languish in exile. Zion remains empty and desolate. The city of Jerusalem is fallen. God has withdrawn His glorious Shechinah from the holy Temple, and the Temple is not yet rebuilt. The people of Israel remain scattered across the earth and downtrodden among the nations, it appears that God has indeed forsaken Zion. Still in mourning, forsaken, and alone, the holy city Jerusalem replies like a despondent wife in her tears, “The LORD has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.”

At what point does Zion voice this complaint? Does it refer to the period prior to the return from the Babylonian exile, or does it refer to the long centuries of waiting since the destruction of the second Temple? Moshe Alshich HaKadosh suggests that the double statement spoken by Zion in the passage refers to the two exiles namely :

The LORD has forsaken me means the Babylonian exile and,
The Lord has forgotten me means the current exile.

Zion’s dejection is more than a personification of Jerusalem. These are also the sentiments of the nation through the long centuries of misery exile, persecution, wandering, and darkness that the Jewish people have endured. Though Israel has miraculously survived as one lone sheep amidst a pack of seventy wolves, nevertheless the Jewish heart cannot help but feel, at times, forsaken and forgotten by God.

I will write until here for this Haftarah study summary. So what do we learn from this study? There are moments when we feel very down and everything seems not working the way we expected. We start throwing tantrums and blaming this and that. And very soon begins to be dejected in the sense that God is not with us. But do you know that this is normally how we feel emotionally but not how God feel. He is always watching and ready to help us anytime we ask from Him through our sincere prayer. All we need is just a mustard seed faith in Him and trust in His mighty glorious power. Nothing and I mean nothing is impossible or too difficult for Him. So trust Him today and it will not be wrong.

Shalom for now until the next Shabbat!

This week is not a very good week for my family members. One is for my wife who work in an environment that were surrounded with evil and wicked senior nursing officers. They are the mediators between the good doctors and the assisting nurses. Whenever a doctor wishes to compliment a nurse for his/her help a gift is given to them as a token but it will be handed to the nursing officer first before the designated nurse. For example a new mobile phone that come with a prepaid SIM card is been passed to the nurse with no SIM card attached but was stated on the wrapped box outside that there is one. Apparently, the evil and wicked senior nursing officer has done a dishonor before the mighty God as well as mistreated her staff. Yes, it is SGH again and yes, you guess it right, it is DSC department again. May HaShem/Elohim His glorious light and His divine righteousness be in that department to miraculously change the hearts of all those evil and wicked senior nursing officers of SGH-DSC to do good and kind deeds to their staff. In the awesome Name of our beloved Yeshua Rabbeinu haMashiach I pray for them. Amen. The other is my grandma who is critically ill and may go back to Him anytime now. May HaShem/Elohim bring her back to His kingdom with no further discomfort and suffering or if it be His will help her to revive. Amen.

Alright, back to the Haftarah study for this week – Haftarah Va’etchanan. At chapter 40 the scroll of Isaiah begins what Rabbi Ibn Ezra called, “the second part of the book.” Isaiah 40-66 contains a series of consolations in which the prophet offers a messianic vision of hope and renewal to the faithful remnant of Israel. Biblical scholars refer to these passages of Isaiah as Deutero-Isaiah (Second Isaiah). The collection is sometimes referred to as Isaiah’s Book of Consolations.

Instead of withering rebukes and ominous portents of God’s chastisement, the prophet predicts the fall of Babylon, the rise of King Cyrus, the return from captivity, and the hope of redemption. He unveils several visions of the messianic future. Isaiah did not address these prophecies to his contemporaries living in the days of King Hezekiah or King Manasseh. Instead, the prophet spoke them ahead of time and left them behind to encourage future generations that would face the devastation of Judah, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the exile in Babylonia. Yet Isaiah saw even further into the future. He envisioned a day when God would restore the Davidic monarchy and initiate an age of world peace. In that day, all the scattered children of Israel will return to their land. Jerusalem will be the center of all nations, the holy Temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem, the Torah will flow forth to all peoples, and the Davidic king will rule over all peoples. Therefore the consoling prophecies of Deutero-Isaiah spoke directly to all generations “looking for the consolation of Israel.”

The apostolic community regarded the prophecies contained in Isaiah’s Book of Consolations as especially pertinent to their messianic faith in Master Yeshua of Nazareth. They derived the proclamation of the Gospel (Good News) of the Kingdom of Heaven directly from these latter chapters of Isaiah, and they identified Master Yeshua of Nazareth as Isaiah’s predicted Servant of the LORD. Even when the apostolic writings do not directly quote from these Isaiah passages, the theology of Isaiah’s messianic expectations informs their world view and interpretation of events.

Shabbat Va’etchanan, also called Shabbat Nachamu (the Sabbath of “Comfort Ye”) follows the Fast of the month of Av the ninth day of the fifth month, which is the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem city and the holy Temple during the Babylonian siege in 586BCE and the Roman siege in 70 CE. This Sabbath begins a series of seven successive Haftarah readings selected from the later chapters of the scroll of Isaiah that the synagogue lection offers as consolations and predictions of Zion’s restoration. The synagogue reads  the seven Isaiah passages on the seven Sabbaths subsequent to the fast of Av. Together, the readings are called the Seven Consolations, and each one is a prophecy of return from exile, Zion’s restoration, and, ultimately, the Messianic Kingdom of Heaven on earth. They describe the rebuilding of Jerusalem and the holy house of God and introduce the agent of redemption, the mysterious “Servant of the LORD.” The seven consolations are in keeping with our Master’s words, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

*First Consolation (Va etchanan): Isaiah 40:1-26

*Second Consolation (Ekev): Isaiah 49:14-51:3

*Third Consolation (Re’eh): Isaiah 54:11-55:5

*Fourth Consolation (Shoftim): Isaiah 51:12-52:72

*Fifth Consolation (Ki Tetze): Isaiah 54:1-10

*Sixth Consolation (Ki Tavo): Isaiah 60:1-22

*Seventh Consolation (Nitzavim): Isaiah 61:10-63:9

The seven readings are preceded by three special Haftarot of admonition, which portend the destruction of Jerusalem and ensuing exile. All together, the synagogue dedicates ten Haftarot to the event. The custom of reading through the cycle of ten Haftarot originally began in synagogues in the land of Israel after the destruction of the holy Temple in the apostolic era, but the custom did not become widespread through the diaspora until the Middle Ages.

Shabbat Nachamu, the Sabbath following the anniversary of the destruction of Jerusalem, derives its name from the first word of Isaiah 40: “Comfort ye (nachamu in Hebrew).” The prophet’s twice-stated imperative charge to offer comfort and consolation to Zion answers the text from Lamentations just read on the fast of Av: “She weeps bitterly in the night and her tears are on her cheeks; she has none to comfort her … she has no comforter” (Lamentations 1:2,9).

The Haftarah consists of two main themes. First is a series of announcements and proclamations regarding the consolation and restoration of Zion. Second is a collection of theological reflections on the unfathomable transcendent nature of God. The prophet hears heavenly voices announcing the end of Jerusalem’s chastisement and a call to prepare the way to Zion for the return of her king. Human life and the things of this present age are temporary, quickly fading, and transient, but God’s word endures eternally. The LORD returns to Zion in glory; He appears in majestic royalty but also as a gentle shepherd gathering the flock of Israel. Utterly beyond human reckoning, none compare with God. He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and sits above the circle of the earth. The nations and the idols of the nations are as nothing before Him. Hallelu, Yah! Baruch HaShem, baruch Yeshua Rabbeinu haMashiach!

This week Haftarah study is the best for me and for all my family members and especially for all those who trust in the LORD alone and in the name of our beloved Master Yeshua. What does it teach us for this study? Well, first and foremost, God is FAIR and RIGHTEOUS! He is unbiased and impartial. He will bless but He will chastise too and He will curse especially those who do not listen to Him or obey Him. Though sometimes He sided the evil ones because we sometimes anger Him that provoke Him to do such thing to us. Who to blame, us, the foolish ones. Last but not least, Parashah Va’etchanan is also about God’s fifth commandment to honour one’s parents with true respect that God demand from us. Honouring your parents means you are honouring God with great respect and fear.

Shalom for now until the next Shabbat!

Devarim (Copyright of FFOZ)

So how was your fast last Monday evening to Tuesday evening? Well, I certainly have a “tzom kal,” easy fast that day but feel a bit hungry especially crawling towards the last few bits of hour before the break of fast. Anyway through the grace of HaShem, I am able to pull through the fast and mourn as I supposed to because of the lost of the Holy Temples. Toby from FFOZ has written a very interesting blog on why we fast on this day – the Ninth of Av and in it was written one paragraph that ponder my thoughts on Torah study. It said, ‘Yeshua knew that days were coming soon when fasting would be most appropriate. He states, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” What would people be mourning for? Isaiah proclaims comfort for those who are mourning the desolation of Jerusalem, which would include the destruction of the Holy Temple.’

Ok, let’s move on to this week Haftarah study and we are now into the last book of the Torah already. Very fast it’s coming to one year soon, and that goes to show that I have been studying the Torah with FFOZ almost a year now. I am also looking forward to another fabulous year with FFOZ with their new revised Torah Club Volume 4 when it is available for subscription. To be honest, FFOZ’s Torah Club study material is really a topnotch scholarship-based God’s Word study material that really tinker your inward thoughts and at the same time divinely provide intense comfort to your soul. I would recommend this study material to all who love God and His Son, our beloved Master Yeshua.

In the year that King Uzziah died sometime around 740 BCE, the LORD commissioned Isaiah as a prophet amidst a vision of the seraphim surrounding the heavenly throne. Isaiah’s prophetic career extended through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and possibly Mannaseh, the last half of the eighth century BCE. The contents of Isaiah 1 are impossible to date with certainty, but without a doubt, they belong to a period after the commissioning described in Isaiah 6. Internal evidence suggests that Isaiah delivered the oracles contained in this Haftarah either shortly before or after the fall of the northern kingdom in 722 BCE. In this Haftarah, Isaiah predicts that a similar fate hangs in the future for Judah and Jerusalem.

The book of Isaiah opens with the words, “The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz.” The Hebrew word translated as “vision” is chazon. For that reason, the synagogue refers to the Sabbath before the fast of Av as Shabbat Chazon, the Sabbath of the Vision. Hence, Haftarah Devarim is the third of the three admonitions which we read on the three Sabbaths between the fast of Tammuz and the fast of Av. Refer to the previous blog regarding the Scripture passages and its relevance.

Judaism calls the three weeks between the fast of Tammuz and the fast of Av as ‘Bein HaMetzarim,’ which means “Between the straights,” a Hebrew idiom for passage through a difficult place of distress, like the English idiom “between a rock and a hard place.”

The fast of Av concludes the three weeks. On that day, the community reads the book of Lamentations. The sages chose Isaiah 1:1-27 for the Sabbath before the fast of Av because of a close parallel to the opening words of the book of Lamentations as in:

* Eichah, How the faithful city has become a harlot. (Isaiah 1:21)

* Eichah, How lonely sits the city that was full of people! (Lamentations 1:1)

The majority of the Haftarah consists primarily of a lawsuit which the LORD lodges against Israel in general and Judah in particular. At points, both the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah seem to be in view. The LORD condemns Israel as rebellious sons who act corruptly, a sinful nation, weighted down with iniquity. He has chastised them severely already, so much so that the nation is like a wounded man, bruised from head to toe. The land is desolate; cities are burned, and Jerusalem is isolated. The people of Judah continue to maintain a veneer of Torah through Temple rituals and holy days, but they are morally corrupt and far from God. If they will sincerely repent, the LORD will cleanse them and forgive their sins.

The second part of the Haftarah includes a lamenting poem about Jerusalem in which the prophet decries the city’s moral failings but predicts a bright future after the LORD’s intervention. The opening chapter of Isaiah contains the prophet’s primary message: condemnation of sin, warning about the fate of Judah and Jerusalem, predictions of a coming time of disaster and purgation, a denouncement of hypocrisy, a call for repentance, and a promise of Zion’s redemption and restoration. Thus the “vision” of Isaiah 1 opens the scroll of Isaiah because it was “his quintessential rebuke to the Jewish people, for which reason he repeated it again and again in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah,” albeit in different forms and with different words.

To me, the holy prophet Isaiah is my favourite study because he usher in the prophecy of our beloved Master Yeshua’s coming. For this Haftarah study, it is very easy to see the faults of the Jewish people and their stiff-necked stubbornness but doesn’t it also reflect us that we are all the same as the apostate Israel in those days. Let me remind you again that God truly love the Jewish people because He chastise them but later comfort them. I remember that when I was a child I used to play comics card game with my neighbours. My dad caned me very severely because of playing card games and my mom will protect me from the hard cane. When I grew up I realized what my dad did was he taught me a very valuable lesson that I will not go into addicted gambling when I grew up. I hate my dad very much when I was a child but when I grew up I love him very much because he is the representative of HaShem on earth. God is my heavenly Father but my dad is my human father who teaches me the path of righteousness according to the Word of God.

Shalom and until the next Shabbat….