Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayera - A Covenant and an Inheritance !!! Previously posted ... BURNED ALIVE CHRISTIANS - unspeakable HORROR !!! http://conpats.blogspot.com/ This week’s Parasha is entitled vayera (וירא), which means appeared. It is called that because Abraham receives in Hebron's plains of Mamre three mysterious guests and contains more angelic activity than any of the other parashot. Angels appear to Abraham as men, bringing messages to him and Sarah of future events to come. They also save Lot from a hostile mob, lead Hagar to water for her son, and comfort Hagar with the promise of Ishmael becoming a great nation. Later in the parasha, the angels also prevent Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac. ✡ ✡ ✡ BREAKING NEWS FROM ISRAEL Minute by minute updates here ... http://www.kolbonews.com/ http://www.ynetnews.com/home/ http://www.jewishworldreview. http://www.israpundit.org/ http://pamelageller.com/ The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. Psalm 34:7 KJV Shabbat Shalom - Parasha Vayera - A Covenant and an Inheritance !!! 
Shabbat Shalom
Welcome to Vayera
(And He Appeared), this week’s Parasha
(Torah Portion).
This is the portion of Torah that will be read in
synagogues around the world during the Shabbat (Saturday)
service.
Please read along with us and enjoy !
VAYERA (And He
Appeared)
Genesis 18:1–22:24; 2 Kings 4:1–37; Luke 2:1–38
“The LORD appeared
[vayera] to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he
was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the
day.” (Genesis 18:1)
In last week’s Parasha, God sealed His Covenant with
Abram, which promised the Land to his descendants as an
eternal heritage.
This week’s Parasha contains more angelic
activity than any of the other parashot.
Angels appear to Abraham as men, bringing messages to him
and Sarah of future events to come. They also save Lot
from a hostile mob, lead Hagar to water for her son, and
comfort Hagar with the promise of Ishmael becoming a great
nation. Later in the parasha, the angels also prevent
Abraham from sacrificing his son, Isaac.
 Reading from the Torah scroll
This week’s Parasha is entitled vayera (וירא),
which means appeared. It
is called that because Abraham receives in Hebron's plains
of Mamre three mysterious guests.
It seems that God
is visiting Abraham while he is convalescing
from his Brit Milah
or circumcision, which
had occurred three days prior. Despite his discomfort,
Abraham graciously attends to his guests.
Abraham, in welcoming the three men, is demonstrating
more than just good manners. This attitude of open
hospitality has saved many a nomad’s life in the harsh
desert climate.
In fact, this custom of welcoming
the stranger or hachnasot
orchim is one of two Jewish mitzvot
(commandments) still in existence today that originated in
God’s visit to Abraham during this parasha. The other is bikkur cholim or visiting the sick.
We can be assured that God sees when we are ill, and He
is present to comfort and minister to us. Furthermore,
angels are
still active today to protect, save, help, warn and
encourage us.
“The angel of the LORD
encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.” (Psalm
34:7)
Abraham and the
Angels, by Aert de Gelder
The Brit Milah
The Brit Milah is Judaism’s oldest ritual and the only
mitzvah (commandment) that was carried out communally by the
Israelites before entering the Promised Land. In fact, God
commanded Joshua to take flint knives in order to
circumcise their sons because this covenant had not been
exercised during the desert wanderings.
“Then
Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their
place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not
been circumcised on the way. So it was, when they had
finished circumcising all the people, that they
stayed in their places in the camp till they were
healed. Then the LORD said to Joshua, ‘This day I have
rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.’” (Joshua
5:7–9)
The Talmud (Jewish Oral Law) considers the milah (from
the verb la’mul
meaning to circumcise)
to be equal to all the other 612 commands.
We can see this in Jewish gematria. Since Hebrew
letters are also numbers, the Hebrew word brit,
meaning covenant, has a
numerical value of 612 (bet = 2; reish = 200; yud = 10; tav
= 400).
So when brit (612) is
combined with the singular commandment of the milah in Brit
Milah, it equals 613—in other words, the full number of the
commandments in the Torah.
 Lifting the Torah for all to see
While anyone can be circumcised simply for health
reasons, when a Jewish person fulfills this commandment in
order to be in covenant with God, it elevates the
circumcision as an act of holiness.
The Brit Milah represents our bond with Adonai.
For this reason, it is considered by some people as
something uniquely Jewish; circumcision
is the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham and
His descendants forever. In ancient
times, Gentiles were, therefore, referred to as “the
uncircumcised ones.”
For instance, when David referred to the giant Goliath,
he called him an ”uncircumcised Philistine.”
“For who is this
uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies
of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)
What difference would it make to David and Israel
whether or not Goliath’s foreskin was still intact or not?
David was not announcing the state of Goliath’s physical
condition; rather, he was emphasizing the fact that this
giant was not in holy covenant with the God of Israel.
In other words, David proclaimed a statement of faith
that God would uphold the covenant and protect Israel. It
might have been challenging not to look on the strength and
prowess of his enemy, but David overcame and, instead,
looked to the strength and faithfulness of the God of
Israel.
 Goliath laughs at David, by Ilya Repin
Although the commandment to the Jewish people
to circumcise their sons on the 8th day still holds true,
the Torah tells us that God will circumcise our hearts
and those of our descendants—to love and obey Him—when we
come back into the Land:
“The LORD your God will
circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants,
so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all
your soul, and live.” (Deuteronomy 30:6)
The ancient Hebrew prophet, Jeremiah, also called the
Jewish People to circumcise their hearts:
“Circumcise yourselves to
the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts, O men of
Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem; lest My wrath go forth
like fire, and burn with none to quench it, because of the
evil of your deeds." (Jeremiah 4:4)
The issue of
circumcision extends far beyond the physical and becomes
a crucial matter of the heart.
The circumcision of the heart is not done with human
hands but is only accomplished by the faithful working of
the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) in the lives of those who
follow Yeshua (Jesus).
“In Him you were also
circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by
putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the
circumcision of Messiah.” (Colossians 2:11)
 An Israeli grandfather holds his grandchild after the Brit Milah.
For the Sake of
Ten—The Minyan and the Tithe
As a man in covenant with God, it seems that Abraham is
privy to some insider information.
In this Parasha, Abraham learns of God’s
intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their
sin.
In pleading for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah,
Abraham, whose name means father of a multitude of nations,
lives up to his name by acting as a father who pities his
children. He asks God if His judgment would be stayed if He
found 50 righteous men there.
If 50 were not found, Abraham pleads for the sake of 40,
then 30, then 20, and finally 10. God promises that for the
sake of 10 righteous, He will not destroy the cities.
Ten is an important number corresponding to the tenth
Hebrew letter, yud (י),
which was originally pronounced yad,
meaning arm and hand.
So, we can
understand that in Hebrew, the number 10 is a reference
to the hand of God or arm of the Lord,
which represents salvation (Psalm 60:5 and Isaiah 53:1),
authority (Isaiah 40:10–11), power and strength (Isaiah
28:2), judgment (Exodus 15:11–12), and
mercy (Psalm 17:7).
“Surely the arm of the
LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to
hear.” (Isaiah 59:1)
 The Departure of Lot and His Family from Sodom, by Peter Paul Rubens
Ten is so recognized in Judaism that a minimum of 10 Jewish men, called a minyan,
must be gathered to hold religious services in the
synagogue.
Of course, we can see examples in Scripture where
the number 10 is associated with power and covenant.
God sent Ten Plagues on Egypt to show His power to the
Egyptians and rescue the Israelites. He wrote the Ten
Commandments on tablets of stone for the Israelites so that
they would know how to live holy lives protecting their
covenant relationship with Him.
Ten is also a number of testing. Moses sent out 12
spies to spy out the Land of Israel and 10 came back with an
evil report. In the wilderness, the children of Israel
tested God 10 times (Numbers 14:22). Jacob’s
wages were changed 10 times by Laban. Daniel and his
friends were tested for 10 days in Babylon.
Ten also can represent our covenant obligations. A
tenth of our income is also the required portion to give to
the Lord. This is also a test. Every time we earn money,
the test is to see whether or not we will bring the first
10% to God. It is really a test of our heart—where
is our first loyalty?
Moreover, this is the
only place in the Bible
where God invites us to TEST HIM !
“Bring
the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be
food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD
Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates
of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will
not be room enough to store it.“ (Malachi 3:10)
Tithing—bringing a full tenth of our income into the
house of the Lord—is a test. Our check book register shows
our hearts—what we do with our money is a test.
Also for the sake of ten, a tenth of our income, God
promises to rebuke the devourer. He will not allow
destruction of our material goods for the sake of a tenth.
“I will prevent pests from
devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will
not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD
Almighty. (Malachi 3:11)
 Fresh tomatoes at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv (Photo: Go Israel / Dana Friedlander)
When we find that our profits are being devoured and
there is not enough to meet the need, it is time to check if
we are faithfully tithing.
When we tithe, we are in reality just bringing
to God what belongs to Him. That is why
Scripture uses the word “bring” and not “give.” If
something does not belong to us, it is not ours to keep or
give away.
The tithe does not belong to us; it belongs to the
Lord.
For instance, to find in Scripture where people failed
to bring the tithe and suffered the consequences, we need
look no further than Jericho, the first city Israel
conquered after crossing the Jordan to the Promised Land.
Jericho was the “tithe” of all the other cities because
it was the first one conquered. God told Israel not to take
any of the spoils of Jericho; but one man disobeyed.
Achan roamed the rubble at night, stole money and other
spoils, and hid them under his tent.
Therefore, Israel had no victory until God exposed the
sin, and Achan along with his family and all his belongings
were destroyed.
“Will a mere mortal rob
God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ’How are we robbing
you?’ In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your
whole nation—because you are robbing Me.”
(Malachi 3:8–9)  A Jewish man prays at the Western (Wailing) Wall wearing tefillin (phylacteries) and a tallit (prayer shawl).
Children of
Promise
In entertaining angels, Abraham learned that Sarah, who
was 90, would give birth to a son, despite her old age.
In fact, Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
They called him Yitzchak (Isaac) from the Hebrew word
for laugh—tzchok, because
Sarah laughed when she overhead what the angel prophesied.
But when Yitzchak was born, that laughter
turned from mockery to joy and delight. “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me
laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh
with me.’” (Genesis 21:6)
This contrasts the birth of Ishmael, which brought
strife and sorrow, although Abraham obviously loved him
deeply, and God had promised to make him into a nation.
Things birthed of the flesh most often bring strife and
frustration, but when the Spirit of God gives birth to
something in our lives, it brings joy and laughter, not only
to us but to others as well.
God clearly tells
Abraham and Sarah that although he will bless Ishmael
and make him into a great nation, the covenant will pass
through the lineage of Isaac.
Isaac will inherit the Promised Land.
To protect Isaac and the covenant, Ishmael, son of the
bondwoman, Hagar, is sent away with his mother into the
wilderness where he will learn to foster a relationship with
God by calling out to Him himself.
"God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, 'What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there. Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.'” (Genesis 21:17–18)  Hagar and Ishmael in the Desert, by Giuseppe Zola
Still, Abraham’s faith is tested in a much
deeper way. In Chapter 22, of this Parasha, God
calls him to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.
“Take now your son, your
only son, whom you love, even Isaac, and go into the land
of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon
one of the mountains which I will tell you of.” (Genesis
22:3)
From the beginning, Abraham trusted God, despite the
enormity of God’s command. Perhaps, one of the ways he had
been schooled in that trust was the sending away of his son
Ishmael.
That trust is evident when Isaac asked, "Where is the lamb (seh)?" Abraham told him
that God will provide the Lamb. Yet, for the sake of Isaac,
God provided not a lamb, but a ram
(ayil).
(Genesis 22:13)
Because of Abraham’s faith and trust in God, He provided
a substitute sacrifice for Isaac. Likewise, God Himself provided a
substitute sacrifice for the sins of all who share in
the faith of Abraham.
“For God so loved the
world that He gave (sacrificed) His son, His only son
(whom He loved) so that whoever would believe on Him would
not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
We long for the day when all Israel will be saved, as
Scripture promises:
"Israel will be saved by the LORD with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting." (Isaiah 45:17)
"And so all Israel will be
saved. As the Scriptures say, 'The one who rescues will
come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from
ungodliness.'" (Romans 11:26)
"A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD." (Leviticus 27:30) Shabbat Shalom from the Entire Bibles for Israel Family Abraham and the Angels - Ricci Sebastiano, 1694 Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg In the Old Testament we read of the meeting between Abraham, the first of the great Hebrew patriarchs, and the three angels who symbolized the Holy Trinity , but until the 17th century the subject was rarely treated in Italian art. After the Reformation, the range of themes available to artists broadened considerably. According to the Holy Scripture, Abraham was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day when three men appeared before him. He welcomed them and with the traditional hospitality of the nomad brought them food, not knowing that they were angels. Over the meal one of the visitors predicted that Abraham's childless and ageing wife Sarah would bring him a son. Ricci shows the final moment in the story when the angels reveal themselves to Abraham and predict his future. In fright and reverence the old man falls to his knees. Energetic gestures, large flowing folds of drapery and impressive light contrasts are combined within a balanced, strict composition. The art of Sebastiano Ricci started the period of heyday of 18th-century Venetian painting. http://www.arthermitage.org/ http://www.artclon.com/artist/
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