Shabbat Devarim

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Visit our website will be in Jerusalem at the YMCA. We expect
http://www.jewishadventist.org about 60% of our members to be present; that
means about 600 people. I will give a report
News about this assembly next week.
Day of Joy in Israel Religious Freedom Festival

Parasha
As we announced last week, Sabbath 18th of
July was a Sabbath of Joy for the English speaking The next very exciting gathering we are organizing
churches in Tel Aviv. We have two English speaking is for the day after the spiritual assembly, On Sunday
congregations in Tel Aviv, one composed of Ghanaian July 26, we will have a Festival of Religious Freedom
people and a second of Filipinos. They are very gentle in Jerusalem. It is the first gathering of this kind in
and doing a very good job in Israel. They are well Jerusalem. We have publicized this event among the
appreciated by their employers. After a few weeks of churches and some synagogues in Israel. We sent

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public meetings the pastor, Julio Mendez, had the joy invitations to the radio, television and newspapers
of immersing nine people in the Jordan River. Here in Israel and we hope that many people will join us
is one of the pictures of these people with Julio and for this festival. Even though a synagogue and its

Newsletter n° 330
Mila Mendez. rabbi have agreed to join us, we have noticed that it
is very difficult to mobilize people on the topic of
religious liberty. There are some who consider that
their religious freedom is restricted and prefer not
to participate. They don’t want more restrictions so
they prefer to be silent. For others who consider that
they have full religious freedom in Israel, they don’t
see that it is an issue. They don’t see why we have
to celebrate this freedom. Still others are hostile
to religious freedom, especially Muslims. They
don’t see why they would participate in a Festival
of Religious Freedom. As usual, the Seventh-day
Adventists are the champions of Religious Liberty,
Israel Field’s Spiritual and have been champions since 1901, when they
Assembly created their own non-profit organization. Seventh-
This next Sabbath will be another day of day Adventists continue to promote and to defend
joy for the believers in Israel. Every year we religious freedom for everyone everywhere in the
organize at least two spiritual gatherings for world. It is good for us to work with them. I ask you
the members of our congregations. The first is to pray for the success of this Festival. We expect
a spiritual assembly of one day and the second 250 to 300 people to attend on Sunday at 5:30pm.
is the Sukkoth gathering lasting three or four From the media, we have been contacted by the
days. The one-day spiritual assembly will be French Edition of the Jerusalem Post (the editor
this coming Sabbath, the 25th of July. We have is a personal friend). We gave them an interview
invited three main speakers, Dr Eugene Hsu, and they promised to be in the festival and to give
Vice-President of the General Conference, Dr a report in the paper’s edition next week. We have
John Graz, General Conference Public Affairs also received a promise from one of the journalists
and Religious Liberty Department Director, and of the English Edition of the Jerusalem Post and we
Pastor Harald Wollan, Trans-European Division pray that many more representatives of the media
Secretary. This full day of spiritual assembly will come.
 about to go into the Promised Land? Some answered:
Overview the Book of Devarim is Moshe’s address to the
generation which will be going into the land of Israel.
Devarim These were the children of the people whom Moshe
led out of Egypt. Most of this generation did not
Deuteronomy 1:1-3:22

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witness the Exodus, the Splitting of the Sea and the
his Parasha begins the last of the Five Books
Giving of the Torah. Thus, in the book of Devarim,
of The Torah, Sefer Devarim. This Book is
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Moshe, before his passing, reviews the many miracles

also called Mishneh Torah, “Repetition
which G-d performed for their parents. He also tells
of the Torah” (hence the Greek/English title
Deuteronomy). Sefer Devarim relates what Moshe them of the sins their parents transgressed and the
told Bnei Israel during the last five weeks of his punishments which G-d inflicted upon them. Moshe
life, as they prepared to cross the Jordan into conveys to them the events of the past, so that when
Eretz Israel. Moshe reviews the mitzvot, stressing they enter the Promised Land, they would not repeat
the change of lifestyle they are about to undergo: the mistakes of their parents
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from the supernatural existence of the desert under In the “Mishne Torah” Moshe wants to impress upon
Moshes guidance to the apparently natural life they the generation which will be entering the Promised
Newsletter

will experience under Yehoshuas leadership in the Land the importance of observing the commandments.
Land. For only then will they will be able to inherit and dwell
The central theme this week is the sin of the in the land of Israel.
spies, the meraglim. The Parasha opens with Moshe
alluding to the sins of the previous generation who Hidden meaning

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died in the desert. He describes what would have he Torah states, “. . . on the other side of
happened if they had not sinned by sending spies
the Jordan, in the desert, in the Aravah
into Eretz Israel.
Wilderness, opposite the Sea of Reeds,
Hashem would have given them without a fight all
between Paran and Tophel, and Lavan, and Chazerot,
the land from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates,
and Di-zahav.” (Deut. 1:1)
including the lands of Ammon, Moav and Edom.
Rabbi Chaim ben Attar z”l (1696-1743) observes
He details the subtle sins that culminate in the sin of
that the name each of these place may allude to a
the spies, and reviews at length this incident and its
character trait that Moshe wanted to teach. For
results. The entire generation would die in the desert;
Moshe would not enter Eretz Israel. He reminds example, “the desert” alludes to the trait of humility,
them that their immediate reaction to Hashems as our Sages have said, “A person should always
decree was to want to “go up and fight” to redress behave like a desert” [i.e., humbly, in contrast to a
the sin. He recounts how they would not listen majestic mountain or a mighty river].
when he told them not to go, that they no longer However, Rabbi ben Attar continues, humility
merited vanquishing their enemies miraculously. should not be taken to an extreme. For example,
They ignored him and suffered a massive defeat. a person must not say, “Who am I to give rebuke
They were not allowed to fight with the kingdoms to others?” Rather, one must be like the Aravah.
of Esav, Moav or Ammon these lands were not to The root “ayin-resh-vet” means pleasant. One must
be part of the map of Eretz Israel in the meantime. behave in a way that is pleasing to society. Also, it
When the conquest of Canaan will begin with alludes to “areivut” “responsibility.” One must feels a
Sichon and Og, it will be via natural warfare. responsibility for, and to, others. (Ohr Ha’chaim)

Mishne Tor ah Jewish People’s Honor

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ome scholars among Jews have asked this n parasha Devarim we see that Moses was
question: Why did Moshe find it necessary to concerned by Jewish people honor. He mentions
review the Torah for the generation which was only the names of the places where the Jewish
People sinned, but does not mention the sins every aspect of Jewish life - planning the year,
themselves. where one faced while praying, where one would go
for justice or to learn Torah, where one would bring
Great Kindness certain tithes.

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he Torah states: “And I commanded your On this same day throughout history many
judges at that time saying, ‘Listen among tragedies befell the Jewish people, including:
your brothers.’ “ 1. The incident of the spies slandering the land

Parasha
Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin writes that some judges of Israel with the subsequent decree to wander the
may see themselves as elevated people and the desert for 40 years.
litigants who come to them as wicked. Therefore, 2. The destruction of the first Temple in Jerusalem
the Torah states, “Listen among your brothers.” That by Nevuchadnetzar, King of Babylon.
is, consider anyone who comes to you as a brother 3. The destruction of the Second Temple in
and treat him accordingly. Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 CE.
This concept applies to anyone in a position of 4. The fall of Betar and the end of the Bar Kochba

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authority. It is very easy to treat people as objects. revolt against the Romans 65 years later, 135 CE.
However, our attitude towards others should be, 5. The Jews of England expelled in 1290.

Newsletter
“How would I feel, act and talk if this person were 6. Pope Urban II declared the First Crusade. Tens
my brother?” This is especially important for anyone of thousands of Jews were killed, and many Jewish
who is in a position where people in financial need communities obliterated.
or emotional pain come to him or her for assistance. 7. The Jews of Spain were expelled in 1492 .
The person you are talking with is suffering and
8. World War I broke out on Tisha B’Av in 1914
often might feel embarrassed that he needs to come
when Russia declared war on Germany. German
to someone for help. Be extremely sensitive to his
resentment from the war set the stage for the
feelings. If you are able to make him feel that you
Holocaust.
feel towards him as a close relative, it is a great
kindness. 9. On Tisha B’Av, deportation began of Jews from
the Warsaw Ghetto.
Tisha B’Av is a fast day (like Yom Kippur, from
A new Nation is born

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sunset one evening until the stars come out the next
he main achievements of the Jewish people evening) Like all fast days, the object is introspection,
in the Sinai were making a spiritual accounting and correcting our
(1) The receiving of the Torah ways -what in Hebrew is called, teshuva, returning,
(2) The building of the mishkan (sanctuary), all its to the path of good and righteousness—to the ways
vessels, and furnitures of the Torah.
(3) The appointing of a Sanhedrin Teshuva is a five part process:
(4) The appointing of the officers (1) We must recognize what we have done wrong
They became a new nation in the wilderness. and regret it.
(2) We must stop doing the transgression and
Tish’a Be’av correct whatever damage that we can.

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isha B’Av (July 30, 2009) is observed to mourn (3) We must accept upon ourselves not to do it
the loss of the Temples in Jerusalem. What again.
was the great loss from the destruction of the (4) We must verbally ask the Almighty to forgive
Temples? It is the loss of feeling God’s presence. The us.
Temple was a place of prayer, spirituality, holiness, (5) We must accept the forgiveness offered by G-d
open miracles. It was the focal point for the Jewish through the merits of the Mashiach.
people, the focal point of our Jewish identity. Three On the night of Tisha B’Av we read in the
times a year (Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot) every Jew synagogue Eicha, the book of Lamentations, written
would ascend to the Temple. Its presence pervaded by the prophet Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah)
 But now in front of the Jewish people, he was indeed a
A Chain of Events man of words. Thus, the Torah says, “These are the words
which Moshe spoke to all of Israel.”.

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he Talmud relates an episode in which one
of the wealthy people of Jerusalem had a How much do we love?

A
friend called Kamtza and a foe named Bar- bout 150 years ago, rabbis and Russian government
Kamtza. He sent his servant to invite his friend officials met to try to nullify some of the harsh decrees
of the Russian Czar against Jews, which deprived
Parasha

Kamtza to a party, but the servant mistakenly

invited his enemy, Bar-Kamtza.When the host Jews from earning a decent and respectable livelihood.
During the meeting, Rabbi Menachem Mendel (known by
noticed Bar Kamtza at the party he ordered him
his writings as the Tzemach Tzedek), spoke out strongly against
to leave. Bar Kamtza offered to pay for his share
the Czar for his heartless treatment of Russian Jews.
of the meal. When this didn’t help, he offered
One of the rabbis turned to Rabbi Menachem Mendel and
to pay for half the party and then for the entire said, “You very well know that for this kind of talk you place
party, but was refused. He made him leave the your life in danger and our sages say, “One who willingly
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party in full view of all who attended and with places his life in danger will lose his share in the World-to-
great embarrassment. The chain of events which Come!”
resulted from this episode caused the destruction of Rabbi Menachem Mendel, whose love for his people was
Newsletter

the Second Temple. Thus, during the three weeks boundless, replied, “If my fellow Jews cannot have their share
we have to go to great length in showing our care in this world, of what value is to me my share in the World-to-
and love for others. Come!”

Moses a man of Words be Sensitive to others

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he Midrash asks, “How is it that here the abbi Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz was once invited to
Torah says, “These are the words that Moshe be the guest of a certain individual for the Friday night
spoke,” yet, in the Book of Exodus, when meal. Arriving home with his host, it was immediately
G-d tells Moshe to go speak to Pharaoh and to the obvious that the hostess had fallen asleep from an exhausting
Jewish people in Egypt, Moshe replies, “Oh G-d, Erev Shabbos and had failed to awaken on time to put the
finishing touches to the table. Her embarrassed husband
I am not a man of words...” Moshe claims that he
berated her for her failure to cover the challahs.
cannot speak!
Rabbi Shraga Feivel thought to himself how absurd it was
The Midrash replies: “Rabbi Tanchuma said, This
for the man to humiliate his wife for not having covered the
is compared to a peddler who was going around
challahs—a custom designed to keep the challahs from being
selling material. Wherever he went he would call “embarrassed” during Kiddush and to teach us how sensitive
out, ‘I have special wool to sell.’” we must be to another’s honor. The host, in his concern for the
Once he passed by the palace. The king called custom, had completely ignored its implications.
him over and asked him, “What are you selling?”
The peddler replied, “I have nothing to sell.” EditoR
“But I just heard you announce that you have
special wool to sell,” asked the king.
A newsletter published by the
Said the peddler to the king: “It is true that I
World Jewish Adventist Friendship Center
announced I have good wool to sell. But this is for Under the umbrella of the
the ordinary person. For you, my king, who is so General Conference —Global Mission Of fice
mighty and who has the most expensive materials
that can be found, for you I have nothing to sell and
Richard-Amram Elofer Tel. +972 504 535 121
nothing that you would buy!”
4, Abraham Lincoln Fax +972 2625 1319
The same says Rabbi Tanchuma was with Moshe.
94186 Jerusalem email: richard@elofer.com
In the presence of G-d, who created a person’s
Israel web: jewishadventist.org
mouth, Moshe claimed that he was not a man of
words.
 Haftara Besorat Yeshua
Isaiah 1:1 - 1:27
Mark 6:28-40
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his Shabbat, the Shabbat before the fast of Tisha he text of the parasha Devarim is a
B’Av, is called Shabbat “Chazon,” because the synopsis of what took place with the
Haftorah of this Shabbat begins with the word Jewish people during their 40 years in

Parasha
“Chazon.”
the desert. In this book Moshe has compassion
Haftara: The Haftara continue to give the reasons
on Israel and repeat the law of God for the
of the destruction of Jerusalem. “I reared children
and brought them up, but they have rebelled against second time.
me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its Besorah: The disciples were tired, they
master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people worked very hard with Yeshua but they also
do not understand” (Isaiah 1:3). The L-rd is so upset were full of enthusiasm “The apostles gathered
with Israel that he call her Gomorrah “Listen to around Jesus, and told him all that they had

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the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!” done and taught” (Mark 6:30). Yeshua saw that
they were tired and decided to send them in a
(10) The Almighty said to Israel that he did not
quiet place to take some rest “Come away to

Newsletter
like their sacrifices “What to me is the multitude of
a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a
your sacrifices? says the L-RD; I have had enough
while” (31). However the crowds followed them
of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I
and Yeshua had compassion for these people.
do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of
They were under the rule of a very rude king—
goats” (11). If the L-rd does not like anymore Israel’
who just killed John the Baptist— and without
sacrifice, it is not because G-d is against sacrifices
spiritual shepherd “he saw a great crowd; and
but just because Israel’s ceremonies have lost their
he had compassion for them, because they were
significance for Israel and became just rituals. That’s like sheep without a shepherd (34). Yeshua
why the Lord does not like not only sacrifice but taught the crowds, many hours, the sun was
also Sabbath and feasts “bringing offerings is futile; already down, the disciples were afraid that
incense is an abomination to me. New moon and these people would not find any food, and they
sabbath and calling of convocation—I cannot endure said to Yeshua “This is a deserted place, and the
solemn assemblies with iniquity. Your new moons hour is now very late; send them away so that
and your appointed festivals my soul hates; ” (13- they may go into the surrounding country and
14). The L-rd never lose hope, his people is still his villages and buy something for themselves to
people, “Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; eat” (35-36). Yeshua gives them a very strange
remove the evil of your doings from before my eyes; order “You give them something to eat” (37a).
cease to do evil, ” (16). It is a call to repentance “Come How could it be possible for the disciples to give
now” (18). The Lord is a God full of forgiveness food to five thousand people? “Are we to go and
and love for his people “though your sins are like buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and
scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red give it to them to eat?” (37b) The disciples are
like crimson, they shall become like wool. If you are ready to take all the responsibility, even though
willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the they don’t know how to do it. However Yeshua
land” (19-20). Whatever Israel done in the past, G-d is will show them that it is impossible to do this
willing to forgive. However, if the people don’t want task without help from above. Yeshua ask a
to repent and to ask forgiveness, the L-rd will not be simple question “How many loaves have you?
able to bless them and they will fall under the rules Go and see.” When they had found out, they
of other power as Babylon and many others. The said, “Five, and two fish” (38). They had only five
text ends with a positive statement, “I will restore leaves and two fish, that is nothing to feed five
your judges as at the first, and your counselors as thousand people. But Yeshua did the miracle
at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the and they were able to feed all this people. this
city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be miracle was possible because the disciples
redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by were obedient. Are we obedient in order to let
righteousness” (26-27). Yeshua to perform miracles in our life?