Baby showers galore!
...And a sixth boy! A seventh boy!! Look, it's the eighth boy! Your ninth boy! It's a tenth baby boy! It's a girl! It's boy number eleven!
Today's reading is from Beresheet (Genesis) chapter 30.
Beresheet 30:1-8 "Now when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said to Jacob, 'Give me children, or else I die!' And Jacob's anger was aroused against Rachel, and he said, 'Am I in the place of Elohim, who has withheld you the fruit of the womb?' So she said, 'Here is my maid Bilhah; go in to her, and she will bear a child on my knees, that I also may have children by her.' Then she gave him Bilhah her maid as wife, and Jacob went in to her. And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son. Then Rachel said, 'Elohim has judged my case; and He has also heard my voice and given me a son.' Therefore she called his name Dan. And Rachel's maid Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. Then Rachel said, 'With great wrestlings I have wrestled with my sister, and indeed I have prevailed.' So she called his name Naphtali."
Now Jacob has three wives, two of which are literally competing to see who will have the most sons for Jacob, and the third is helping out the second. Talk about sibling rivalry!
Beresheet 30:9-13 "When Leah saw that she had stopped bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob as wife. And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a son. Then Leah said, 'A troop comes!' So she called his name Gad. And Leah's maid Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. Then Leah said, 'I am happy, for the daughters will call me blessed.' So she called his name Asher."
Jacob is now married to four women, still competing against each other. If you'll notice, however, Jacob isn't talking about loving anyone other than Rachel. He hasn't suddenly developed a fancy for Zilpah or Bilhah, he hasn't mentioned loving Leah, there's only Rachel.
Beresheet 30:14-16 "Now Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them to his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, 'Please give me some of your son's mandrakes.' But she said to her, 'Is it a small matter that you have taken away my husband? Would you take away my son's mandrakes also?' And Rachel said, 'Therefore he will lie with you tonight for your son's mandrakes.' When Jacob came out of the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, 'You must come in to me, for I have surely hired you with my son's mandrakes.' And he lay with her that night."
I don't really know what mandrakes are. I'm guessing they're some kind of plant. At any rate, Leah's winning the competition, but not winning Jacob's love. Jacob loves only one of his wives, and Leah can't change that.
Beresheet 30:17-21 "And Elohim listened to Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob a fifth son. Leah said, 'Elohim has given me my wages, because I have given my maid to my husband.' So she called his name Issachar. Then Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. And Leah said, "Elohim has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons.' So she called his name Zebulun. Afterward she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah."
Leah and Zilpah have had a total of eight boys for Jacob, and Rachel's maid Bilhah had two. Ten boys now. Oh, and one girl. Dinah, though she is only a girl, is not to be forgotten; what happens to her later starts a feud. If you could call it that. I think it might better be described as a massacre...
Beresheet 30:22-24 "Then Elohim remembered Rachel, and Elohim listened to her and opened her womb. And she conceived and bore a son, and said, 'Elohim has taken away my reproach.' So she called his name Joseph, and said, 'Yahuah shall add to me another son.'"
Eleven boys now, and one girl. Twelve children in all at the moment, and Rachel is already expecting a thirteenth. Only one was really born to Rachel though, and that is Joseph. Traditionally, special privileges go to the firstborn, but will Jacob count Reuben as his first born, or Joseph as his first born? What of Zilpah and Bilhah's sons? Or will he just say he has four firstborn sons and split up the special treatment between the four of them? You have to remember though, Jacob still only loves Rachel.
Beresheet 30:25-26 "And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said to Laban, 'Send me away, that I may go to my own place and to my country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you.'"
Jacob's been working as a shepherd for Laban ever since he first met Rachel. It's hard to say how long ago that was, but he worked seven years before marrying Leah, and has had twelve kids thus far... Let's guess one kid per year... He's worked roughly nineteen years for Laban. Give or take. A general summary of the rest of the chapter goes thusly... Laban wants Jacob to take some sheep and goats with him; he can take the speckled and brown ones; Laban wants only the white ones. Jacob then shows what he knows about the sheep-breeding process, and how he realized that spots and speckles and general brown-ness are genetic traits passed down through generations of sheep and goats... Basically, he wound up with a LOT of sheep and goats.
A little bit of homework: Look up the names of Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Dinah, and Joseph. There's a link at the end of yesterday's post.
Tomorrow's reading is Genesis 31.
-Kj
Monday, March 29, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Happy Passover!
Today's reading is from Genesis (Beresheet) 29.
Beresheet 29:1-3 "So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks A large stone was on the well's mouth. Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well's mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well's mouth."
Ok, it's totally understandable that he'd come across a few flocks of sheep, this is after all, sheep country. But why go through that process of pulling the rock off the well's mouth, watering the sheep, and then putting it back on time after time? Well, water is kinda scarce over in that section of the globe. I've heard that in order to get to it via well, you have to dig really really deep and through some stuff that is a lot harder than dirt. I'm no geologist, so I couldn't tell you exactly what they were digging in, but it was probably hard work, what with a general lack of modern machinery and CAT cranes. How does this all tie in? Not only is water scarce over there, but it is HOT. Really hot. Think... desert. What happens when the water, even in the bottom of the well, gets really hot? Evaporation. That rock over the top of the well was keeping the water shaded so the sun couldn't get to it to heat it up and have it disappear. And that is your blogger science lesson of the day.
Beresheet 29:4-8 "And Jacob said to them, 'My brethren, where are you from?' And they said, 'We are from Haran.' Then he said to them, 'Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' And they said, 'We know him.' So he said to them, 'Is he well?' And they said, 'He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep. Then he said, 'Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.' But they said, 'We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.'"
See? They knew about evaporation. The faster you water all the sheep, and if you can get it done all at once, you don't have to worry too much about the water getting too hot. On the other hand though, they're talking about some other people having to move the rock. Could it be a little bit on the heavy side?
Beresheet 29:9-12 "Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son. So she ran and told her father."
So much for it being kinda heavy! Jacob moved the stone, watered all her father's sheep, and then kissed her. Didn't we read earlier about somebody else kissing someone when they met? I'm not sure if it's before this or after this, but it looks like kissing might be a kind of greeting. Sort of like how Italians do it, maybe? Both cheeks? The weeping though, that's not normal greeting. You have to remember though, that the night before, he was sleeping on a rock, on the run from his entire family, the weeping was probably relief; happy tears.
Beresheet 29:13-14 "Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, 'Surely you are my bone and my flesh.' And he stayed with him for a month."
Maybe Jacob looks sort of like his mom, Rebekah. A family resemblance would definitely help Jacob's story.
Beresheet 29:15-17 "Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?' Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance."
Hmm... Me thinks Jacob is considering asking for one of the daughters as his wages... Let's find out.
Beresheet 29:18-21 "Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, 'I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.' And Laban said, 'It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her."
Let me help you get something straight here... Yes, Rachel is Jacob's cousin. Yes, Jacob loves Rachel. No, it's not that weird, at least, not back then. Remember, Rebekah wanted him to pick one of the girls from her side of the family. Rebekah was related to her husband, Isaac, and Sarah was Abraham's half-sister. It wasn't that uncommon, but nowadays, it's just not normal.
Beresheet 29:22-25 "Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.' And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?'"
I don't know much about ancient wedding traditions. Ok, I don't know anything about ancient wedding traditions. Was Leah wearing a really thick veil? Did she actually want to marry Jacob? Is she just stuck in the middle of this because of her father? I don't really know, but you're free to voice your ideas in the comments. All I know is, Jacob was wronged. Rachel was wronged. Leah was wronged. And it's too late to fix.
Beresheet 29:26-27 "And Laban said, 'It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.'"
Ok, the first part sort of makes sense. I can see how the eldest sister might want to get married before her younger sisters. But on the other side, was Laban mostly just trying to get another seven years of labor from Jacob? Hmm...
Beresheet 29:28-30 "Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years."
Polygamy back then was another not-uncommon thing. However, usually, I'm guessing, the groom knew exactly who his bride was before they got married. Unfortunately, the older sister Leah is stuck living with a man who doesn't love her very much and her sister whom he does love, for the rest of her life. That would be like watching your boyfriend blowing kisses to your younger sister every day, forever, only worse. He didn't even want Leah in the first place.
Beresheet 29:31-35 "When Yahuah saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, 'Yahuah has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.' Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Because Yahuah has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.' And she called his name Simeon. She conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.' Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now I will praise Yahuah.' Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing."
Four boys. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Look up their names here. Four boys, and Rachel has had none. Ever heard of the twelve tribes of Israel? Well you'll soon find out who Israel was, and who those twelve tribes were, but here's a hint: four of those tribes have been born so far in the story.
That's all I've got for today, tomorrow we'll be reading chapter 30.
Lehitraot! (leh-hEE-tra-Ot) (See you later!)
-Kj
Beresheet 29:1-3 "So Jacob went on his journey and came to the land of the people of the East. And he looked, and saw a well in the field; and behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks A large stone was on the well's mouth. Now all the flocks would be gathered there; and they would roll the stone from the well's mouth, water the sheep, and put the stone back in its place on the well's mouth."
Ok, it's totally understandable that he'd come across a few flocks of sheep, this is after all, sheep country. But why go through that process of pulling the rock off the well's mouth, watering the sheep, and then putting it back on time after time? Well, water is kinda scarce over in that section of the globe. I've heard that in order to get to it via well, you have to dig really really deep and through some stuff that is a lot harder than dirt. I'm no geologist, so I couldn't tell you exactly what they were digging in, but it was probably hard work, what with a general lack of modern machinery and CAT cranes. How does this all tie in? Not only is water scarce over there, but it is HOT. Really hot. Think... desert. What happens when the water, even in the bottom of the well, gets really hot? Evaporation. That rock over the top of the well was keeping the water shaded so the sun couldn't get to it to heat it up and have it disappear. And that is your blogger science lesson of the day.
Beresheet 29:4-8 "And Jacob said to them, 'My brethren, where are you from?' And they said, 'We are from Haran.' Then he said to them, 'Do you know Laban the son of Nahor?' And they said, 'We know him.' So he said to them, 'Is he well?' And they said, 'He is well. And look, his daughter Rachel is coming with the sheep. Then he said, 'Look, it is still high day; it is not time for the cattle to be gathered together. Water the sheep, and go and feed them.' But they said, 'We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and they have rolled the stone from the well's mouth; then we water the sheep.'"
See? They knew about evaporation. The faster you water all the sheep, and if you can get it done all at once, you don't have to worry too much about the water getting too hot. On the other hand though, they're talking about some other people having to move the rock. Could it be a little bit on the heavy side?
Beresheet 29:9-12 "Now while he was still speaking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was a shepherdess. And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother's brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the flock of Laban his mother's brother. Then Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept. And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's relative and that he was Rebekah's son. So she ran and told her father."
So much for it being kinda heavy! Jacob moved the stone, watered all her father's sheep, and then kissed her. Didn't we read earlier about somebody else kissing someone when they met? I'm not sure if it's before this or after this, but it looks like kissing might be a kind of greeting. Sort of like how Italians do it, maybe? Both cheeks? The weeping though, that's not normal greeting. You have to remember though, that the night before, he was sleeping on a rock, on the run from his entire family, the weeping was probably relief; happy tears.
Beresheet 29:13-14 "Then it came to pass, when Laban heard the report about Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. So he told Laban all these things. And Laban said to him, 'Surely you are my bone and my flesh.' And he stayed with him for a month."
Maybe Jacob looks sort of like his mom, Rebekah. A family resemblance would definitely help Jacob's story.
Beresheet 29:15-17 "Then Laban said to Jacob, 'Because you are my relative, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what should your wages be?' Now Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were delicate, but Rachel was beautiful of form and appearance."
Hmm... Me thinks Jacob is considering asking for one of the daughters as his wages... Let's find out.
Beresheet 29:18-21 "Now Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, 'I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger daughter.' And Laban said, 'It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to another man. Stay with me.' So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her."
Let me help you get something straight here... Yes, Rachel is Jacob's cousin. Yes, Jacob loves Rachel. No, it's not that weird, at least, not back then. Remember, Rebekah wanted him to pick one of the girls from her side of the family. Rebekah was related to her husband, Isaac, and Sarah was Abraham's half-sister. It wasn't that uncommon, but nowadays, it's just not normal.
Beresheet 29:22-25 "Then Jacob said to Laban, 'Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in to her.' And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast. Now it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. And Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah as a maid. So it came to pass in the morning, that behold, it was Leah. And he said to Laban, 'What is this you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?'"
I don't know much about ancient wedding traditions. Ok, I don't know anything about ancient wedding traditions. Was Leah wearing a really thick veil? Did she actually want to marry Jacob? Is she just stuck in the middle of this because of her father? I don't really know, but you're free to voice your ideas in the comments. All I know is, Jacob was wronged. Rachel was wronged. Leah was wronged. And it's too late to fix.
Beresheet 29:26-27 "And Laban said, 'It must not be done so in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. Fulfill her week, and we will give you this one also for the service which you will serve with me still another seven years.'"
Ok, the first part sort of makes sense. I can see how the eldest sister might want to get married before her younger sisters. But on the other side, was Laban mostly just trying to get another seven years of labor from Jacob? Hmm...
Beresheet 29:28-30 "Then Jacob did so and fulfilled her week. So he gave him his daughter Rachel as wife also. And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as a maid. Then Jacob also went in to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served with Laban still another seven years."
Polygamy back then was another not-uncommon thing. However, usually, I'm guessing, the groom knew exactly who his bride was before they got married. Unfortunately, the older sister Leah is stuck living with a man who doesn't love her very much and her sister whom he does love, for the rest of her life. That would be like watching your boyfriend blowing kisses to your younger sister every day, forever, only worse. He didn't even want Leah in the first place.
Beresheet 29:31-35 "When Yahuah saw that Leah was unloved, He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. So Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben; for she said, 'Yahuah has surely looked on my affliction. Now therefore, my husband will love me.' Then she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Because Yahuah has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also.' And she called his name Simeon. She conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.' Therefore his name was called Levi. And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, 'Now I will praise Yahuah.' Therefore she called his name Judah. Then she stopped bearing."
Four boys. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah. Look up their names here. Four boys, and Rachel has had none. Ever heard of the twelve tribes of Israel? Well you'll soon find out who Israel was, and who those twelve tribes were, but here's a hint: four of those tribes have been born so far in the story.
That's all I've got for today, tomorrow we'll be reading chapter 30.
Lehitraot! (leh-hEE-tra-Ot) (See you later!)
-Kj
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Jacob's Dream
Let's pick up where we left off, starting at verse ten. In keeping with the new schedule of things, this is going to go from verse ten to the end of the chapter, and that's it for today.
Beresheet 28:10-12 "Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it."
Do you think having a rock for a pillow might cause weird dreams? Maybe he had too much pizza or Doritos before bed? Before you come to any assumptions like that, consider this; way back then, one of the ways Yahuah talked with people was through dreams. You'll soon learn about people like Joseph, who interpreted dreams for the Pharaoh and a couple of his servants. Dreaming was no laughing matter. What do you think is the significance of this particular dream?
Beresheet 28:13-15 "And behold, Yahuah stood above it and said: 'I am Yahuah Elohim of Abraham your father and the Elohim of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.'"
So much for crazy, junk-food induced dreams, huh? This is pretty much the same thing that Yahuah's been telling Jacob's family for awhile now, but consider this... This man got his brother to trade him his special birthright for a bowl of soup. He stole his blessing. He ran away from home to go to a land with family he's never known. His brother wants to kill him. He probably feels all alone in the world with no family to return to. Remember just how tightly knit those family units were? So here he is, alone, maybe a little bit lost, probably scared his brother's going to jump out of a bush somewhere and shoot him with an arrow, but the sun's going down and he needs to rest, somehow. He finds a nice, comfy rock, and falls asleep where he is reminded in a peaceful dream of angels going up and down a ladder, that Yahuah is with him. No matter where he goes, no matter where his life takes him, Yahuah is with him and his family until the blessing is fulfilled. That is easily the greatest comfort you can ask for.
Beresheet 28:16-17 "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely Yahuah is in this place, and I did not know it.' And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven!'"
It may take a moment for that comfort to sink in. Also, Yahuah is in every place, no matter how dark and awful it is. There's a psalm or two that talks about that, but we'll get there when we get there.
Beresheet 28:18-22 "Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If Yahuah will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am gong, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then Yahuah shall be my Elohim. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be Elohim's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to you.'"
Ok, so first he sleeps with a rock-pillow, then he sets it up and pours oil on it. That's not strange at all! ...Ok, it's kinda weird, but we live in a different time. Back then, you poured oil on things that were special. It's called anointing. You could anoint a priest or a king, and in this case, a rock where you are reminded of an important promise.
He then made a promise himself; basically as long as Yahuah takes care of him (which looks to be for a really long time), then Yahuah will be his Elohim. Maybe Jacob was just saved here.
Then he said that the rock-pillow that he set up and anointed will be Elohim's house. I'm not entirely certain whether he's being literal or metaphorical right now. Maybe he's saying that Yah will be his Rock. Or maybe he really wants Yah to live in this stone. I'm no biblical scholar, remember? But anyway, that's what he said.
Then he promised to give up a tenth of everything Yah gives him. That is probably the very first tithe. It's kind of obvious what tithing is; but aside from following in Jacob's footsteps, why should you tithe too? Tithe is basically charity. Think about it, what would a world without charity be like? There would be no rubber bracelets or colored ribbon magnets on the back of cars. Those little kids in third world countries wouldn't get any help. If you wind up homeless, you can't get any help. No paper clovers or hot air balloons helping people with muscular dystrophy and sick kids would be stapled on the walls at the local mega-mart. Worthy associations, aiming for the end of diseases like cancer would have to slow research due to a lack of funding. Churches just might go out of business; tithe keeps the lights on and makes sure the coffee pot stays full. A world without tithe is rather bleak, so it's good that it started so early in our history. I'm not saying you should donate everything you have, but 10% is a good number.
That's all that I've got for today, tomorrow we'll be reading Beresheet 29.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Kj
Beresheet 28:10-12 "Now Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran. So he came to a certain place and stayed there all night, because the sun had set. And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head, and he lay down in that place to sleep. Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of Elohim were ascending and descending on it."
Do you think having a rock for a pillow might cause weird dreams? Maybe he had too much pizza or Doritos before bed? Before you come to any assumptions like that, consider this; way back then, one of the ways Yahuah talked with people was through dreams. You'll soon learn about people like Joseph, who interpreted dreams for the Pharaoh and a couple of his servants. Dreaming was no laughing matter. What do you think is the significance of this particular dream?
Beresheet 28:13-15 "And behold, Yahuah stood above it and said: 'I am Yahuah Elohim of Abraham your father and the Elohim of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants. Also your descendants shall be as the dust of the earth; you shall spread abroad to the west and the east, to the north and the south; and in you and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you.'"
So much for crazy, junk-food induced dreams, huh? This is pretty much the same thing that Yahuah's been telling Jacob's family for awhile now, but consider this... This man got his brother to trade him his special birthright for a bowl of soup. He stole his blessing. He ran away from home to go to a land with family he's never known. His brother wants to kill him. He probably feels all alone in the world with no family to return to. Remember just how tightly knit those family units were? So here he is, alone, maybe a little bit lost, probably scared his brother's going to jump out of a bush somewhere and shoot him with an arrow, but the sun's going down and he needs to rest, somehow. He finds a nice, comfy rock, and falls asleep where he is reminded in a peaceful dream of angels going up and down a ladder, that Yahuah is with him. No matter where he goes, no matter where his life takes him, Yahuah is with him and his family until the blessing is fulfilled. That is easily the greatest comfort you can ask for.
Beresheet 28:16-17 "Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, 'Surely Yahuah is in this place, and I did not know it.' And he was afraid and said, 'How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of Elohim, and this is the gate of heaven!'"
It may take a moment for that comfort to sink in. Also, Yahuah is in every place, no matter how dark and awful it is. There's a psalm or two that talks about that, but we'll get there when we get there.
Beresheet 28:18-22 "Then Jacob rose early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put at his head, set it up as a pillar, and poured oil on top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of that city had been Luz previously. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If Yahuah will be with me, and keep me in this way that I am gong, and give me bread to eat and clothing to put on, so that I come back to my father's house in peace, then Yahuah shall be my Elohim. And this stone which I have set as a pillar shall be Elohim's house, and of all that You give me I will surely give a tenth to you.'"
Ok, so first he sleeps with a rock-pillow, then he sets it up and pours oil on it. That's not strange at all! ...Ok, it's kinda weird, but we live in a different time. Back then, you poured oil on things that were special. It's called anointing. You could anoint a priest or a king, and in this case, a rock where you are reminded of an important promise.
He then made a promise himself; basically as long as Yahuah takes care of him (which looks to be for a really long time), then Yahuah will be his Elohim. Maybe Jacob was just saved here.
Then he said that the rock-pillow that he set up and anointed will be Elohim's house. I'm not entirely certain whether he's being literal or metaphorical right now. Maybe he's saying that Yah will be his Rock. Or maybe he really wants Yah to live in this stone. I'm no biblical scholar, remember? But anyway, that's what he said.
Then he promised to give up a tenth of everything Yah gives him. That is probably the very first tithe. It's kind of obvious what tithing is; but aside from following in Jacob's footsteps, why should you tithe too? Tithe is basically charity. Think about it, what would a world without charity be like? There would be no rubber bracelets or colored ribbon magnets on the back of cars. Those little kids in third world countries wouldn't get any help. If you wind up homeless, you can't get any help. No paper clovers or hot air balloons helping people with muscular dystrophy and sick kids would be stapled on the walls at the local mega-mart. Worthy associations, aiming for the end of diseases like cancer would have to slow research due to a lack of funding. Churches just might go out of business; tithe keeps the lights on and makes sure the coffee pot stays full. A world without tithe is rather bleak, so it's good that it started so early in our history. I'm not saying you should donate everything you have, but 10% is a good number.
That's all that I've got for today, tomorrow we'll be reading Beresheet 29.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Kj
Friday, March 26, 2010
Changing things...
Hey guys,
I don't think I'll be working with the reading plan in my Bible anymore... For one thing, it takes me about two hours to go through one of those, adding my own comments and stuff, and as the past couple months have shown, I don't really have time for that. For another, I don't mind going over 365 posts. From here on out, I'm going to take it one chapter at a time. It should be quicker and easier, plus now there will be some of those lovely cliffhangers.
Hopefully from here on out I will actually be able to keep it up daily. If not daily, then at least weekly. I'll write it down on the calendar. However, if I happen to forget or get caught up in everything else, write me a comment or something. Call it comments, call it electronic nagging, either way, it'll help me remember.
Thanks you guys, and expect a real post very shortly
-Kj
I don't think I'll be working with the reading plan in my Bible anymore... For one thing, it takes me about two hours to go through one of those, adding my own comments and stuff, and as the past couple months have shown, I don't really have time for that. For another, I don't mind going over 365 posts. From here on out, I'm going to take it one chapter at a time. It should be quicker and easier, plus now there will be some of those lovely cliffhangers.
Hopefully from here on out I will actually be able to keep it up daily. If not daily, then at least weekly. I'll write it down on the calendar. However, if I happen to forget or get caught up in everything else, write me a comment or something. Call it comments, call it electronic nagging, either way, it'll help me remember.
Thanks you guys, and expect a real post very shortly
-Kj
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