One Torah for All

Shavuot Chaos 82-3

The Feast of Weeks has come amid such chaos

From War in the East to massacres in schools.

With horrid wars still raging throughout the world,

It's as if People no longer follow rules

Of common decency, respect for others,

Accepting we all are sisters and brothers...

No Peace can we reach in this Shavuot time.

Study and Prayers just can not tow the line...

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Chag Shavuot Sameach and Shabbat Shavuot Shalom! We at Beit Torah ask how can we study to best understand our liturgy?

Shabbat Shavuot 5783; First Fruits, Converts, Equality of All; Torah 1= Shemot

ch. 19-20, B'MIdbar 28:26-31; 2= Dvarim 14:22-16:17, B'Midbar 28:26-31

Haftorot: 1= Ezekiel 1:1-28, 3:12; 2= Chavakuk 2:20, 3:1-19

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Day 1 Shavuot Torah:

Moshe’s People kept on their way while Yitro went on home.

Refidim to Mt. Sinai’s desert, from Egypt three moons.

A volcanic area with quakes, smoke, fire, and earth groans -

Mt. Sinai’s South South East - ish of Midian in Arabia’s dunes...

There HaShem promised if to the Brit you do adhere,

You will be my Special Treasure, Holy Nation I will near

With a kingdom of Priests... Folk replied: We'll follow the laws

And we'll study to understand, too, their why's and because...

There's a rest place with three days of purification tasks:

Do not touch the mountain nor your women; wash clothes;

Then listen to the words coming from behind the smoke cloud:

This is our covenant, ten terms to our Brit...

So said HaShem, “These covenant terms are ones you must meet”:

The only deity that you shall have must now be me!

No idols are allowed! By my name, no swearing falsely!

Keep the Sabbath day of rest with all livestock and folks -

Except wives are not on the list to not work for their blokes!

Honor your parents! No murder allowed! No adultery

With married women permitted! Stealing of spirits, souls,

Or the selves of others is forbidden! Dishonesty

In tales about neighbors also a very big no-no!

Yet was it only about neighbors or of any folk?

Just like don’t covet neighbors’ holdings – or others’ also?

The mountain of lightning, thick smoke, and thunder was so loud

The mountain trembled, horn blasts grew louder scaring the crowd.

Those very frightened People begged Moshe to intercede

So they themselves would not hear directly HaShem’s words.

Moshe did as they asked so HaShem’s words only he heard:

“Build now an earthen altar, for sacrifices to be blessed -

No idols thereon nor ever should be built anywhere…

So use then un-hewn stone for an altar without steps.

No lewd dancing, modesty in worship, joy should be there...”

Haftorah: Ezekiel and the ET

After thirty years a captive, Ezekiel saw

A vision of a most unexplainable awe!

A whirlwind from the north brought a fiery cloud

From which emerged four strange, sparkling robotic probes

Each with four faces and four wings and noise very loud

From a man in a bridge window above light strobes

Pulsing rainbow colors within the cloud cover.

While the probes raced about like lightning, he hovered...

Each probe stood on tripod: two legs and a gyro wheel

Which kept the probes stable as upper whirling wings

[Rotor] and lower wings [rudders] could then reveal.

When stopped, the soft cloven footed, straight legs could bring

A view of the four faces: eagle, ox, lion, man;

And the claws under each wing; rudder wings closed tight;

And a rim full of eyes, - all burning bronze, sparkling with light...

Above, the amber colored man, on throne of flame

Engulfing a crystal base, was heard to exclaim:

Blessed be! Glory to HaShem from HaShem's stand!

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Day 2 Shabbat Shavuot Torah

All offerings should be at the designated place,

Although must be observed even if too far away -

So if tithes the trip to the Holy Site won’t survive

Then they are to be sold with all funds hence to be used

On many goods at the designated Holy See

Of the Levites’ refuge, to boost the economy,

While making sure strangers, orphans, widows, and needy

Are always provided for not just on all feasts!

Now each seventh year remission of debts for the poor

Expected to default yet still given loans before…

Further release of indentured servants if they want

So all released plus the poor can get a new start…

Compassion’s the lesson for generations to flaunt…

We’re told the first born are consecrated to the Priests.

No repeat mention is made of the Pidyon HaBen…

Of importance it is said to celebrate all Feasts

With no work for all folk on Shabbatot Holy Days

(includes strangers and servants despite all their strange ways-)

Pascal offering, seven unleavened days, and then

The Feast of Weeks and of Booths the whole household rejoices

At pilgrimage times with Feast special rites until when

First fruits or harvests' produce appear on our tables

And each person will offer as much as one's able:

Sephard unblemished offered; Ashkenaz other choices…

Haftorah:

Chavakuk's prayer is our Haftorah today.

He witnessed HaShem's glory in controlling all

Heaven and Earth with both mercy and wrath in play,

With afflictions and salvations bad and good did call...

Seeing this he declared: In HaShem I'll rejoice

For the strong uplifting strength that gives me his voice!

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In the news: Friday Kabbalat Shabbat Zoom Link, 4 pm MST. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82350746255?pwd=UTNLYzUrMHhObnpKbCtyRm9Rc0FlQT09

Meeting ID: 823 5074 6255 - if asked: Passcode: Peace

Shavuot 5783

Seven weeks we have counted since Seder times,

Even less since Lab B'Omer bar-b-q time...

So now we are ready our first fruits to eat;

Boaz's Ruth to study as converts we greet;

Our Loved Ones to recall with Yiskor prayers

After staying up all night for soul repairs...

We embrace with open hearts this Feast of Weeks

And fervent pleadings that our World soon finds Peace!

5/20

Shabbat B'Midbar Shalom! We at Beit Torah ask what expectations should we have of our leaders?

Shabbat B'Midbar 5783; Leaders, Protectors, Obligations, Responsibilities;

BaMidbar 1:1-4:20; Hosea 2:1-22

Why ‘Numbers’ when ‘in the desert’ the Hebrew says

For this next Book of Torah we now embrace?

Perhaps since it starts with many a census counts:

Of elected tribal Chiefs (for just dealings – a fount);

Of draft aged men; of one month old males and older;

(Giving a basis for assessing taxes due;)

Of all Levites en toto and by each clan’s case -

Not once but twice to assign tasks each must shoulder

Ages thirty to fifty, light tasks for older base

When post-fifty wisdom is the skill used best:

How to dismantle and assemble Mishkan parts;

How to organize the camp, all facing the ark,

By each unit of each tribe at Moshe’s behest.

In charge of Priestly functions were Aaron and sons

For some of tasks needed they were the only ones!

Now when the counts and task appointing were all through,

Aaron's family line and Moshe's were described -

Too for other clans, later leading to much strife...

If elef is one thousand, the census seems wrong.

Yet if elef is a unit of six or five,

The numbers to camp for forty years and survive

Are reasonable in a desert clime to belong.

Since Reuven’s misbehaviours it possibly seemed

That the Levites were viewed like first born by HaShem…

Hence first born sons for the Priests could then be redeemed

At five shekels a head by the Pidyon HaBen.

Haftorah, Hosea

Of a spiritual desert Hosea wrote

In our Haftorah portion for this week’s readings.

By temptations refused, the Exodus recalled,

Our bond with HaShem restored by Mitzvot heeding;

To HaShem our Nation espoused in faithfulness

With Children of the Living G!d in righteousness;

To our Brit: mercied devotion through just goodness...

How then was it a spiritual desert place?

The chasing of wealth and gods did goodness erase,

Bounty from G!d misused in unethical pursuits,

Like a 'wife' engaged in harlotry gave G!d the boot...

Israel's the wife, mother to be rebuked

Until enticed to return to the Law once more

So that full bounty and mitzvot can be restored

Without harlots, idolatry, hate emoted -

So that a Brit of safety's made with the devoted

To HaShem's Laws and Mitzvot so as to become

HaShem's "my people", a Nation acting as one

With an end to strife for all that lives - war no more!

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Shabbat Naso, 6/3

Shabbat Nasso 5783; Vows, Priestly Duties, Nazarites, Gifts vs. Bribes;

BaMidbar 4:21-7:89; Judges 13:2 -13:25

Now we learn more of how Levites special were made:

Merarites stood to protect Mishkan contents all

Which were sacred to HaShem and the Tribes it’s said;

Gershonites transported Mishkan parts without falls;

Kohathites maintained the Tent of Meeting quite well

While each clan performed its tasks, too many to tell…

With the Mishkan fully anointed and all therein,

With appointed duties to different Levite clans,

Daily offerings each by another Chieftain,

Twelve came to dedicate the Altar as per plan.

Above the Ark of the Pact in the Meeting Tent

Moshe spoke with, heard from HaShem when there he went.

One said to be impure outside the camp was placed

While those who had stolen were then given a break

At a hundred twenty percent repayment take,

Not two hundred... [ Was it guilty conscience based?]-

Yet since perishable gifts to named Priests were okay,

One wonders: were there bribes to limit costs that day?

Communal non-perishable gifts to coffers saved

Allowed Mishkan functioning in every case

Such as for women accused of being unchaste,

Then given floor dirt and cursed ink flavored water

To cause childlessness if an unfaithful daughter,

But not death, just shaming, from the cursed bitter ink

Or bitterness when falsely accused one might think…

Yet no consequence for a false accuser was made…

[Paranoid misogynistic men on parade?]

Now the Nazarite vows were not taken lightly,

Required no takes of grapes or ferments in any form,

No hair cuts, no nearing the dead. So was the norm.

If someone present died, vows restarted once more

After seven days impure shaved rightly,

With purifying rites for spirit to restore.

Speaking of Nazarites, it’s good to know

That the Haftorah for this week, as Judges goes,

Is of the birth of Samson with his Mother’s vows

Of no grapes nor ferments nor wines nor nearing death

To finally have a child to raise with each breath,

Nazarite child to suppress Philistines somehow,

A male child who grew to be by HaShem quite blessed

Like our portion ending with three Priest blessings blessed...