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Todays Parsha #36: BeHalotekha (when you lift up)

PART 1: THE LAST AND CURRENT TORAH PORTIONS

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEKS STUDY QUESTIONS (Naso):
1) There is a hidden message in the NT portion contrasting the power of good versus
the power of an evil that happens in the Gospels, what is that message? Hint: Its
all in the math.
Paul is told that myriads are turning to the faith who are zealous for Torah. In
Greek the word MURA denotes 10,000 people. Contrast this with the Legion demon
in the Gospels who says for we are many. A legion is a Roman army of 5,000
men. So the message is that the people of YHWH are at least twice as strong as the
minions of Satan.
2) How many people in the NT kept a Nazirite vow?
The total is 6. Yochanan the Immerser, the apostle Paul and 4 of Pauls companions
who are not named (Acts 21).
3) Both men and women are allowed to take the Nazirite vow, but for women there
is an extra requirement. What is that requirement?
Any vow that a woman makes is subject to approval of her father or her husband.
If she is widowed however all her vows must stand:
4 "If a woman makes a vow to Yahweh or a formal pledge during her youth, while
she is still in her father's house, 5 and if her father hears about this vow or pledge
made by her and says nothing to her, her vow, whatever it may be, will be binding,
and the pledge she has taken, whatever it may be, will be binding. 6 But if her
father on the day he learns of it expresses his disapproval of it, then none of the
vows or pledges she has taken will be binding. Yahweh will not hold her to it, since
her father has expressed his disapproval. 7 "If, being bound by vows or by a pledge
voiced without due reflection, she then marries, 8 and if her husband hears of it but
says nothing on the day he learns of it, her vows will be binding and the pledges she
has taken will be binding. 9 But if on the day he learns of it he expresses his
disapproval to her, this will annul the vow that she has made or the pledge that
binds her, voiced without due reflection. Yahweh will not hold her to it. 10 "The
vow of a widow or a divorced woman and all pledges taken by her are binding on
her. 11 "If she has made a vow or taken a pledge under oath while in her husband's
house, 12 and if when the husband learns of it he says nothing to her and does not
express disapproval to her, then the vow, whatever it is, will be binding, and the

pledge, whatever it is, will be binding. 13 But if the husband when he hears of it
annuls it on the day he learns of it, no undertaking of hers, be it vow or pledge, will
be binding. Since the husband has annulled it, Yahweh will not hold her to it. 14
"Every vow or oath that is binding on the wife may be endorsed or annulled by the
husband. (Numbers 30:4-14 NJB)
4) What does the chronological arrangement of the Torah teach us about how Abba
YHWH thinks about time and how that might be different from how we view
time?
Twice in this Torah portion we are brought back to the day Moshe erected the
Tabernacle, which was in Exodus 40. So all of Leviticus events happened right
after Exodus and now Numbers has cycled back to it again.
But also, Numbers 1:2 and 9:1 put us out a year LATER than Numbers 7:1. This
kind of recycling of time shows us that Abba YHWH thinks in CYCLES and not
linear human style time. (Numbers 9:22 though suggests another full year passes by
the time this chapter ends.)
We humans are used to stating one event from beginning to end and then moving to
the next event in chronological time. Abba YHWH however wants to tell a story one
way with FOCUS A and then cycle back to the beginning with FOCUS B.
5) What does that difference of Abba YHWHs time versus our time mean in terms
of our ability to understand His Word?
It means that certain parts of the Torah will not make sense if we dont count on the
system that Abba YHWH gives us. Genesis 1-6 is mostly CYCLICAL time so a lot
of the problems and misunderstandings from that part of the Torah stem from us
counting OUR WAY rather than HIS WAY. There are also clear signs in the
Hebrew that tell us which counting model we should be on.
AND NOW FOR THIS WEEKS PORTION
1) Meaning of this weeks Torah portion and summary of contents:
BeHalotekha means when you elevate as in when you lift up the lamps. Aaron
is commanded to light the lamps of the menorah and the tribe of Levi is commanded
to serve the sanctuary. This is also when the institution of the Second Passover is
established and it also details what happens when the Israelites grumble over only
having manna to eat as well as showing rebellion against Moshe from his own
siblings!
Read Parsha (English-Numbers 8:1-12:16). This week we will read the entire
portion.

2) Play by Play commentary where appropriate.

Vayedaber Yahweh el-Moshe lemor.

Daber el-Aharon ve'amarta elav beha'alotecha et-hanerot el-mul pney
hamenorah ya'iru shiv'at hanerot.
Vaya'as ken Aharon el-mul pney hamenorah he'elah neroteyha
ka'asher tsivah Yahweh et-Moshe.
3) Point out key Hebrew words/terms. Color Commentary:
ELAV BEHALOTECHA ET-HA-NEROT (8:2) = when you mount the lamps. The
concept of lighting them is implied here, but mentioned directly in the second part of the
sentence.
NATZA (8:7) = sprinkling, spurting out, for oil, water or blood. Reminds me (different
word/spelling) of NETZACH (victory), and a synonym for VICTORY is TESHUAH
(salvation). So perhaps the anointing leads to the sprinkling of blood that causes victory
and salvation? Very interesting imagery given the verse:
"Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them,
and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they
will be clean. (Numbers 8:7 NAU)
Note for 8:7-9: This procedure for purification of the unclean throughout this part of
Numbers was used to help Miriam re-enter the camp after she was made leprous
(Numbers 12).
MISHCHAH (8:9) = anointing oil, same root as anointed One (Mashiyach).
SAMECHU (8:10) = derived from SEMICHA (ordination) or how rabbis are certified.
The other part of the sentence tells us HOW they ordained the priests: VENEY (and the
sons) YISRAEL (Israel) ET-YEDEYHEM (hands laid) AL (upon) HA LEVIIM (the
Levites). This is exactly how Moshe sanctified Joshua to lead after him as well.
TENUFA (8:11) = to lift up, distinguish, set apart. This can be in a good or bad sense.
Here it is positive, that the Levites are being distinguished for special service. However,
lift up can also be bad. Via a synonym for this word (NASA, like Naso, last weeks
parsha) lifting up ones head (Genesis 40) is good news for the wine taster but bad
news for the baker when Joseph interprets their dreams. The bad sense for TENUFA
itself can be found in Isaiah 19:16.

VAEKACH ET-HA-LEVIIM TACHAT KOL-BACHAR BIVNEY YISRAEL (8:18) =

I have now taken the Levites in place of the first born Israelites. In other words, each
Levite (22,000) redeems a first born Israelite (22,273). For the remainder between the
smaller number of the Levites and the greater number for the first born of Israel (273),
those sons had to be redeemed by paying 5 shekels each to the sanctuary.
Note on 8:22-23: In what has become a very important tool for helping me separate
and date chronological Torah events, we need to look for separating language
such as what we see here in these two lines. Typically a days worth of instructions
will end with phrases like This is the rule for or And so it was done according
to. Then the next series of instructions for another day will begin with phrases like
YHWH spoke to Moshe saying or Speak to the children of Israel and tell
them___.
CHAMESH VEESRIM SHANAH (8:24) = from 25 years seems to be a probationary
time before full duties kick in 5 years later, at age 30.
UMIBEN CHAMISHIM SHANAH YASHUV MITZVAH HAAVODAH VE-LO
YAAVOD OD (8:25) = then at age 50 they will retire from their work (literally
charges/responsibilities of their service) and not work anymore. However, there is no
mandated retirement for priests or high priests, so Zechariah, the Immersers father, could
be elderly and a priest from Abijah.
BEYN HA ERUVIM (9:3) = twilight (literally, between the evenings. Josephus calls
this time between the 9th and 11th hours of the day, but this would then transition to
NESHEPH, the last hour of the day. This is the original Biblical calendar that was
opposed by Samaritans and others, who argued it was between sunset and darkness.
BACHODESH HA-SHENI BEARBAAH ASAR (9:11) = he shall prepare it on the 14th
day of the second month. It is most appropriate to give these instructions here, because
again chapter 9 is in the FIRST MONTH, so this is a heads up on what to do if you get
defiled. Passover had started when the men became defiled, placing these instructions in
the latter half of this month (9:4-5).
GER (9:14) = stranger, derived from GOR (to reside), and so a foreign resident.
Considered to have all the rights of native soil Israelites (etzra) except must be
circumcised to do Pesach, after which GER TZEDEK (tzedek denoting his righteousness)
becomes a technical term for proselyte as did the generic GER.
OHEL HA-EDUT (9:15) = Tent of the Testimony, because the Tent of Meeting also
housed the Ark of the Covenant.
KEN YIHYEH TAMID HEANAN YECHASENU UMAREH-ESH LAYLAH (9:16) =
From then on it remained that way. There was a cloud covering it and a fire apparition by
night. Most translations assume the line should read there was a cloud covering BY
DAY and a fire apparition by night, however BY DAY is not in the text directly. It is

possible to assume that it is implied and therefore meant to be there, however, it is also
possible the cloud was covering it at night when it would be seen by the fire.
TEKIA (10:3) = long blasts, as opposed to TERUAH, short staccato blasts of the shofar.
See 1 Corinthians 14 for a great discussion on how the shofar needs to be understood to
communicate messages of life and death. Note in 10:10 that, as opposed to us doing
things to remember Abba YHWH, we do these things to be remembered by Him!
Extra note on this from Bible.ort.org:
In the Talmud there is a dispute as to whether the teruah mentioned here was a staccato
note or a series of three short notes (Rosh Hashanna 33b). It is also noted that the series
of short notes was preceded and followed by a single long note (Sifri; Rosh Hashanah
34a; Rashi).
VEHURAD HA MISHKAN VENASU VENEY GERSHON UVNEY MERARI
NOSEY HASMISHKAN (10:17) = The tabernacle was then taken down and the
descendants of Gershon and Merari who carried the tabernacle began the march.
NOSEY HAMIKDASH (10:21) = who carried the sacred furniturespecifically the Ark
of the Covenant.
VAYOMER MOSHE LE-CHOVAV BEN REUEL HA MIDYANI CHOTEN (10:29) =
And said Moshe to Chovav the son of Reuel the Midianite, (his) father in law. Rabbis are
divided on whether Hobab son of Reuel is Jethro or Jethros son and Moshes brother
in law. Following the Hebrew literally the latter seems more probable, but the former is
more popular in the traditions.
10:35-36 has two very special prayers that we seldom hear aboutthe special blessings
for taking out and putting back the Ark of the Covenant
For taking the Ark out:
KUMAH YAHWEH VEYAFUTSU OYEVEYCHA VEYANUSU MESAYNECHA
MIPAYNECHA = Arise Yahweh and scatter Your enemies. Let Your foes flee from
before Your face.
KUMAH (qum) is the same word in Aramaic for resurrection. Yshua uses this when
he heals the little girl and says TALITHA QUMI.
For returning the Ark:
SHUVAH YAHWEH RIVAVOT ALFEY YISRAEL = Return O Yahweh to the myriads
of Israels thousands.

This means that Abba YHWH will in a sense return to heaven, from where He will watch
over the thousands in Israel while myriads of angels minister to him.
TABERA (11:3) = named from the root BAAR (to burn) because Abba YHWHs fire
broke out there.
ZACHARNU ET-HADAGAH (11:5) = Remember the fish. (Explain astronomical
significance!)
HAYAD YAHWEH TIKTSAR ATAH (11:23) = Literally: Has the hand of Yahweh
become short? This means, has My power drained/become limited?
VELO YASAFU (11:25) = and (it) did not continue. This is interestingbible.ort.org
says the gift of prophecy given to the 70 elders that they did not LOSE it, and this is
derived from the Targum Onkelos, which normally does not engage in these kind of off
reading normally. However, the Hebrew literally reads, VE (and) LO (no) YASAFU
(added to them [after this moment]) or it did not continue. Stone Edition Tanakh agrees
with me, reading, but they did not do it again.
Apparently the bible.ort.org people are trying to suggest that the 70 elders continued the
gift of prophecy so that even the current Sanhedrin has the power of divine discernment. I
can think of no other reason for a reading like this which is the clear OPPOSITE of what
the Hebrew says. If the Rabbis of Stone Tanakh dont need to twist this text for what
would clearly be in their own self-interest, I dont see why the bible.ort.org folks feel
they should do so.
However, they do admit other Rabbis support the accepted reading of it did not
continue.
HOMER (11:32) = perhaps referring to the amount a donkey (chamor) can carry.
Different word from OMER as in OMER COUNTING because there are 100 OMERS to
1 HOMER.
spread them out (also 11:32), may point to an original ARAMAIC reading
(YISHTECHU =spread out). Others think it should be the Hebrew YISHCEHTU
(slaughtered) but if so its a scribal error.
KUSHIT = (12:1) Cushite, as in from Ethiopia, or possibly from Greater Arabia (Sinai
Peninsula) or Saudi Arabia. It is possible this is Tharbis, the African princess Moshe
married according to Josephus, but equally possible this reference in the Torah inspired
Josephus to write about Tharbis. Personally, I think this is a derogatory term for
Tzipporah who lives in Saudi Arabia (Midian) and that if Tharbis existed that she and
Tzipporah are one and the same woman.
BECHOL BEYTI NEEMAN HU (12:7) = through all My House, trusted is he (Moshe).
In other words, YHWH says here that He might give other men and women the tiniest

glimpse of His glory in dreams and visions, but Moshe has been given so much more,
trusted over ALL HIS HOUSE, much like how Joseph was trusted by Potiphar and later
Pharaoh, a lead servant who speaks for his master.
PEH AL PEH (12:8) = mouth to mouth. Confirming the statement in 12:7, Abba YHWH
is clearly saying here that Moshe does not need to have things allegorized into dreams
and visions. Instead Abba YHWH simply tells him MOUTH TO MOUTH directly what
He wants. Yshua did the same thing with his disciples, giving parables to others.
END PART 1

PART 2: THE BONUS TEACHING

Bonus Teaching:
More Insights on the Marching Pattern of Israel
26

Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings
out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. because of His
great power and mighty strength not one of them is missing. (Isaiah 40:26 NIV)
In this parsha we have an event that is only mentioned once and, when compared with
grand and majestic themes that occur before and after it, the significance of it can often
get completely lost.
Most of us know, I believe, that Scripture has an infinite level of beauty and special
information that gives it a divine DNA-style watermark, so long as of course the plain
meaning of the Word is kept intact.
But when Rav Shaul also says that Father Yah has sent the simple things of the world to
confound the wise, I definitely know what he means by that. Hiding in the plain sight of
the Scripture are codes, a template of the cosmos, an astronomical computer and a fully
functioning calendar that is more intricate and multi-layered than I think most have even
imagined. That calendar is also 100% accurate and eternal, which is to say it never goes
out of date.
So then, if we believe that Abba YHWH has in fact preserved His Word and also that He
knows what He is doing when He speaks of physics, astronomy and harvest cycles, it
stands to reason also that said calendar which is directly based on and derived from His
Word must work and must be intended somehow for our benefit, whether most of Israel
knew of its existence or not, because an elite core group always did and used it.
It is at this point that I get to what the under-appreciated event in the Torah is, and it is, as
the title suggests, the marching pattern of Israel as detailed in Numbers 10 and 11. We
will see how the marching of 12 stars, one for each tribe of Israel, is mirrored in His
perfect calendar and re-enacted by the marching tribes themselves.
But before we get to see that, we need a brief recap of the other pieces to this calendar
that were revealed in earlier Scriptures.
Put simply, there are three extremely ancient parts of our Tanakh: 1) The Torah, from
Genesis through Deuteronomy; 2) The Book of Job; 3) Psalms-Song of Songs (Psalms,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs). I should also add that a nearly as ancient layer
exists for Joshua, Judges and Ruth.
From these ancient sources come clues, strategies and procedures that when carefully put
together form a kind of Master Calendar that I broadly call The Hebrew Solar Year,
although it encompasses way more than the title implies. Lets go step by step:

Step 1: Genesis 1:14-19

(Gen 1:14) And Elohim said, Let lights come to be in the expanse of the
heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and
appointed times, and for days and years, (Gen 1:15) and let them be for
lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth. And it came to
be so. (Gen 1:16) And Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule
the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars.(Gen 1:17) And
Elohim set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, (Gen
1:18) and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light
from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.(Gen 1:19) And there
came to be evening and there came to be morning, the fourth day. (The Scriptures
1998)
This list of signs, seasons days and years is absolutely critical for us to understand, and
the most important fact of all about this list is this: It must always be in that order, FIRST
signs, SECOND seasons, THIRD days and FOURTH years.
First we notice that a SIGN, or owth in Hebrew means a banner or ensign, something that
is noticed or seen or easily discerned. We also see that the stars, sun and moon all give us
signs for us to discern: stars either rise and set or are fixed and never set (circumpolar);
the sun rises and sets each day and revolves around the earth for its year; the moon goes
from all dark (conjunction) to all light (full moon) and back to full dark each month, as
well as rising and setting about 50 minutes later each night from the night before.
When Elohim sets THEM in the expanse of the heavens in Genesis 1:17 that list
includes the stars as well. That in turn means that the stars are part of setting the cycles of
time, along with the sun and the moon. But of course it should also be pointed out that
our sun IS A STAR as well, so sun and stars call out the SEASONS (moed, appointed
times).
Then, once the last season and its accompanying DAYS end (last day of winter, see
Exodus 12:1-2) so does the YEAR until the next series of SIGNS kicks off the whole
process all over again. The matter is put very simply this way: Originally both months
and years were solar-stellar; later on the months became lunar (and were also reckoned
solar) but the years remained solar.
That process then inevitably brings us to our next series of details, found in the book of
Job and the prophet Amos:
Step #2: Job 9:9; 38:31-33 and Amos 5:8
9

He made the Great Bear, Orion, the Pleiades and the hidden constellations of the
south. (Job 9:9 CJB)

31

"Can you tie up the cords of the Pleiades or loosen the belt of Orion? 32
Can you lead out the constellations of the zodiac in their season or guide the
Great Bear and its cubs? 33 Do you know the laws of the sky? Can you
determine how they affect the earth? (Job 38:31-33 CJB)
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns the shadows of death into
morning, Who darkens the day into night, Who calls for the waters in the seas
and uses them to flood the earth, Yahweh is His Name! (Amos 5:8 Matara)
These lines from Job and Amos are important for two reasons. First, they affirm that the
stars and constellations bring in the seasons through some sort of method involving them.
And second, the stars role, including that of our nearest star which we call the sun, is to
rule over the earth and signs like barley that only come about through the agency of
stellar and solar cycles. (I will get to the moon later.)
Another very important aspect that seems to get overlooked is that there is a good reason
why these particular stars are mentioned in Job and Amos: They represent the cardinal
directions that we measure and navigate by the positions of the stars!
The Great Bear, of which part of it is called the Big Dipper, is used to point straight to
the pole star and therefore indicates true north. Currently our north star is Polaris, but in
the distant past and distant future the star itself will shift out of that position, but the
location for any pole star will still be pointed to by the Big Dipper! For more info, see:
http://earthsky.org/favorite-star-patterns/big-and-little-dippers-highlight-northern-sky.
Hidden Constellations (Chambers) of the South, clearly represent the south.
The Pleiades or Seven Sisters, a critical constellation for determining the timing of spring
or Vernal Equinox, represents the east. When this constellation set late in the afternoon
(that is, before sunset so it is not seen at night), ancient astronomers knew spring was
near.
Orion, the Mighty Hunter, represents the west.
When compared with circumpolar stars that circle the north celestial equator and never
set (called Stars of Elohim in Job 22:12, Isaiah 14:13 and Obadiah 1:4), this mini star
catalogue gives us all we need to divide up the night sky for purposes of telling time,
setting harvest schedules and tracking the entire solar year.
But next up, we have this early testimony on how to divide the year up:
Step #3: Genesis 8:22
As long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and
winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease. (Genesis 8:22 The
Scriptures 1998)

10

Ancient Israel, along with the rest of the Middle East, seeded in fall and harvested in
spring. Therefore seedtime is the fall equinox and harvest is the spring equinox, with
summer and winter referring to the two solstices that define each of those seasons,
respectively.
This same solar-stellar year is divided also by cold and heat, as modern meteorologists
define seasons to this very day. Precisely tracking and indeed predicting seasons of cold
and heat was essential for planning seeding and harvest.
To reflect the cold-heat seasonal reckoning, another word is used as a synonym for
moed which is eth. As we saw recently, the eth is a word that refers to the agricultural
seasons for barley, figs, grapes--and so on--that the moedim are attached to.
To use my usual metaphor, think of a bicycle wheel with metal spokes, with the eth as the
circular hub at its center and moedim as the spokes sticking out from the hub and
attaching to the outer layer of the wheel. That is why Job 38:31-33 uses eth when talking
about the seasons the stars bring in, because it is the stars that predict whether a cold or
warm season is coming up.
Finally the mentioning of day and night in Genesis 8:22 may seem a bit redundant or
even arbitrary, but it is neither.
The sun clearly is the greater light (gadol in Hebrew) that rules the individual days (the
24 hour YOM). But also, in concert with its fellow stars it also regulates the year.
Similarly, the other stars have both a daily and an annual role. In the former the stars
rule the night, give light to the earth but in the latter they herald the start of the year at
spring.
For these reasons, day and night are referenced, for the sun needs to bring both day and
night to the earth on a daily basis and without the sun setting we would not see the stars
which perform the other needed functions.
Finally, day and night also factor in to the later role of the moon, which in its most
important phases is seen at evening, but the half-moons (1st quarter and 4th quarter)
that rise around noon-time during the day are also important markers as well (long story).
However, the main part here is that the star references given in the oldest parts of Tanakh
tell us about dividing the solar year into four seasons and that the stars and sun establish
the boundary of the Hebrew Year.
Next up though we will begin to see how those 4 seasons each get further divided into
thirds.
Step #4: Genesis 37:5-11, Numbers 24:17 and Revelation 12:1

11

(Gen 37:5) And Yosph dreamed a dream, and told it to his brothers. So they
hated him even more. (Gen 37:6) And he said to them, Please listen to this
dream which I have dreamed: (Gen 37:7) See, we were binding sheaves in the
midst of the field, and see, my sheaf rose up and also stood up. And see, your
sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.(Gen 37:8) And his
brothers said to him, Shall you indeed reign over us? Shall you indeed rule over
us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. (Gen 37:9)
And he dreamed still another dream and related it to his brothers, and said, See, I
have dreamed another dream, and see, the sun and the moon and the eleven
stars bowed down to me.(Gen 37:10) And he related it to his father and his
brothers. And his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that
you have dreamed? Shall we, your mother and I and your brothers, indeed
come to bow down to the earth before you?(Gen 37:11) And his brothers
envied him, but his father guarded the word. (The Scriptures 1998)
Josephs dream is clear proof that the ancient Hebrews linked the agricultural cycles
(binding sheaves) to the sun, moon and eleven stars that Joseph said also bowed down
to him. Joseph, being the 12th son, is also the 12th star completing the Kosher Zodiac.
The linkage is also confirmed in Revelation:
(Rev 12:1) And a great wonder was seen in heaven; a woman clothed with the
sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
(AENT)
The sun was often said to go also through 12 star gates throughout the solar year, and
these are also referred to a little later on, in Revelation 21, as being emblematic also of
the 12 apostles and the 12 tribes of Israel, both linked to 12 stars exactly as Genesis 37
describes.
Furthermore, notice the answer Jacob gives, Shall I, your mother and brothers worship
you?. This is also important because the order in the dream was sun, moon and eleven
stars, which matches the order of I (Jacob), your mother (the deceased Rachel) and
your brothers (the other 11 stars)! Jacob is directly calling himself the sun, which also
proves the Torah knows the sun is a star as well. That star-sun of Jacob is also mentioned
here:
(Num 24:17) I see Him, but not now; I observe Him, but not near. A Star shall
come out of Yaaqob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Yisral, and shall smite the
corners of Moab, and shall destroy all the sons of Shth. (The Scriptures 1998)
So the father of the tribes, Jacob (the sun) and his wife Rachel (the moon) keep time with
the rest of Israel (the stars) and help regulate the seasons (like Josephs first dream of
binding sheaves).
But notice something else important here, these are 12 singular stars and not 12
constellations! Even though Job 38 describes constellations as the heralds of the seasons,

12

the actual focus in Genesis and Revelation is on singular stars, put simply the brightest
stars in each constellation. The reason is the patterns of the constellations were used to
depict animals and deities, and Abba YHWH wanted NONE of that!
(Deu 4:19) and lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and shall see the sun,
and the moon, and the stars all the host of the heavens and you be drawn away
into bowing down to them and serving them, which your Elohim has allotted
to all the peoples under all the heavens. (The Scriptures 1998)
And so, all of His cycles begin and end in darkness. The day and week begin and end in
darkness, when the sun has gotten out of the way and cant be therefore worshipped! The
same is true of the moon, with the month ending at conjunction (darkness) on a given
day, and the new month is born when that last day ends (at sunset). So the month is
heralded through DOUBLE darkness!
In fact, even the year ends in darkness, in a manner of speaking. The name of the last
Hebrew monthAdarcomes from ancient Canaanite meaning darkness, eclipse, so
when the Darkness Month ends, the year is over!
But now lets get back to that CROWN (circle, wheel) of stars above the womans head
in Revelation 12:1. This remarkable versewhich is also a future prophetic sign as well
as a calendar indicatoralso gives us the direct hierarchy of signs, which is to say tells
us what outranks who.
This issue of rank was hinted at previously, where we just saw the sun is called the
GREATER (again gadol) light, and gadol also refers to rank as well as magnitude, such
as the High Priest (kohen gadol) over regular priests and when Jethro proclaims Father
Yah as greatest (also gadol) among the gods (Exodus 18:11-12). It is a matter of
physicsthe laws of which Father Yah inventedthat the moon only gets its light from
the sun. This is also why the sun is called a judge and the moon is just a witness (comp.
Ecclesiastes 3:16 to Psalm 89:37), but also in general sky signs outrank earth signs, for
heaven is His throne and earth His footstool (Isaiah 66:1).
Therefore it is no surprise at all that Revelation 12:1 puts the 12 stars above the ladys
head, then has her clothed in the sun, then has the moon at her feet and the earth is of
course below the moon!
So lets now look at these 12 individual stars that form part of their parent constellations,
because those super bright stars point to the zone of darkness that matches a season on
earth. In so doing, neither the singular stars nor their constellation partners can be
imagined as forming animal shapes or deities.1

And this also negates concerns about precession, or the shifting of fixed stars 1 degree every 72 years
from our perspective on earth. When a star that was used to designate the first month of spring for
example moves out of view, the star behind it then represents that month (or tribe of Israel) for it.

13

So these 12 stars are the following, from the first star sign of spring to the last star sign of
winter, as it was back around 1800 BCE:
1) Hamal (Aries)
2) Aldebaran (the Follower) star (Taurus)
3) Pollux (Second Twin) star (Gemini)
4) Al-Tarf (The Edge) star (Cancer)
5) Regulus (King) star (Leo)
6) Spica (Virgins Ear of Grain) star (Virgo)
7) The Northern Scale of Balance star (Libra)
8) Antares (Scorpio)
9) Southern Bow star (Sagittarius)
10) Tail of the Goat star (Capricorn)
11) Fortune of Fortunes star (Aquarius)
12) Fish Bucket star (Pisces2)
Step #5: What was the Original Birth Order of Jacobs Sons?
In order to find the original star-tribe associations in the Torah text, we need to first find
the actual chronological order of the birth of Jacobs sons. After that, the order that I will
review in Numbers 10-11 will definitely show a non-chronological ordering.
To see why, recall how Josephs 10 brothers betrayed him, and the last and youngest son
was the one child born after Joseph, Benjamin (Genesis 35:22-23). And yet, in the
ordering of Numbers 10-11 it is Naphtali, not Benjamin, who marches last. Now why
would this be the case?
Now there were twelve sons of Jacob--the sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's
firstborn, 23then Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun; 24 the
sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin; 25 and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maid:
Dan and Naphtali; 26 and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maid: Gad and Asher.
These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram. (Genesis
35:22-26 NAU)
These births are recorded by spouse, not by overall order. Noting in Genesis it is very
clear that Rachels children come last (Genesis 30) because her maid Bilhah bears sons
for Jacob first.
In Genesis 49 then, Jacob blesses his sons also by wife order:
Leahs sons: 1) Reuben, 2) Shimeon, 3) Levi, 4) Judah, 5) Zebulon and 6) Issachar
(49:3-15).
Rachels sons: 7) Joseph, 8) Benjamin (49:22-28).
2

It is well known that Aries is no longer the first constellation of spring, but has precessed to Pisces in our
day. The traditional zodiac names are used only for easy reference.

14

The four in between sons, or those from servant girls Bilhah (Dan, Naphtali) and
Zilpah (Gad, Asher) Jacob doesnt even bother putting in order of their mothers births,
as he starts with Bilhahs first born (Dan), then skips to Zilpahs sons (Gad and Asher)
and then back to Bilhahs second son (Naphtali)3.
We also see that in some cases, such as with Zebulon and Issachar, the order is reversed
(Genesis 30:17-22, comp. to Genesis 35:22) between sources, even when they came out
of the same mother. Again all this is strong evidence the births are not in overall
chronological order.
Instead, what seems to have happened in Genesis 35 is that the official wives are
mentioned first in the order Jacob married them (Leah, then Rachel), and then the order
that the maids are taken as concubines (Bilhah, Zilpah) are given last. This may have
something to do with overall inheritance.
By contrast, Genesis 49 seems to be preferring sons based on some form of merit system,
for reasons that are simply not made clear in the text, but a lot of character traits are
discussed as the list goes on.
How then can we know the actual birth order of Jacobs sons, understanding the fact that
more than one of his wives may be pregnant at the same time? The answer is partly
written in the stars, which I believe were associated originally with the actual
chronological order of Jacobs sons!
For example, Judah is often called a lion or a lions whelp, literally from Genesis to
Revelation. And yet Judah is also in most cases the FIRST listed, although he clearly had
at least three older brothers. This again speaks to a form of merit system. Reuben had
defiled his fathers couch (slept with Bilhah) and Shimeon and Levi had plotted
deceitfully and against their fathers wishes murdered the Shechemites.4
But more than that, in order for Judah to be associated with the Lion constellation (Leo),
or at least the brightest star in Leo originally (Regulus)5, he would have to be the 5th born
son overall, but the 4th son of Jacob and Leah.
Therefore, it seems very likely to my mind that Dan, who is Bilhahs son, was born
before Judah just like Naphtali is later listed last but is born before Joseph and Benjamin.
3

I must conclude this is because Jacob is giving the overall chronology between the two concubines, viz.,
that Bilhah had sons #1 and #4 and Zilpah had sons #2 and #3 (just amongst the two of them). The
reasoning I hope becomes more evident as my analysis continues.
4
Genesis 34; 49:4-5.
5
Because in around 1800 BCE, the first constellation of spring was in fact Aries, not Pisces as it is
th
currently. Therefore, from the position of Aries, Leo and therefore Judah, was 5 born. Again though it is
important to note that originally, when the system I am describing was set up, none of Jacobs sons would
have been associated directly with the animals of the pagan zodiac, but only with the brightest star in
each zodiac constellation. Nevertheless, Father Yah appears to have allowed to concordances with the
pagan system to correlate to His Kosher Zodiac, perhaps as a witness to the pagan nations, just as the the
Star of Bethlehem was a witness to the Magi from Babylon.

15

Based on this and many other factors, I have concluded the actual birth order is as
follows:
Months of Spring:
1) Reuben (Leah)beginning of my strength relates also to the start of spring,
when the earth has renewed strength.
2) Shimeon (Leah)fierce anger, a strong/fierce east wind in spring (Ex. 14:21)6
3) Levi (Leah)meaning joined, because Levi followed Shimeon in anger7.
Months of Summer:
4) Dan (Bilhah)called a viper which has venom, just as Cancer is poison to the
body and crabs are unkosher. No wonder Father Yah allowed this association in!
5) Judah (Leah)Lion, because the king of the tribes is the king of the beasts.
6) Gad (Zilpah)Gads name seems inspired by two Hebrew words, one meaning
fortunate and the other army raiders (Genesis 30:11, comp. to Genesis 49:19).
Put the two together and he is a fortunate raider/soldier. When soldiers win in
battle they in turn take the enemys crops, like Joshua destroyed Jerichos wheat,
and the main star Spica represents wheat. The star Spica is in the constellation of
Virgo, and possibly represents the virgins that are also often seized as spoils of
war.
Months of Fall:
7) Asher (Zilpah)Ashers name means happy and it is during the fall, at feasts
like Sukkot, when all of Israel is commanded to rejoice (Leviticus 23:40). The
constellation Libra which is associated with Asher, is represented by equal scales
and a just balance and scales belong to Yahweh (Proverbs 16:11), so to be
balanced is to be happy because you belong to Him! Equal scales also relate to the
Fall Equinox, one of two times in the year when day and night are of nearly equal
length.
8) Naphtali (Bilhah)Meaning my struggle, Napthalis star Antares was so
named in comparison to Mars, the blood red planet of war, which a difficult
pregnancy would be a good metaphor for I believe. Also the great struggles
involve of course stinging pain, like that from a scorpion.
9) Zebulon (Leah)meaning habitation, Zebulon was said to live near the
seashore. The constellation of Sagittarius the archer contains Zebulons star,
whose name translates to Southern Bow. After the flood, Father Yah places a
bowa rainbow, which was meant to emulate the weapon of the same name
in the sky to remind Him never to flood the world again. Other places where the

The Hebrew word az (fierce), is applied to both the strong east wind of Exodus 14 and the fierce
anger of Shimeon and Levi. Also in both places the word for anger is the same, aph, which refers to a
blast of ones nostrils. Noting also the strong east wind comes close to the end of Abib and therefore close
also to the opening days of Iyar, which would relate to Shimeon.
7
In another sense, Shimeon and Levi, who acted kind of like evil twins, could have an intended association
with Gemini, in which case I would have to look at the possibility that Josephs sons Ephraim and
Manasseh are meant to have separate signs while Joseph himself is not included. At this time, I do not
believe enough evidence exists to warrant such a revision. However, the names follower and twin do
seem associated with Shimeon and Levi, which makes things very interesting.

16

bow and the sea are used metaphorically are in Jeremiah 6:23 and 50:42, along
with Zechariah 6:23.
Months of Winter:
10) Issachar (Leah)His name means there is recompense, and he is called a wild
donkey, which is an animal known to kick back after being confronted. While
there is no star-sign called or associated with a donkey, Issachars star is part of
Capricorn, which is associated with the goat, an animal of similar size and
disposition. So if you hurt Issachar, he will recompense by kicking back!
11) Joseph (Rachel)Yah has added. Though associated with being a fruitful
bough, his position in the middle of winter is not contradictory. Rather, Joseph is
fruitful because he saved so many lives from starvation in Egypt and as a result he
also has the longest blessing of any of Jacobs sons. Not surprisingly his stars
name roughly translates into good fortune of good fortunes because of his
deliverance. His association also with the Water-Bearer Aquarius makes sense
given Josephs charge to irrigate and grow grain. In Egypt, the only way this
could be done was through the Nile.
12) Benjamin (Rachel)Son of my power, it seems Benjamin lets power go his
head as a ravening wolf. There seems nothing in Benjamins character that
remotely resembles that of docile fish like Pisces, however he very much appears
wolf-like in the book of Judges when he creates a civil war with the rest of Israel.
Ezekiel 22:27 then compares Israels enemies, like Benjamin in this case, to being
wolves.
However, regardless as to how much the reader wishes to give credence to these
associations, the one thing we can be certain about is that they do not last. Very soon
the tribes and the seasons they are linked to will completely change.
Step #6: The Solar Year is divided into having only 12 months
One of the most challenging issues with the idea of the Rabbinic Calendar being from
Biblical times is the fact that there is not a single direct reference to months being
intercalated with 2nd Adar. This is because from Exodus onwards while the months were
lunar, the year remained solar, so the month name was simply repeated a second time
until the lunar year could catch up with the solar year.
That being the case, the original Hebrew months were always solar. We know this
because the account of Noahs Flood Year requires 5 30 day months in a row to go 151
days between the start of the flood (17th day, 2nd month) and the time the ark rests on the
mountains of Ararat (17th day, 7th month).
We need 5 30 day months in a row because month 2 must have 14 days (inclusive of the
17th, the first day of the flood), months 3,4,5 and 6 must total 120 more days or 30 days
each, so that 17 more days (month 7) brings the total to 151.
The problem is, there is no way to have 5 30 day months in a row in a lunar system! This
has literally never happened in all of history! The absolute most consecutive 30 day

17

months you can have is 4, and even that is exceedingly rare. But when we synch the
Flood to the right time of year on the Hebrew Solar Year schedule, we most certainly will
have 5 consecutive 30 day solar months at that exact time! We know this in part because
the flood is based on when Noah was born, not the spring or fall reckoning systems, and
when the dove comes back with an olive leaf in its mouth, that can only be in late
summer8!
Furthermore, the Scripture gives us several examples of months of the year that are
always counted as 12 and never 13:
Solomon had twelve deputies over all Israel, who provided for the king and his
household; each man had to provide for a month in the year. (1 Kings 4:7 NAU)
Now this is the enumeration of the sons of Israel, the heads of fathers'
households, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers
who served the king in all the affairs of the divisions which came in and went out
month by month throughout all the months of the year, each division numbering
24,000...15 The 12th for the 12th month was Heldai the Netophathite of Othniel; and in
his division were 24,000. (1 Chronicles 27:1,15 NAU)
In these and all other such cases, never is the need expressed to either make #12 serve
twice in a row nor is a #13 leader ever placed on stand-by. What this means in
astronomical terms is that the only kind of year that always has 12 months is either
solar or star-based, and the difference between the sidereal (star-based year) and solar
(tropical year) is only 20 minutes, so either way we are dealing with a term of about 365
days and 6 hours.
But in our next step we can finally put these 12 divisions of the solar-stellar year9 into the
final order they were given in the book of Numbers.

th

Genesis 8:4-5 tells us plainly that the waters began receding steadily in the 7 month and that by the
th
start of the 10 month, the mountain tops became visible. About 49 days after that (Genesis 8:6-11) the
second dove comes back with an olive leaf in her mouth. Since olives and their leaves often grow on
mountains, it is reasonable to suggest that the olives bloomed during that approximate 49 day period, a
little more than 11 months from when the flood started. Since olive leaves bloom in late summer, and the
flood would have prevented them from growing earlier in the year (some varieties sprout earlier, in late
spring), the only logical conclusion is that late summer, our mid-August, was 11 months after the flood
th
started and the flood time would have been about September 15 (Tishri 17 in Hebrew terms) in 2245
BCE, the flood year in my chronology. That means that Noah would have been born in what we now call
Elul, and when Father Yah judged the entire human race as wicked 7 days before He sent the rains, that
would have been on Tishri 10, what we now call Yom Kippur! This association as a chronology clue best
makes sense when we consider that in May, when the first leaves and berries from the olive trees sprout,
the water of the flood would have prevented it. But the full grown olive leaves, berries and fruit, were
harvested in September at the earliest, at which time the leaves would have also been in full bloom.
9
Psalm 19:1-7 also gives a very effective description of the solar year. The sun rises at one end of the
heavens and then the other. If this were a daily cycle, it would mention rising and setting. But because it
mentions only rising, this is a reference to the circuit the sun makes in the course of a year.

18

Step #7: The Final Order of the Tribes, Months and Calendar
In previous teachings we went over how elements of both the solar and lunar years are
encoded within the Tabernacle.
To give just two quick examples, first we have the Set-Apart of Set-Aparts where the Ark
of the Covenant is housed. In front of the ark are 12 loaves of bread, each one
representing the 12 months of the solar year.
Our second example is all over Exodus, where the details of the construction of the
Tabernacle are given. There are a total of 11 curtains that are detailed. The outer 5 are 30
cubits by 4 cubits; the inner 5 are 28 cubits by 4 cubits. Each cubit equals a day for the
average lunar month, where we typically see parts of the moon over 28 days (crescent to
crescent) and have a total lunar month of 30 days, with zones of darkness on either side
of the 28 days. The 11th and final curtain is folded over the tent and facing east, the
direction of the rising sun. Therefore the coded message is: Reset the cycles of the moon
by the cycles of the sun!
But now we are at the point where the final design has reached its greatest extent. To
begin with, we need to first look at the Levites and their four family groups: 1) The
Kohenim (or priests), 2) the sons of Gershon, 3) the sons of Kohath, 4) the sons of
Merari.
I believe each of the Levite groups is meant to represent a particular season of the year.
This is because the priests and other Levites are each divided into groups of 24 (1
Chronicles 24-25), which is one division for each hour of the solar day. Also a synonym
for priest, shamash, is actually the same exact word for sun, or shemesh (Exodus 28:1,
comp. to Daniel 7:10).
And so, when the solar year begins and Leviticus 23:4 says that priests and Levites are to
proclaim the feasts of the year starting in spring, it seemed logical that the spring season
would be most closely associated with the Kohenim.
The next two groups of Levites, the Gershonites and the Merarites, were in charge of
breaking the Tabernacle down when they left a location and building it back up again
when they arrived at a new location. In Psalm 19:4 we are told that Father Yah, has
pitched a tent for the sun and the Tabernacle is a kind of glorified tent.
I believe these two groups are meant to represent the summer and winter solstices,
because the summer is when the sun is at its greatest height it will get to all year and the
winter solstice is the opposite, when the sun is at its lowest point all year. Since the
Gershonites are mentioned first, they are meant to re-enact the summer solstice and the
Merarites do the same for the winter solstice.
That leaves only the sons of Kohath to represent the season of fall.

19

One final note: It is only at this point that we need a minor clarification from Josephus
and Philo, who both tell us that equinoxes are the turns of the year in spring and fall
referred to in Scripture:
222

Moses puts down the beginning of the vernal equinox as the first month of
the year, attributing the chief honor, not as some persons do to the periodical
revolutions of the year in regard of time, but rather to the graces and beauties of
nature which it has caused to shine upon men; for it is through the bounty of
nature that the seeds which are sown to produce the necessary food of mankind
are brought to perfection. And the fruit of trees in their prime, which is second in
importance only to the necessary crops, is engendered by the same power, and as
being second in importance it also ripens late; for we always find in nature that
those things which are not very necessary are second to those which are
indispensable. (On Moses, 2:222)
And the sun, the ruler of the day, making two equinoxes every year, both in spring
and autumn. The spring equinox in the constellation of Aries, and the
autumnal one in Libra, gives the most evident demonstration possible of the
divine dignity of the number 7. For each of the equinoxes takes place in the
7th month, at which time men are expressly commanded by law to celebrate
the greatest and most popular and comprehensive festivals; since it is owing
to both these seasons, that all the fruits of the earth are engendered and
brought to perfection; the fruit of corn, and all other things which are sown,
being owing to the vernal equinox; and that of the vine, and of all the other
plants which bear hard berries, of which there are great numbers, to the
autumnal one. (Philo, On Creation, 1:116)

248

In the month of Xanthikos, which is by us called Nisan, and is the

beginning of our year, on the fourteenth day of the lunar month, when the
sun is in Aries, (for in this month it was that we were delivered from bondage
under the Egyptians,) the law ordained that we should every year slay that
sacrifice which I before told you we slew when we came out of Egypt, and which
was called the Passover; and so we do celebrate this Passover in companies,
leaving nothing of what we sacrifice till the day following. (Antiquities, 3:248)
These quotes in turn were derived from Josephus and Philo studying the Scripture:
Strong 8666 []
teshuvah n.f. return, answer;1. sf. 1
S 7:17
and his return was (= he returned) to Rama. 2. esp. cstr. at the return
of the year, i.e. of spring, 2 S 11:1, 1 K 20:22, 20:26, 2 Ch 36:10, 1 : :
Ch 20:1 (|| 2 S 11:1). 3. answer, pl. abs. Jb 34:36, sf. 21:34
Brown Driver Briggs
[]
n.f coming round, circuit;cstr.

20

 Ex 34:22 (JE), adv., at the circuit (completion) of the year, so

2 : Ch 24:33; = pl. cstr. 1 S 1:20; sg. sf. of finished circuit of sun
Psalm 19:7 (opp. ; cf. of moon, Ecclus 43:7).
Brown Driver Briggs
The addition of this Scriptural data and historical research convinces me that since Day
1/Month 1 is supposed to start with the Vernal Equinox, then Day 1/Month 7 was meant
to start in solar terms at the Fall Equinox. It also turned out that two other months would
have the solstices on their LAST day! Then, when we assemble all the data, we come up
with the following 12 months/4 season pattern named after the marching tribes:
Season of Kohenim (Abib or Spring)
1) Month of Judah (31 days)Begins March 21st (Vernal Equinox) and ends April
20th.
2) Month of Issachar (31 days)Begins April 21st and ends May 21st
3) Month of Zebulun (31 days)Begins May 22nd and ends June 21st (Summer
Solstice)
Season of Gershon (Qayitz or Summer)
4) Month of Reuben (31 days)Begins June 22nd and ends July 22nd
5) Month of Shimeon (31 days)Begins July 23rd and ends August 22nd
6) Month of Gad (31 days)Begins August 23rd and ends September 22nd
Season of Kohath (Yoreh10 or Fall)
7) Month of Ephraim (30 days) Begins September 23rd (Fall Equinox) and ends
October 22nd
8) Month of Manasseh (30 days)Begins October 23rd and ends November 21st
9) Month of Benjamin (30 days)Begins November 22nd and ends December 21st
(Winter Solstice)
Season of Merari (Choreph or Winter)
10) Month of Dan (30 days)Begins December 22nd and ends January 20th
11) Month of Asher (30 days)Begins January 21st and ends February 19th
12) Month of Naphtali (29/30 days)Begins February 20th and ends March 20th
In terms of relating these months to our current modern Gregorian Calendar, this is
extremely easy to do. Put simply, if the current Gregorian year has a leap day (February
29th) then the last month of Naphtali has 30 days; in all other cases though Naphtali will
have 29 days.
10

Technically this word means early rain as in the rainy season that begins shortly after the close of
Sukkot (Deuteronomy 11:14).

21

For the ancients however, their method of determining whether to add a leap day of
Naphtali 30 was a bit more involved.
Some of these techniques involved watching constellations like the Pleiades which used
to set in the afternoon and therefore disappear at night just before spring. Other stars
known to the Hebrews, such as Aldebaran and Spica, would have refined the process for
calling the right day of Vernal Equinox.
Another technique would adapt Egyptian processes that Moshe surely was trained in
(Acts 7:22), such as the 36 Decan stars and tracking the heliacal rising of Sirius. These
processes are extensively dealt with in The Hebrew Solar Year presentation. Moshe
adapted those techniques to make more sense in a sunset to sunset Hebrew reckoning
rather than Egyptian sunrise to sunrise reckoning.
Conclusion
In any case, the bottom line is that an entire perfect and functional calendar emerges
simply from following the data in the Scripture. While originally these solar months, as I
alluded to, may have had a different ordering than they do in Numbers 10-11 and it is
also possible the Hebrews originally simply numbered their months from 1 to 12, I think
there is also something beautiful about naming the months after the tribes of Israel and
rejecting names after pagan gods.
I also think such a process may have been implied in this Scripture:
(Exo 39:1) And of the blue and purple and scarlet material they made woven
garments, to do service in the set-apart place. And they made the set-apart
garments which were for Aharon, as had commanded Mosheh. (Exo 39:2)
And he made the shoulder garment of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet
material, and of fine woven linen.
(Exo 39:3) And they beat out sheets of gold and cut it into threads, to work it in
with the blue and purple and scarlet material, and the fine linen, the work of a
skilled workman.(Exo 39:4) They made shoulder pieces for it to join it, it was
joined at its two edges. (Exo 39:5) And the embroidered band of his shoulder
garment that was on it was of the same work of gold, and blue and purple and
scarlet material, and of fine woven linen, as had commanded Mosheh.
(Exo 39:6) And they made the shoham stones, set in plated work of gold,
engraved as signets are engraved, according to the names of the sons of Yisral.
(Exo 39:7) And he put them on the shoulders of the shoulder garment, stones
of remembrance for the sons of Yisral, as had commanded Mosheh.
(The Scriptures 1998)
Torah Question of the Week:
What Does the Second Pesach teach us about Abba YHWH and how He reveals His
Word? END PART 2

22

PART 3: THE HAFTORAH

Torah Question of the Week:
What Does the Second Pesach teach us about Abba YHWH and how He reveals His
Word?
In this Torah portion we saw the contingency arise for people to be allowed to celebrate
Pesach in the second month if they became defile or if they were delayed on a long
journey.
Abba YHWH, in His great mercy, gave them a second chance, but in a sense there was a
catch to that second chance: Abba YHWH, Who knows everything, surely could have
provided Second Pesach up front, could He not? Instead, He waits to be asked this
question. Why? I believe the reason is He wanted to see how eager Israel was to observe
His Torah! Would they throw up their hands and go Sorry, touched a dead bodymy
bad! or Sorry, couldnt get back from Tarshish on time. Oh well, no Pesach! Then
perhaps they could whine about how unfair YHWH was in not providing Second Pesach.
Fortunately, NONE of that happened!
It was in the ASKING of Abba YHWH this question that Abba YHWH knew that they
were serious. He knew they were thinking out of the box, determined to at least try and
observe Pesach at any cost, even under hardship. As a result, they were warmed by His
favor and passed a test that probably none of themnot even Mosherealized was being
applied to them.
It is all too easy to remember Israels failures that put them in the Wilderness and all too
easy to almost skip over Numbers altogether to catch up with Deuteronomy and Moshes
last addresses. But nothing in Scripture is trivialever. And this incident shows that the
Torah given at Sinai is literally a living and breathing entity. It grows and in some
limited sense changes to fit the conditions on the ground.
But when Torah changes, it is not the same way we usually think of change. Instead, it
is kind of like plants sprouting from seeds. We dont see the fruit or plant when we put it
into the ground but Abba YHWH knows it is there. Then, when it is nourished, the
harvest comes from that seed, and in this case, a reward. Yes, the Israelites did something
RIGHT heresomething praiseworthy evenso it must also be true later on, during the
40 years of wandering, they didnt sin EVERY day.
Its the same with us. Sometimes it seems really hard to apply Torah to our modernity,
but then we think about it and the next time the issue comes up we understand more and
we do better as a result. The seed gives the fruit we didnt see before. And, even in the
wilderness of our own daily lives when we feel occasionally the greatest disconnection
from Abba YHWH, we are still capable of pleasing Him and getting our rewards as well.
Thats what Second Pesach is. It is our second chance. It is our mercy from Abba YHWH
to keep striving to do the right thing even if we dont always understand exactly HOW to

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do it. And Second Pesach also stands in the middle of the omer count, but Abba YHWH
will NOT require us to do all the other moedim a month late because of it, again, because
sometimes asking the right question is more important than knowing the complete
answer!
1) Haftorah portion (English- Zechariah 2:14-4:7) and discuss common themes with
the Torah portion.

Roni vesimchi bat-Tsiyon ki hineni-va veshachanti vetochech neumYahweh.

Venilvu goyim rabim el-Yahweh bayom hahu vehayu li le'am
veshachanti vetochech veyada'at ki-Yahweh Tseva'ot shlachani
elayich.
2) Our linguistic commentary
HA SATAN (3:1) = The Accuser. Here we see Satan playing the same role he
did in the Book of Job. His job is to test man under YHWHs control. His
malevolent aspects are of course more fully discussed later.
OMED AL-YEMINO (3:1) = at his right hand. In this case Satan seems to be
working for YHWH here rather than as an independent agent of evil. To be at the
right hand is to be at the side of power. Yshua will judge all those on his right
hand side as righteous. However, in this case Yahweh tells Satan to back off.
YHWH rebuke you (3:2) = the only appropriate thing to say to Ha Satan.
Anything else invites him in.
Remove sin in a single day (3:9) = reference from one Yehoshua to another
Yshuawho removes sin in a single day. Each man present is symbolic of
people to come (3:8). YHWH is GOING to bring the branch, Yehoshua is not the
branch himself but bears that branchs name (6:12), which is Yshua!
4:1-6- The menorahs are symbolic of the Word of YHWHYshua the Word
made Flesh is called the Word of Elohim in Revelation. Also in Revelation, the
menorah represent the Netzarim assemblies spreading the Word of YHWH.
4:6 Not by MIGHT (chaylil) not by POWER (koach), but by My Ruach says
YHWH. CHAYIL = refers to military might from armies. Yshua uses the
Aramaic form of this same word to denote power of the KINGDOM OF YHWH
through his miracles. KOACH = (power), individual physical strength, like
Samson. Even his great strength is nothing compared to the KOACH of YHWHs
Ruach.

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3) Renewed Covenant portion: (English) Hebrews 4:1-16 (all the way through with
applicable footnotes.)
Hebrews 4:8
28) The name Joshua is derived from the Hebrew Yehoshua; the shortened form
first appears in Neh_8:17 as "Yeshua". Yehoshua did not usher in the Olam Haba
"rest"; Yehoshua ben Nun is a "type" of Mashiyach ben David.
Hebrews 4:9
29) Lamsa also targums this more properly in terms of direct intention/meaning.
It is therefore the duty of the people of Elohim to keep the Sabbath! The fact is,
though, neither Aramaic nor Greek has Shabbat rest; the word rest was added
by replacement theologians in a bid to twist the Seventh Day Shabbat into a
futuristic fulfillment. Paul teaches that the Kedoshim (Set Apart people) who
enter into Shabbat here and now, are entering into the work of the Ruach
haKodesh, but also towards the eternal Shabbat of the Olam Haba (World/Age to
Come). Paul is writing to a Jewish audience; he need not explain the joy of
Shabbat, but he magnifies haMishchah (the anointing) received on Shabbat that is
a taste of the Olam Haba. The Ruach haKodesh (Shabbat Bride) in the Spirit of
Mashiyach makes Shabbat a very special time. Because a person goes to church
on Saturday does not necessarily indicate that they automatically enter into
Shabbat. For some, Sabbath is a denominational or doctrinal theology, rather
than weekly Set Apart time to wait on YHWH and His Mashiyach. The Fourth
Commandment, to remember the Shabbat, is from YHWH; the theology to not
observe Shabbat originates with early Christo-Pagans who integrated Christian
values into calendars that were based on sun worship.
Theological attempts to use this verse to abolish Shabbat are founded on both
pagan and anti-Semitic rhetoric. Notice that in Greek Bibles the term
sabbatismos is sandwiched between the katapauo (Heb_4:8) and katapausis
(Heb_4:10) which is a common Greek term for rest. In reality Greek speakers
have clarified the meaning of sabbatismos as the observance of Shabbat. See
Justin, Dialogue with Trypho 23:3; Epiphanius, Adversus Haereses 30:2:2;
Martyrium Petri et Pauli 1; Apostolic Constitutions 2:36:2.
However, in an interesting response to these assertions, some have suggested that
the Aramaic equivalent word in question, lmashbato, is in infinitive form as a
verb. To their mind, that suggests a meaning closer to rest as opposed to the
Shabbat as a formal time of the week, i.e., as a proper noun. However, even if
this is granted, the root for the rest is still shbt, which brings us back to Shabbat
as a seventh (also shbt) interval or (possibly) in the sense of an annual occasion
that counts as Shabbat irrespective of the day of the week it falls on. Either
way, though, we are still talking about continual moedim (sacred occasion)
patterns derived from Tanakh and mentioned in a letter written to the Hebrew
people! So, if it is keep Shabbat as in keep the rest it still brings us to that

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seventh/sacred interval and the sense of keep (counting) the sevens (to) rest.
The proof of this matter, however, resides in the fact that another verb for rest is
used all over this passage. The word anikh/atnikh, which is derived from the root
nkh, and clearly connotes a generic rest, appears in Heb_4:1; Heb_4:3-5;
Heb_4:8; Heb_4:10-11. It is only with the connection of the phrase the people
of Elohim that Rav Shaul then deliberately brings in the root of seven, shbt, so
either by pshat or more esoteric reckoning the seventh day is certainly intended.
In fact, such a tactic can even be shown to be part of his writing style. Why else
would he in Heb_4:4 use the words Shabbat, seventh and rest in one
sentence, knowing these were derived from the exact same root?
Finally, it is worth noting how both Murdock and Etheridge have basically
transposed the infinitive phrase so that it has the effect of a noun in a practical
sense in English. Etheridge writes in his notes: Lemashbothu. Inf. Aphel of
shabath, Quievit; celebravit diem sabbathi. He has translated it somewhat
ambiguously, though not in a contradictory manner as, Therefore, yet to enjoy a
shabathism is confirmed to the people of Aloha (Eloah/Elohim), even though the
Latin he provides clearly reads as, celebrate the Sabbath day. Please also note
that he admits the word is in inf. Aphel (infinitive) form which again speaks to
continuous/eternal celebration of the Shabbat. Etheridge also includes the rest
meaning for completeness, but as a noun in English, even though he lists it as an
Aphel verbal form which is technically correct from the Aramaic. This idea
seems confirmed lastly with Murdock, who then has the interesting reading of,
Therefore it is established, that the people of Elohim are to have a sabbath.
Clearly Murdock then also thought that the infinitive form of lmashbato should be
rendered in English as the noun a Sabbath and not as a generic verb meaning
to rest; the former approach employed by Lamsa is also retained here.
Hebrews 4:10
30) While "rest" certainly has metaphoric attributes, it is clearly meant here as the
very literal Seventh Day Shabbat. Paul says Shabbat was established from that
Seventh Day of Creation when YHWH Himself rested (Gen_2:2). Shabbat is
extremely relevant to Netzari (Nazarenes) and "Elohim fearing Gentiles"; it could
not possibly have changed during this period or any other period, as Christian
theologians posture. It was not the followers of Y'shua who changed the day of
rest from Shabbat to Sun-day, but Pagan philosophers skilled in syncretism who
melded sun worship with early Roman based religio-political "Christianity."
Jewish and Gentile followers of Y'shua are well acquainted with Isa_56:1-8;
(Isa_56:3-5 relates to Gentiles); Isa_59:8-21; Isa_66:22-24; Eze_46:1-4; Isa_42:14. Shabbat is a rehearsal of the 7th millennium; it is a sign between YHWH and
all His people, both Jew and Gentile. Shabbat is a day which is commanded by
YHWH that we cease from the mundane and enter into His rest in preparation for
the Olam Haba. This letter from Rav Shaul was written for the benefit of Jewish
followers of Mashiyach who were being enticed back into Rabbinical Judaism.
Paul would most certainly not attempt to diminish the Seventh Day Shabbat to

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Jews who have Torah Consciousness. The Seventh Day Shabbat is the fourth of
the Aseret HaDibrot, "the Ten Commandments" written by the finger of YHWH
upon stone and transferred in Mashiyach to the hearts of His People! See Shabbat
in Appendix.
Hebrews 4:11
31) Strive to enter into that rest, rather than Shabbat being done away with,
Paul is saying Shabbat is an honor that is given in Mashiyach according to all
righteousness. After laboring during the other six days of the week we enter into
Mashiyachs rest. In other words, we get to do Shabbat as part of our inheritance
in the Kingdom of Heaven. This is a very clear and eternal element of Torah for
all humanityresting as and when Master YHWH rested. We must strive to
come out of the worlds religions and the worlds ideas about the Kingdom of
Heaven and enter into true Messianic rest.
32) After the manner of them who did not believe. According to Paul, there is
no difference between those unbelievers who are spoken of in Psa_95:7-11 and
those who claim to be of Mashiyach, but dont strive to enter His rest. In other
words dont be anti-Torah like unbelievers, and dont follow dispensationalist
or replacement theology like the unbelievers. But believe and enter into
Mashiyach through obedience. Yshua is Master of Shabbat therefore observe his
Shabbat as he himself observed Shabbat along with his disciples. Yshua and his
Shlichim demonstrated the joy and elegance and delight of Shabbat without
religious or cultural discrimination. Shabbat in Mashiyach is not a religious thing,
or a Jewish identity thing, it is beautiful Kingdom of Heaven spirituality that is
given in Mashiyach.
4) Highlight common themes in Aramaic (terms in footnotes which I will read)
5) Apply these themes/issues to modern issues in the Netzari faith. (We must rest as
well, for own sakes as well as to please YHWH!)
6) Relate to all or part of an Appendix portion of AENT or footnotes from a portion
(Same as above).
STUDY QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED NEXT WEEK FOR THIS
PORTION:
1) There is a person mentioned, seemingly for the first time in this Torah portion,
whom Josephus says Moshe knew previously. Who is that person?
2) Exactly how long were the Israelites camped at Sinai, in both Hebrew and solar
terms?

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3) What one act in this Torah portion that is used as a sign of elevation is elsewhere
used as a sign of humiliation?
4) Hebrews 4 mentions Joshua, who made the sun stand still. However, according to
the Talmud, only 2 other people were able to affect the sun and one of these
people is someone that Yshua actually knew. Who is that person?
5) If you know the answer to #4, what is the shocking truth about the way this hero
in the Talmud may have met his end?
Torah Thought for the Week:
Preparing for 2016
When I was researching the calendar laws for what later became known as the Wheel of
Stars, it became part of my process (along with several other colleagues of mine who
were independently researching the same issues) to test multiple years from the past and
the future to make sure the laws held up. We did this both manually and by computer.
The good news was, when doing historical research on Scripture dates, the system always
worked. The not-so good news though was there were times when I and others noticed
the Rabbinic Calendar was going to be off by more than a month. In 2016 and again in
2019, the Rabbis would pick an April NM as Abib that would be more than 15 days after
Vernal Equinox, in other words, a NM that was too late to be the right one to bring the
firstfruits of barley.
Worse still, as this century dragged on in my computations, I was finding more and more
divergences on the Rabbinic side while, at the same time, persistent rumors from Israel
were stating the new Sanhedrin was seriously considering abandoning the Hillel 2
calendar and instead going to sighting the waxing crescent, as they did erroneously from
about 135 to 10 BCE, when Hillel the Elder fixed the calendar to stop high priests dying
because they went into the shrine on the wrong day (long story).
To give you an idea about how bad this is going to get, as far as I am aware, up until
2016, there was only ONE instance of a too-late Pesach in my lifetime, that in 1970,
when I was just turning 6 years old. Now it seems every handful of years in our future is
going to have this problem, and I cant help but think this may be why the Sanhedrin may
be considering a new system.
And so it also was, when I was working on Wheel of Stars, that one of the reasons I went
to Israel was the hope of perhaps talking with someone who was, I was told, the friend of
a friend of a guy on the Sanhedrin, so as to somehow forestall these events, if in fact the
rumors were true. Nothing ever came of that effort though, unfortunately.
The reason this matters so much is that Israel is running a risk that they never had to
before, because in centuries past their estimates of the lunar month worked much better

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than they are now. To be fair though, the issue is not so much the calculated length of the
lunar month itself but its relationship against what astronomers call the mean solar year.
What I mean is this: Collecting 12 or 13 calculated Hebrew lunar months over the period
of a 19 year cycle where leap months are added every 2-3 years, yields an average solar
year for each of those 19 years. But as one scientific calendar website explains, their
estimated solar year is barely more accurate than the old Julian Calendar:
[The Hebrews calendars] alignment with the solar year is better than the Julian
calendar, but inferior to the Gregorian. The average length of a year is 365.2468
days compared to the actual solar tropical year (time from equinox to equinox) of
365.24219 days, so the calendar accumulates one day of error with respect to
the solar year every 216 years.- http://fourmilab.ch/documents/calendar/
To put this to meaningful comparison, the Julian Calendar lost a day every 128 years, so
that by 1582 CE Pope Gregory the Great had to cut out 10 days in February and revise
the leap year schedule to keep more error from accumulating.
Lets go a little deeper. The Julian Year was 365 days and EXACTLY 6 hours long; the
actual solar tropical year was 11 minutes and about 15 seconds SHORTER than this. So
every year, the timing for the Julian Year would add 11 minutes and change of error.
Now, as long as the error was contained within a 24 hour solar day there was no issue.
But 11.25 minutes x 128 = 1440 minutes = 24 hours, so right after year 128, the solar day
has shifted out of alignment, and what should be say January 31st is now showing as
February 1st.
So what the pope did was after taking out 10 days of error was he changed the leap year
rules so that in 400 years we will only have 97 February 29ths instead of 100. That
small alteration made our current calendar so accurate, it will not lose a day for 3,323
years. And if we make one very modest tweak for the year 4000 CE, Gregorian wont
lose a day for more than 19,000 years.
The problem for our purposes is that the rabbinic estimate for the SOLAR year is only
slightly better than Julian and not nearly as accurate as Gregorian. In the time it takes our
current calendar to lose ONE day, the rabbinic estimate of the solar year will lose 15.4
days.
As a result, from the institution of the Rabbinic Calendar in the mid-4th century, like the
Julian, the rabbinic estimate for the solar year began losing time against the actual solar
year.
But unlike Julian, there is no pope to snap the Rabbinic Calendar back into alignment.
And there is no Hillel the Elder to correct the work of ironically the other rabbi named
Hillel. And so the math will stand, and the Rabbinic Calendar will continue to become
both less accurate and less reliable until global Jewry screams to replace it.

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What I have described above is a mathematical certainty like how long Titanic had after
that iceberg hit it. The only real questions are what will the Rabbis replace it with and
when will that happen. But lets just say this for the present: I have seen a lot of Hebrew
Calendar software that will predict days 600 years into the future. I am reasonably
confident that the calendar on which those calculations are based will become completely
useless before the software runs out of years to calculate.
Meanwhile, because change is hard and the tides of tradition are very strong, we can
expect many fits and starts and debates a plenty as one Jewish authority at a time
becomes more acutely aware of this problem. There will no doubt also be attempts to
tweak the calculations first to forestall the inevitable, but ultimately I believe those efforts
will also fail in the end.
I say that because I can also foresee a younger group of rabbis saying something like,
Why put a band-aid on these old calculations when we can simply sight the moon? The
question though will be, HOW will they sight it? I can only hope they will return to those
parts of their own tradition that remember, albeit in fragments, the old method:
The year may be intercalated on three grounds: 'aviv [i.e. the ripeness of barley],
fruits of trees, and the equinox. On two of these grounds it should be
intercalated, but not on one of them alone.- Tosefta Sanhedrin 2.2, Herbert
Danby, Trans., Tractate Sanhedrin Mishnah and Tosefta, Society for Promoting
Christian Knowledge, London and New York, 1919, p. 31. Also quoted in Sacha
Stern, Calendar and Community: A History of the Jewish Calendar Second
Century BCE-Tenth Century CE, Oxford University Press, 2001, p. 70
The reason it says you can intercalate on two criteria but not one is because the ripeness
of the barley is inextricably tied to the Vernal Equinox; you cannot have one without the
other. The same is true of the relationship between the Vernal Equinox and the fruits on
the treesthat is after all what SPRING is. So when the sun tells us its spring (Vernal
Equinox) the crops obey, on time, every time.
The fact is though, on the mathematical side, the original Biblical math was eternal and
never went out of date whereas the later Rabbinic Math did and has started going out of
date. The reason is because the math was tied to the Vernal Equinox, a fixed moment in
time, so calculations would always point to the right new moon or solar month. For more
information on why, please look in OTHER RESOURCES and then CALENDAR TAB
for The Great 50 Code: Is it Like Enoch? among others.
So my great hope is that one day, through my research as well as many others, we can
collect enough historical, astronomical and empirical data to finally bring Israel back to
her original appointed timings. Its not that I condemn those who disagree with me, but
rather I look forward to new understandings of His calendar breaking out all over the
place and transforming us all!

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Im Andrew Gabriel Roth and thats your Torah Thought for the Week!
Next week we will be exploring Shlach Lecha, or Numbers 13:1-15:41. Our Haftorah
portion will be Joshua 2:1-24 and our Renewed Covenant portion will be Hebrews 3:1719! Stay tuned!

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