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A Torah I Can Count On
We as human beings count on many things. We count on the fact that we will be here again tomorrow. We count on the means that we have to support ourselves. But faith is counting on the fact that Yahweh will bring each one of us personal victory over all that sets itself against us to do us harm. The most dangerous and potentially damaging thing we face is ourselves. This is why the Torah was not set up for evil spirits, it was set up for us.
Most of us came into this walk looking for more truth. We indeed find more truth, that’s not the problem, it’s what we tend to do after finding this truth that is difficult.
Everything in the Torah and Messiah’s fulfillment of it, which required even him to show his own obedience stacked against difficulty, is designed to refine us and bring us to the ultimate goal of at-one-ment with the Creator.
“And being found in appearance as a man, (Messiah) humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-- even death on a tree (Philippians 2:8)!”
No-one ever achieved a victory over anything without engaging in a battle. The very nature of the word “victory” is dependent on a prior struggle for this word to be even eligible in a sentence!
The natural process of being born has been deliberately set up to teach us this principle. A child is conceived in a time of intimate joy, it grows and then goes through a process where it and its mother come the closest to death that they will ever be in our natural state. When a child is born it is a very dangerous time. The mother loses blood and the child makes the dangerous transition from existing in a womb to existing on its own in the outside world.
By complaining about hardships rather than praising the Father through them we are complaining about the natural order of creation, which has been set up to create men into angels.
I don’t care if it’s the tinniest or most insignificant thing in the Torah, if it’s not beheld with the same awe as the grandest thing, we are killing our Divine status in heaven.
“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19)”
The battle starts on a micro-cosmic level. From the moment we wake up, we are assaulted by the Evil Inclination. We know we should get up, but the first thought that occurs to us is that we can’t, then we probe this thought and realise that we actually don’t feel like it, then we probe deeper and find out that we actually don’t want to! Very quickly we cycle through from can’t to don’t want to!
Do we stay asleep, a state that most closely resembles death, or do we wake up and leave Egypt? Pesach is the wake-up, the Omer is the Journey and Shavuot is the reward. So let’s start with waking up.
The first major captivity was Egypt. It saw the first enmass oppression of the nation of Israel as a whole. It could be likened to a mother’s womb, starting out as a small fetus receiving nourishment and growing healthily. Just 70 souls who had gone down to Egypt had grown to 2.5 to 3.5 million people over the course of 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41). So it comes to no surprise that Egypt became an exceedingly tight space, hence its name Mitzrayim, from the root meitzar (מיצר), meaning “sea strait” denoting a “narrow” or “tight place.”
Even Pharaoh declared, “Look, the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. (Exodus 1:9)” It was true, the woman of Israel were being blessed to be able to give birth with little difficulty, even the midwives who conspired to keep the male infants alive, but would not have dared lie to Pharaoh confessed, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive. (Exodus 1:19)” The Hebrew women gave birth at an unnatural rate to very strong and healthy children. The Jewish writings relate that many women gave birth to twins or as many as six children at a time, with three males and three females to boot. The Midrash explains that, “As time went on, the (Israelite) population in Egypt exploded. Women gave birth every nine months…In fact, the growth was so rapid that 600,000 children were born on one particular night…The Land of Goshen was no longer large enough to contain the burgeoning (Israelite) population, and numerous (Israelites) began to settle in the central areas of Egypt. (Israel) became like thorns in the eyes of the Egyptians. Wherever they went, the Egyptians saw multitudes of (Israelites) before their eyes, and the sight disgusted them” – Ley My Nation Go by Yoseph Deutsch (P. 32) Indeed the Scriptures tell us that “…Yahweh caused His people to be very fruitful, And made them stronger than their adversaries. (Psalm 105:24)”
The Egyptians worked in carefully planned phases to diminish the population. While their efforts didn’t seem to succeed in bringing down the Nation’s physical numbers significantly, it did cause the Nation’s internal workings to be become severely damaged.
The prolonged suffering stripped the Israelites of many Holy Traits.
There are seven sephirot or attributes that make up Yahweh’s character and each human being also carries these same seven sephirot as we are the image of the Almighty. They are:
- Chesed (Kindness)
- Gevurah (Strength)
- Tipheret (Adornment)
- Netzach (Victory)
- Hod (Splendour)
- Yosed (Foundation)
- Malchut (Kingdom)
These seven attributes are divided into a further subgroup of seven characteristics making 49. So there are 49 traits of the human heart that correspond to the 49 days that we are instructed to count from Pesach to Shavuot. They are:
חַסְדּ CHESED: LOVING-KINDNESS
- Chesed of Chesed: Loving-kindness in Loving-kindness - Yahweh’s Mercy acting on our attribute of mercy.
- Day 2 -- Gevurah of Chesed: Discipline in Loving-kindness - Yahweh’s Judgment acting on our attribute of mercy.
- Day 3 -- Tiferet of Chesed: Compassion, Harmony in Loving-kindness - Yahweh’s beauty acting upon your attribute of mercy.
- Day 4 -- Netzach of Chesed: Endurance in Loving-kindness - Yahweh’s victory or endurance acting on our sense of mercy.
- Day 5 -- Hod of Chesed: Humility in Loving-kindness - Yahweh’s glory acting upon our attribute of mercy.
- Day 6 -- Yesod of Chesed: Bonding in Loving-kindness - Yahweh builds a foundation with which to support our attribute of mercy.
- Day 7 -- Malchut of Chesed: Nobility in Loving-kindness - Yahweh teaching us Kingdom principles to act on our attribute of mercy.
גְּבוּרָה GEVURAH: JUSTICE, DISCIPLINE, RESTRAINT
- Day 8 - Chesed of Gevurah: Loving-kindness in Discipline - Yahweh’s mercy acting on our attribute of judgment.
- Day 9 -- Gevurah of Gevurah: Discipline in Discipline - Yahweh’s judgment acting on our attribute of justice.
- Day 10 -- Tiferet of Gevurah: Compassion in Discipline - Yahweh’s beauty acting on our attribute of justice.
- Day 11 -- Netzach of Gevurah: Endurance in Discipline -Yahweh’s Victory acting on our attribute of justice.
- Day 12 -- Hod of Gevurah: Humility in Discipline - Yahweh’s glory acting upon our attribute of justice.
- Day 13 -- Yesod of Gevurah: Bonding in Discipline - Yahweh’s establishing a foundation upon our attribute of justice.
- Day 14 -- Malchut of Gevurah: Nobility of Discipline - Yahweh’s nobility acting upon our attribute of justice.
תִפְאָרֶת TIFERET - HARMONY, COMPASSION
- Day 15 -- Chesed of Tiferet: Loving-kindness in Compassion - Yahweh’s mercy acts on our attribute of beauty.
- Day 16 -- Gevurah of Tiferet: Discipline in Compassion - Yahweh’s judgment acting on our attribute of beauty.
- Day 17 -- Tiferet of Tiferet: Compassion in Compassion - Yahweh’s beauty, compassion, harmony acting upon our attribute of beauty.
- Day 18 -- Netzach of Tiferet: Endurance in Compassion - Yahweh’s victory or endurance acting on our sense of beauty.
- Day 19 -- Hod of Tiferet: Humility in Compassion - Yahweh’s glory acting upon our attribute of beauty.
- Day 20 -- Yesod of Tiferet: Bonding in Compassion - Yahweh’s establishing a foundation upon our attribute of beauty.
- Day 21 -- Malchut of Tiferet: Nobility in Compassion -Yahweh’s nobility acting upon our attribute of beauty
נֵּצַח NETZACH – ENDURANCE
- Day 22 -- Chesed of Netzach: Loving-kindness in Endurance -Yahweh’s mercy acts on our attribute of endurance.
- Day 23 -- Gevurah of Netzach: Discipline in Endurance - Yahweh’s judgment acting on our attribute of endurance.
- Day 24 -- Tiferet of Netzach: Compassion in Endurance -Yahweh’s beauty, compassion, harmony acting upon our attribute of endurance.
- Day 25- Netzach of Netzach: Endurance in Endurance - Yahweh’s victory or endurance acting on our sense of endurance.
- Day 26 -- Hod of Netzach: Humility in Endurance - Yahweh’s glory acting upon our attribute of endurance.
- Day 27 -- Yesod of Netzach: Bonding in Endurance -Yahweh’s establishing a foundation upon our attribute of endurance.
- Day 28 -- Machos of Netzach: Nobility in Endurance - Yahweh’s nobility acting upon our attribute of endurance.
הוֹד HOD – HUMILITY
- Day 29 -- Chesed of Hod: Loving-kindness in Humility -Yahweh’s mercy acts on our attribute of humility.
- Day 30 -- Gevurah of Hod: Discipline in Humility -Yahweh’s judgment acting on our attribute of humility.
- Day 31 -- Tiferet of Hod: Compassion in Humility - Yahweh’s beauty, compassion, harmony acting upon our attribute of humility.
- Day 32 -- Netzach of Hod: Endurance in Humility - Yahweh’s victory or endurance acting on our sense of humility.
- Day 33 “Lag B’Omer”-- Hod of Hod: Humility in Humility - Yahweh’s glory acting upon our attribute of humility.
- Day 34 -- Yesod of Hod: Bonding in Humility - Yahweh’s establishing a foundation upon our attribute of humility.
- Day 35 -- Malchut of Hod: Nobility in Humility - Yahweh’s nobility acting upon our attribute of humility.
יֻסַּד YESOD – BONDING
- Day 36 -- Chesed of Yesod: Loving-kindness of Bonding - Yahweh’s mercy acts on our attribute of cleaving.
- Day 37 -- Gevurah of Yesod: Discipline of Bonding - Yahweh’s judgment acting on our attribute of cleaving.
- Day 38 -- Tiferet of Yesod: Compassion in Bonding - Yahweh’s beauty, compassion, harmony acting upon our attribute of cleaving.
- Day 39 -- Netzach of Yesod: Endurance in Bonding - Yahweh’s victory or endurance acting on our sense of cleaving.
- Day 40 -- Hod of Yesod: Humility of Bonding - Yahweh’s glory acting upon our attribute of cleaving.
- Day 41 -- Yesod of Yesod: Bonding in Bonding - Yahweh’s establishing a foundation upon our attribute of cleaving.
- Day 42 -- Malchut of Yesod: Nobility in Bonding - Yahweh’s nobility acting upon our attribute of cleaving.
מְלַכְתּ MALCHUT - SOVEREIGNTY, LEADERSHIP
- Day 43 -- Chesed of Malchut: Loving-kindness in Nobility - Yahweh’s mercy acts on our attribute of nobility.
- Day 44 -- Gevurah of Malchut: Discipline in Nobility - Yahweh’sjudgment acting on our attribute of nobility.
- Day 45 -- Tiferet of Malchut: Compassion in Nobility - Yahweh’s beauty, compassion, harmony acting upon our attribute of nobility.
- Day 46 -- Netzach of Malchut: Endurance in Nobility - Yahweh’s victory or endurance acting on our sense of nobility.
- Day 47 -- Hod of Malchut: Humility in Nobility -Yahweh’s glory acting upon our attribute of nobility.
- Day 48 -- Yesod of Malchut: Bonding in Nobility - Yahweh’s establishing a foundation upon our attribute of nobility.
- Day 49 -- Malchut of Malchut: Nobility in Nobility -Yahweh’s Sovereignty acting upon our attribute of nobility.
So, Egypt had almost succeeded in annihilating Israel and they didn’t even know it. They had succeeded in eroding Israel down to forty-ninth and final attribute of what makes us human. This is why 40 – 1 lashes can only be instituted by the Torah, because, 40 lashes brings an individual down to only 9 attributes, a state from which it is very difficult to return. Flogging with a whip is the standard way of inflicting disciplinary punishment: a parent "disciplines" his son by beating him (Deuteronomy 8:5; 21:18; Proverbs 19:18; 23:13–14; 29:17) So Egypt had gone well beyond this measure, even so, Yahweh with His mighty Hand was able to rescue us. This is why our rescue from Egypt is recalled in greater measure over Yahweh’s creation of the entire universe. We are told to recall our rescue out of Egypt over recalling Yahweh’s glorious creation! “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that Yahweh your Elohim brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. (Deuteronomy 5:15)”
The observance of Yahweh’s commands that require us to put ourselves in particular places at particular times train us to relinquish control of our progress through life. We can cease counting on our own understandings and count on the Torah. An Israelite doesn’t float through life, he co-creates and grows in sustenance through it by timing what he does through a prescribed pattern.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by Yahweh: And He delights in his way. (Psalm 37:23)”
Messiah YahShua stands at the heart and center of everything we are spiritually and everything we do religiously, because He is our Heavenly High Priest ministering the Heavenly Father to us.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in Yahweh; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to (Messiah), ‘Adon, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ YahShua answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ (John 14:1-6)”
Full access to the Heavenly Father only comes trough His ministry as High Priest. Messiah YahShua is our literal King as well as being our Saviour. We are forgiven and saved because of Messiah YahShua’s present ministry. We are made children of Yahweh because of the birthing process through the blood of Messiah.
Nothing is more important than understanding Messiah YahShua’s present ministry.
“…Messiah…did not take upon himself the glory of becoming a High Priest. But Yahweh said to him, ‘You are my Son; today I have become your Father. (Psalm 2:7)’ And He says in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. (Psalm 110:4)’ (Hebrews 5:4-6)”
“When Messiah came as High Priest of the good things that come through the greater and more perfect Tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Holy of Holies once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. (Hebrews 9:10-12)”
When you look forward to something very much, when you fix your gaze on a special moment in the future, you count the days to that event. In Leviticus 23:16, the Torah says, "You shall count fifty days from the day that you brought the omer as a wave offering." The Counting of the Omer, or Sefirot HaOmer, עֹמֶר הָ וֹת סָּפֵר begins on the 1st day after the Sabbath after Pesach, commemorating our leaving of Mitzrayim (Egypt), and continues days until we reach Shavuot, the 50th day, commemorating our receiving the Torah at Mt. Horeb (Sinai). This 49-day period is a tremendous opportunity for refinement and growth.
In the spiritual realm, life has a way of bringing us down to the 49th level of oppression, immorality and spiritual pollution. Years of not knowing who we are in Messiah and being corrupted by man’s ideology and philosophy he passed of as theology has brought us very low - down to the 49th level of spiritual corruption. But by joining yourself to Israel and taking hold of Messiah you are walking forward toward the fiftieth level of spiritual perfection. In seven short weeks, Yahweh brought us from the brink of the spiritual abyss to the highest level of all the generations - the Generation of Revelation, the generation that saw the Express Image of the Father on the mountain, the generation who was fit to receive the Torah. 2000 years after the giving of the Torah, the Faith of Yahweh had been so mixed with the paganism of the world it was hard to see where one left off and the other began – it was to this wicked generation that Messiah came.
For 3 ½ years Messiah took Israel – mainly Judah – through a Torah crash course:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Naviim (Prophets). I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one yod (יsmallest letter in the AlephBet) or one taug ( “crowns” marks above the letters) will by no means pass from the Torah till all is fulfilled.
For Messiah to deny Torah would have been like denying His own self-existence.
“In the beginning was the Torah, and the Torah was with Elohim, and the Torah was Elohim. He was in the beginning with Elohim. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5)”
As we seek the True Light of Torah, Rebbe YahShua provides the means by which our fleshly weakness can be overcome and our transgressions of Torah be forgiven as we continue our walk of sanctification continually seeking the greater illumination of the Secrets of Torah in our lives.
“For they being ignorant of Yahweh's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of Yahweh. For Messiah is the goal of the Torah for righteousness to everyone that believes. For Moshe describes the righteousness which is of the Torah, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them. (Romans 10:3-5)”
It is through Messiah that we are able to strive to live by the instructions & teachings – Torah - of our Creator – Yahweh.
King Messiah YahShua did not abolish the Word of Yahweh. Our Rebbe came to fulfil Torah by correctly interpreting it. Messiah came only to abolish the enmity or hatred man had towards Torah because of their sin nature and a wrong interpretation of Torah that opposed Yahweh. Sin had separated mankind from Yahweh. The wrong interpretation of Torah created isolationism instead of evangelism and withheld the goodness of Yahweh’s Word from others. It had always been the Father’s intention for His Torah to be given to the nations through Israel. Israel was to be the Light (Menorah) to the entire world – a Kingdom of Priests (Exodus 9:16).
“Arise, shine; for your light has come! (Messiah) And the glory of Yahweh is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth (Lack of Torah), and deep darkness (spiritual shame) the people; but Yahweh will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light (Isaiah 60:1-3)”
It is through Torah that Messiah YahShua is revealed. In Messiah’s own words He upholds Torah. “For if you believed Moshe, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings (Torah), how will you believe My words?" (John 5:46,47)”
The prophet Moshe and our King and High Priest, Messiah Yahshua were reading from the same book.
Now, some of you have been counting the Omer for a few years now and some of you have just found out about it recently. Don’t be fooled! This is a commandment, not a tradition as some Messianics may make you believe. If you do this, if you keep counting, if you go the distance, you will spare yourself so many unnecessary trials. The Omer is designed to refine so many damaged attributes without too much pain. How hard is it to count the Omer and meditate on the corresponding trait for a few moments each day? It’s easy, compared to other more painful learning curves that we can cause to come upon us.
It is strange, what we do. It’s strange to the eyes of the world. But Yahweh, Messiah and the Torah can be trusted. The Torah knows what it’s doing, even if you don’t sometimes, that’s okay. If there’s a command you don’t understand and it’s not going to hurt anyone either way, why not just do it, and work to find out what the fuller meanings of it is in the process of time. The Torah’s not going to hurt you, not keeping it is.
You can count on it!