Parashat Shelach

[debi b]

Weekly Torah reading for June 25, 2005
Parashat Shelach
Bamidbar 13:1-15:41


Bamidbar
13:1 And Adonai spoke to Moses, saying,
13:2 Send [send = shelach] men, that they may spy the land of Canaan, which I give to the people of Israel; of every tribe of their fathers shall you send a man, every one a leader among them.

Many messianics read the weekly Torah readings. Generally, Torah is the name given to the first five books of the Bible, although there are times when it refers to a larger body of text. The most basic meaning of the word Torah is teaching. Torah is HaShem’s (G-d’s) teaching to His people. In the Torah, HaShem tells us how to live. They are HaShem’s instructions to us. Each week we read a passage from the Torah. This passage is referred to as a parashah (if used in combination with the name of the passage parashah becomes parashat).

The Hebrew names of the first five books are derived from the first few words of the book. Bereshit = Genesis; Shemot = Exodus; Vayikra = Leviticus; Bamidbar = Numbers; Devarim = Deuteronomy. The Hebrew names for the parashah (passage) comes from the first few words in the reading.

Let us try to understand the Torah,
not as a book of law, and surely not as a book of lore, but as the book of life.
Let us read with our eyes and listen with our souls.
May our lives be transformed to what HaShem intended them to be.

[debi b]

They were in the desert of Paran when they were sent out to explore the land. Not to sidetrack too much but was thinking about Paran:

Devarim 33
1 And this is the blessing, with which Moses the man of Elohim blessed the people of Israel before his death.
2 (K) And he said, YHVH came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir to them; he shone forth from Mount Paran, and he came with holy tens of thousands; from his right hand went a fiery law for them.

Habakkuk 1
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to a poem.
2 YHVH, I have heard your report, and I was afraid; YHVH, revive your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 Elohim comes from Teiman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
4 And his brightness is like the light; rays flash from his hand, and there is his power hidden.
5 Before him goes pestilence, and burning coals go forth at his feet.
6 He stands, and shakes the earth; he beholds, and causes the nations to tremble; and the everlasting mountains are dashed in pieces, the everlasting hills bow; his ways are as of old.

What got me thinking about this is Paran is spelled !raP and the verb it comes from raP means to adorn, glorify. Which got me thinking about what Moshe said in Devarim.....

[Henaynei]

What got me thinking about this is Paran is spelled !raP and the verb it comes from raP means to adorn, glorify. Which got me thinking about what Moshe said in Devarim..... Ok, now you have us in suspense - D'varim is a pretty big book - to which utterance are you referring ;)