The Jerusalem Prayer List – 26 July, 2024
The Torah Portion Pinchas – Shabbat July 27, 2024
by Joseph Shulam - From Jerusalem Israel
One of my very favorite Torah portions is the portion Pinchas. (Numbers 25:10-30:1).
My whole life as a believer, my personal and private challenge is understanding and knowing God, who created the world and everything in it. The Torah portion Pinchas presents us with several unique and unusual characteristics of God and men. Torah Pinchas could be used to teach anarchism. If someone would like to teach righteous indignation and take the law into one's private hands, Pinchas is the right Torah portion. Suppose someone would like to teach and espouse courage outside the box with an unusual, self-sufficient attitude that does not consider the appointed leadership's official authority; this is the correct Biblical text to teach and justify it.
This Torah portion reveals how God is much more understanding and appreciative of courage and personal initiative over people who seek evil, injustice, and defamation of God and His people, waiting for bureaucrats or police sergeants to give them permission to explode with righteous indignation and take personal action.
The question for the slow and square pew-warming Christian or Synagogue Tallit covered gold embroidered Kippah nominal social member of the synagogue is this: Does God appreciate and reward divine Zealotry? Is there a time that is right to be a Zealot for God and His Kingdom and not wait for the sedated officials and messengers of the demented establishment to take action and make things right?
Let us look at our Torah portion and learn something not usually taught and encouraged in most Orthodox Synagogues and churches.
Characteristics of God:
1. Divine Reward for Zealotry:
God recognizes and rewards Pinchas for his zealous action in killing Zimri and Cozbi to stop a plague, demonstrating God's support for people who have zeal when it is in defense of righteousness and the covenant. God honors zealous and upright people who defend the covenant and are committed to keeping God's commandments and the good of His people.
God grants a Covenant of Peace to the one who took the law into his own hands, overriding the presence and authority of Moses and Aaron and all the elders of Israel. The leadership of Israel is impotent just standing there watching Zimri – the president of the tribe of Simeon, having sex at the very entrance of the holy tabernacle with the princes of Moab Cozbi. The following verse is one of the saddest texts in the whole Torah:
"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the LORD, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may turn away from Israel.". So Moses said to the judges of Israel, "Every one of you kill his men who were joined to the Baal of Peor." (Numbers 25:4-5 NKJV)
2. Pinchas takes action without asking permission from the old leadership. Pinchas has a bold and courageous initiative to protect the reputation of God and His people without waiting for the established leadership's approval. Pinchas knew the leadership and that if he asked for permission, there would be a board meeting, discussion, and debate, and no decision would be passed for political reasons. A second board meeting will be convened, and there will be a debate by that time; half of the camp of Israel will have their drawers down, having sex with their neighbor's wives and daughters. It is fascinating that for the abrupt violence and killing of Zimri and Cozbi, God rewards Pinchas and grants Pinchas a "covenant of peace" (Brit Shalom) and a perpetual priesthood for his act individual initiative to kill the two sex maniacs and stop the plague on all of Israel.
3. Everything that Yeshua did during his short lifetime was outside the Box, not asking permission from any of the authorities that ruled this land in those days. He didn't ask permission to walk on water in the Sea of Galilee. He didn't ask permission to feed 5000 people with two fish and five pita bread. Pinchas also didn't go to the Sanhedrin and ask the elders for permission to kill and publicly execute Zimri, the Moabite Prince, and Cozbi, the daughter of the king of Moab. Pinchas took the spear and pierced both Zimri and Cozbi by pinning them both to the ground and killing them. Moses, Aaron, and the elders of Israel stood by, wringing their sweating hands and saying, "My my my!" What Pinchas did was out of the box. More unusual was that God rewarded this act of violence with an eternal covenant of PEACE, given to Pinchas alone. God's action and reward for Pinchas is the opposite of Pinchas' violent action. God's action shows the complexity of divine justice and the importance of intent behind what would legally be unlawful action.
Pinchas was not a judge, police chief, head of the FBI, tabernacle security, or the authority on what is moral or a measure of uprightness. He was a young man without a title, full of holy zeal and anger, and maybe some impressive impatience that motivated him to stop the disgrace and defamation of God and His people in front of the Tent of Meeting, the place of worshiping the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob!
4. If someone today in Gaza would do this kind of deed in some ceremony or official military parade – he most likely would be tried in a military court and sent to prison for taking the law into his own hands.
5. Immediately after the episode with Pinchas, the Torah returns to its regular instruction tasks with significant details on the sacrifices, more information on how to make the sacrifices, and the importance of following the divine code of Torah Law with meticulous details.
I like these developments in the Torah – Drama – Drama – Drama….
Excitement, abominations, sex, murder, and impotence of the old and established political and religious leadership of Israel!!! - Then, return to calm and meticulous details of regular everyday worship and sacrifices in the tent of the meeting. Levites and Priest added oil and lit the candelabra early in the morning. Others are preparing the morning sacrifices. Others are getting wood ready close to the altar. Others prepare the Myrrh and Frankincense for the incense to make a pleasant smell pleasing to the Lord in His dwelling.
There is a time when a righteous person can't wait for the authorities to handle things and execute them quickly and at the right time. I pray that there will also be such zeal in our congregation for what is right and for what is good for the body of the Messiah and Israel. Men and women would rise, stand up, and even fight vigorously with determination and truth to see that the wrong is straightened and the crooked is made straight.
I like this relationship of God with His people. I like the fact that God can appreciate and allow men who think outside the box and break the monotony of hum-drum everyday routine to show God's true character like Pinchas did by taking the LAW into his own hands when the old politicians in shock and didn't know what to do other than wring their sweaty hands together and say, My – My -My God what is going on here? The Bible contains characters who broke the laws and fought against all odds for what is correct to win, even against the rules.
6. From this portion, I learn something about God and what He likes and respects
1. Zeal and Courage: Pinchas exhibits extraordinary zeal and courage by taking immediate action against Zimri and Cozbi, risking his life and place in the community. He stood alone against the public sin. His actions highlight the importance of individual responsibility and initiative in maintaining communal holiness. Sometimes, this must be done against the majority and the law of the land. We ought to notice that the great characters of the Bible all broke the law and didn't wait for permission to do what they did, and God blessed them and used them to save Israel. Look at Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, the son of Nun, King David, Hosea, Amos, and on and on…. Many characters in the Bible were not perfect, but their commitment to God was always without question.
2. One of the things that the Torah portion teaches us about leadership is that leadership in the Bible is not automatically inherited.
3. In our Torah portion, we see the very critical legal situation in which women did not have the right to inherit their father's (family) property and wealth. In our Torah reading we find the case of the daughters of Zelophehad. Their father didn't have sons. He had only daughters. These daughters boldly petition Moses to receive their father's inheritance rights. They request that Moses change the Torah, change the law, and allow daughters to receive the inheritance of their father, another very bold story. Moses petitions God, and God changes the law and the Torah and will enable daughters to receive their father's inheritance (with some logical concessions) to keep the property in the tribe and not, with time, delete and change the borders of the tribal land. It is another bold move by Zelphehad's daughters and the flexibility of Moses and God himself. Moses and God realized that the present law in the Torah does not consider that a family would have only daughters and no sons. So, when those daughters of Zelophehad brought their grievance before Moses and Moses took it up to God, God realized that the Torah should not limit the family's inheritance to the male children and extend to the family's daughters.
4. This week's Torah reading, both in the case of Pinchas and the case of the daughters of Zelophehad, teaches us how much grace, understanding, and flexibility God has in His Torah and how much God takes into account our human weaknesses and needs and is willing to adjust and adapt the Torah to the need of the people in that point in History and adjust the system to the best possible circumstances for His human children.
URGENT NEED!!!!!
Netivyah Bible Instruction Ministry and Roeh Israel Congregation in Israel have an urgent need to repair the roof of their building before the rainy season starts. There is a significant problem with leaking water from the ceiling. Water leaks from the roof into our synagogue three floors down and must be fixed immediately. The only way to fix this water leak is to remove the whole roof and redo it right to seal and waterproof the roof. The estimated cost of this urgent repair work on our building in Jerusalem is around USD 100,000. It is significant repair work, and it has to be performed by experts, and it has to be finished before the end of August 2024. Please help.
updates or requests please email us at:
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Your prayers for brothers and sisters you don't know personally are pure love and building of the Body of the Messiah. It is Agape Love since you are doing this without any selfish interests and casting a vote in Heaven for someone who is your brother. Still, you don't know them, and God looks at these prayers that are unselfish and genuine expressions of love and care for another link in the long chain of love and faith that binds us together even though we might not know each other in this world.
When we all get to Heaven, it will be a joy to meet people we prayed for and sometimes even cried for. Brothers and sisters who are physically strangers but spiritually a part of the same body of Christ, I believe that one day we will have the privilege to sit together and share: "I remember praying for you to be healed!" "I remember praying for you to be safe when you were fighting in Gaza to free the hostages from the cruel hands of the terrorists of the Hamas in Gaza."
Pray for the following brothers and sisters who need divine grace and the gentle touch of the hand of God for healing and strength.
In Jerusalem:
update Joseph & Marcia Shulam
Additional test and scans are scheduled next week for his Thyroid with biopsy were done in the stomach and we are waiting on results. We pray for meaningful findings. Marcias cognitive test today showed status quo from the test last six months ago. We are thankful for no decline in her dementia.
Ilana Ahijervie is a dear sister who is 98 years old and suffering from memory problems.
Please pray for our dear sister, Lea Kurkey.
Pray for Adam's father and mother, Barry and Dalia. They have some health problems and challenges.
Pray for Hannah suffering from Migraine Headaches. Miriam is a dear sister old age dementia.
Pray for Daniel S. and his children.
Pray for Gary, our dear leader in the Ro'eh Israel congregation, and his health, as well as for his wife Melanie and their family.
Pray for Um Mahmud Abu-Eid, Jimmy Abu-Eid, and all of the family. This is a dear family of old friends that needs healing and wisdom for the children and for their work.
Please pray for the Romero family, who live deep in the Negev desert. It is hot there, and they are far from our congregation, and we miss them.
In the U.K.:
Pray for Deborah Isaiah. I pray for the Lord to find Deborah Isaiah and lead her to a blessed life, family, and a solution to her problems.
In Finland:
Mauno Lemponen has been diagnosed with cancer in advanced stages. We are asking for God's Will to be done, giving him healthy days with family—prayers for Hilka, Miika, and Ester, who support each other.
Pray for Keijo and Salme, our dear partners and fellow workers in God's flock. Both Keijo and Salme have some challenging heart issues.
Pray for Satu-Maria, Sinni Tuuli, Anne Mirjami, our dear sisters
Pray for Eva H., Patty, Andrea, Julia, Victor, Aaron Tani, and Hillel.
In Brazil:
Pray for the Congregations related to Netivyah in Brazil to have the strength and stamina to face the challenges ahead of them with courage and strength of faithfulness to the Lord and to the vision of the restoration of the church and Israel.
Pray for the millions of victims of the Spanish and Portuguese Inquisition who have been forced to convert to the Catholic church and now want to return home to the land of Israel and the faith of our fathers.
Pray for a dear young man, Paulo, from Curitiba, Brazil, who seriously needs our prayers for sanity and mental health.
Pray for a dear sister named Claudia Rita Souze Arau. She has cancer and needs God's healing hands to touch her with healing.
Pray for Fatima Maria Docarmo Guimararaes - pray for her health and her granddaughters' twin babies.
Guilherme Antonio Nothen Becker is suffering from back problems.
Aratuza de Oliveira and his wife. Pray for their 3-year-old child, Caique de Oliveira Becker, who has severe problems with his eyes, and ask the Lord to give healing to his eyes.
In Asia:
Pray for Pastor TJ in Taiwan.
Pray for Deborah Ruth, a dear sister from China.
Pray for Sister Yoko Nagumo in Japan.
Tony Tam, his wife Luisa, and his son Marco need special prayers for their situation.
We continue to pray for Zhou Wenrian, the Abe family, Toru San, Yumi Ohara, and her family: Deborah Ruth, Ayla, Daniel, and their daughter.
Pray for Dr. Song and his wife, Sister Harriet Kim and the KIBI Ministry.
In the United States of America:
Larry is asking for prayers for his grandchildren. I would say most of us that have grandchildren are concerned about the states of the world. The state of intolerance. The temptations out there. Please pray for the holy sprit to guide them in making good choices.
Bill C. is undergoing some additional consultation and planning for dealign with a new Cancer diagnonsis. Pray for Jill supporting him.
Please continue to pray for the daughter of Bill Culwell, who is sick with cancer and is receiving a new third round of treatment. Please pray for success and healing.
Brother Philip Slate and his wife. She is suffering from several physical and mental health challenges.
Barbra and Angie in Alaska. Barbra has some pains and discomfort related to old age. Please lift them in prayer for strength and reduction in pain.
Jonathan Bernis is in a long six-month recovery from a liver transplant. We thank God for this match. Please pray for this new liver to function and provide much-needed function. Please pray for Elisangela and the girls and the doctors and nurses attending our dear brother Jonathan Bernis.
Please pray for Danah, my daughter's health issues. I pray for the Lord to give Danah wisdom, peace, and calm in life and her work.
Aaron Hook, Nancy Hook's oldest son, needs our prayers for wisdom and healing from past life issues.
Lift for blessing and healing Jonathan B., his wife Aviva, their new baby, his mother, and his brother Daniel.
Pray for these important men of God: Rabbi Salt, his family, and Rabbi Hasselblad. They are both older and need protection and blessings.
Also, pray for Ilana Avramov, who is married to my cousin Nissim and lives in New York City. Ilana has fallen and is now in rehab, learning how to walk again. We pray for her full recovery. She and Nissim both need our prayers.
Pray for Steve Mock - His cognitive condition has declined, and we ask for the grace of God and His Healing and strength. Steve and Josie's son Joseph has received a wonderful and glorious report. After the last bone marrow transplant, the report is that the doctors didn't find any leukemia in his body! Praise the Lord!
I am asking for a special prayer for a dear brother and friend who is now doing very important work in a very dangerous and precarious part of the world. Just mention DadyLion in your prayers and ask for divine protection and angelic accompaniment for this man of God.
For updates or requests please email us at:Prayer@netivyahinternational.org
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