Subject: FFOZ Torah Commentary Date: Wed, 1 Jul 1998 00:53:08 +0000 To: "Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup"<heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
From: Chris Levitt To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com Subject: Re: FFOZ joins Hebraic Roots Global Network Dear Eddie, I am excited as well about FFOZ joining our group. We attended last summer's Treasures in Jars of Clay conference in our area and were very blessed. We have heard many tapes from the Torah Club and highly recommend it--the depth of insight into Scripture is like a deep mine of gold which is being drawn up and out for all to behold! At their conference Boaz mentioned the newsletter for Gentiles, "To the Nations" I think he called it; apparently that is what you refer to in your announcement. Perhaps we can share it with our fellow Christian believers to help them see our "ancient faith" as it really is. Thanks so much. Chris >From Eddie: ************** FFOZ is conducting two Conferences on understanding our Jewish roots. The first will be held in Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minnesota from August 14-16, 1998 at the River Center in Downtown, St. Paul. The second conference is being held in Dallas, Texas at the Radisson Dallas Park Central Hotel. The registration fee is $135 for a single attendee and $235 for a couple. For more information or to register contact: First Fruits of Zion PO Box 620099 Littleton, CO 80162-0099 Phone: (800) 775-4807 E-mail: ffoz_israel@ffoz.org On-line Registration: (http://www.ffoz.org/) *********************************************************************** From: Michele Bartlett To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com Subject: Re: FFOZ joins Hebraic Roots Global Network Eddie -- Halleluja! I've known about FFOZ since the Lord blessed me with a trip to Israel in May 96. They had a booth at a CFI ministry fair in the hotel we stayed at (their Shavuot conference). I started getting the magazine, and the first one I received had an article by Gordon Tessler. Lo and behold, he lives in Raleigh, where we live! I called him, we chatted a couple of times, and a year later he and others started the messianic congregation Beth Lechem here, which I attend when I can. While in Jerusalem our tour group worshipped at King of Kings, where I met Vered Hillel, who is now on staff with FFOZ. What a small world! I'm reading "TH" right now and it's been a blessing. In fact, on a recent plane trip I met a Panamanian Jewish woman; we got to talking about Hebraic roots studies and I showed her a copy of the book! She said she's bought an English Bible to help her improve her English, and "Jesus had some interesting things to say." As you might imagine, we had an interesting conversation -- in English, Spanish and a bit of Hebrew! What will the Lord do next, I wonder? Blessings, Michele ****************************************************************** From: Chele Sansoucy To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com Subject: Re: FFOZ joins Hebraic Roots Global Network Dear Eddie, I think it is wonderful that you have chosen to partner with the First Fruits Of Zion. I have received their magazine for about two years now and enjoy their weekly commentary. I also highly recommend their other material. Yes, in deed it is good that brothers ( and sisters) dwell together. Thank you for adding such good people to our group. Chele Sansoucy >From Eddie: ************** All members of the newsgroup can get a FREE trial issue of the FFOZ magazine. All you need to do is fill out the information located at: http://www.hebroots.org/ffozfree.html You can order their books, "Torah Rediscovered" and "Take Hold" at: http://www.hebroots.org/ffoz.html *********************************************************************** To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com From: Boaz Michael <boaz@ffoz.org> Subject: FFOZ Torah Portion ******************************************************************* Here is your First Fruits of Zion weekly Torah Commentary This Commentary comes from the FFOZ Torah Club Volume One. Torah Club Volume One Korach Torah Reading: Numbers 16:1-18:32 Haftarah Reading: I Samuel 11:14-12:22 Scripture does not say, 'Now Korach contented,' or 'assembled,' or 'spoke,' or 'commanded,' but Korach 'took.' What did he take? He took nothing! It was his heart that carried him away! Bemidbar Rabbah 18.16. How justified was the Lord's death sentence to the generation of people who rejected the land in Bemidbar 16:31-35? Was it too sweeping? After all, not everyone 20 years old or older accepted the spies' report did they? They could not all have been as rebellious as it seemed. Or were they? This week's parasha begins to illustrate just how far the seeds of rebellion had spread in the camp of the Israelites. The problem was more serious than many would imagine. In this parasha, we will see how just one incident of mutiny multiplied itself and resulted in the deaths of nearly 15,000 Israelites-and the 40 years of wandering had only just begun! Let us, therefore, examine Parashat Korach and learn what we can from this rebellion. We will use this outline: - The Challengers - Their Contention - Moshe's Counter - God's Choice - God's Confirmations The Challengers There are three sets of people who set out to challenge the leadership of Moshe and Aaron according to 16:1-3. First, we have Korach, the leader of the rebellion. Being a Levite, he was a close relative of Moshe and Aaron. This fact comes into play when we examine his challenge. Next, there were people from the tribe of Reuven. What is significant in this? Reuven was the first-born of the sons of Jacob. As such, he was normally entitled to the inheritance and family leadership. But, according to Genesis 49, he was by-passed in favor of Joseph and Judah. This detail also will have significance in their challenge. The problem of these malcontents is magnified when we remember that Korach was from the Kohatites. According to the camp arrangements, they encamped and journeyed very close to the Reuvenites-both were located next to each other on the south side of the Mishkan. Let the Midrash make the point: With Dathan and Abiram (16:1)... From this text the saying is derived: 'Woe to the wicked and to his neighbor!' It applies to Dathan and to Abiram, neighbors of Korach?Dathan and Abiram, however, were neighbors to a contentious man, were punished with him and were swept from the world. (Bamidbar Rabbah 17.5). The third set of people is the 250 who stood with Korach, Dathan, and Abiram. We are told that the 250 people were "men from the children of Israel, leaders of the assembly, those summoned for meeting, men of renown" (16:2). In some respects this is the same description for that of the spies. Both were some sort of leaders, ohabt anashim. Furthermore, they all had a name for themselves. The Hebrew text says literally, "men of a name." This means that many knew of them, they were popular in Israel. Finally, being men (anashim), they fell into the category of men whom Rashi in the last parasha defined as "worthy men." >From this description, it seems that some of these 250 were of the Sanhedrin-chosen rulers of Israel whose purpose, according to Bamidbar 11:16, was to assist Moshe in ruling Israel. Accordingly, Rashi describes them as "fitted to be heads of the Sanhedrin." Indeed, "The presence of such a respected delegation naturally lent credence to Korach's grievances." These then, are the leaders of this latest mutiny among the children of Israel. What was their problem? Their Contention These challengers complained to Moshe and Aaron in 16:3 that Moshe and Aaron took too much power upon themselves. Here were two brothers, one was the spiritual leader, and the other was the prophet or lawgiver-the two highest positions in the nation. Our challengers accused them of "selfishly taking power and prestige for themselves at the expense of the rest of the nation which was just as qualified as they," (?for the entire assembly-all of them-are holy). What a Deal! Let us state this challenge a little differently to try to get a grip on what seems to be the gripe of these challengers. From their perspective, it seemed like Moshe and Aaron had a real racket going on. One brother provided the laws, which enabled the other and his family to really rake it in! What a deal! There is also a Midrash that describes the contention in this light. For its fullest impact, I will quote it at length: There was once a widow in my neighborhood who had two daughters and one field. When she came to plow, Moshe said to her, "Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together" (Deuteronomy 22:10). When she came to sow, he said to her, "Thou shalt not sow thy field with divers seeds" (Leviticus 19:19). When she came to reap and stack the corn, he said to her, "Leave gleanings, the forgotten sheaf, and the corner of the field for the poor." When she came to thresh, he said to her, "Give tithes, priestly dues, the first and second tithes." She justified heaven's pronouncement and gave him. What did this poor woman do? She went and sold her field and purchased with the proceeds two lambs, to clothe herself from its shearing and enjoy its products. As soon as they gave birth, Aaron came and said to her, "Give me the first-born since the Holy One blessed be He said, 'Every first-born that shall be born of thy herd and flock, the male one, thou shalt consecrate to the Lord thy God'." She justified heaven's pronouncement and gave him the offspring. The time came for the shearing and she sheared them-came Aaron and said to her, "Give me the first of the shearing since the Holy One blessed be He said, 'And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice'?" (Deuteronomy 18:3). Thereupon she said, "Since I have no more strength to withstand the man, I shall slaughter them and eat them." As soon as she had slaughtered them, Aaron came and said to her, 'Give me the shoulder, two cheeks and maw,' (Deuteronomy 18:3). Whereupon she said, "Even! after I have slaughtered them I am not delivered from his hand. Let hem be forbidden my use." Said Aaron to her, "In that case it is all mine since the Holy One said, 'Every devoted thing?in Israel shall be Mine'" (Numbers 18:14). He took them, departed, and left her weeping with her two daughters. Such was the lot that befell this unfortunate woman! So much they do in the name of the Holy One blessed be He! This is quite possibly how Korach and his conspirators may have felt and thought regarding the leadership of Moshe and Aaron. They posed a challenge to what was perceived to be, by the rebels, a monopoly in the national leadership. Green With Envy? There is another possible aspect to their challenge. The text was very careful to point out the family names of the leaders of this rebellion. If these people wanted to rebel, the fires of jealousy and envy could very easily have spurred them on. Remember that some were from Reuven. They may have thought that their tribe should have been the national leaders instead of Judah, or especially Moshe, who was from Levi. It seems reasonable that when the Reuvenites saw the honored position of Judah in the camp formation, jealousy could easily have taken root. But this jealousy would naturally have been against Judah, not against the descendants of Levi. How did this envy toward Moshe and Aaron get a foothold among the conspirators? It came in through Korach, who himself was a Levite. Also remember, that Korach's family encamped in very close proximity to the Reuvenites. This undoubtedly helped to spread the fires of contention. Accordingly Korach may have been thinking, "Why was Aaron chosen to be the spiritual leader when others may also qualify..Thus Korach was jealous of his cousin Aaron who had received the position of Kohen Gadol, and of his other cousin, Elizafan, son of Uziel, who had been chosen to lead the fa