5 Minute Torah - Behar-Bechukotai - The Righteous Delusion

[00:00:00] Most people think the opposite of obedience is rebellion. But what if that's not true? What if there's something far more dangerous and you've already started down that path without even realizing it? Let's explore this idea together in this week's five Minute Torah. [00:00:21] Shalom and blessings from Shalom Macon, the place where disciples of Yeshua learn, connect and grow. I'm Darren, and before getting into the five minutes of a five minute Torah commentary, let's cover a few quick facts about this week's Torah portion. This week we are studying the 32nd and 33rd Torah portions and the 9th and 10th portions of the book of Leviticus. We are in the double portion of bahar bechuchotai, Leviticus 25, 1, 27, 34. And here are the three things that you need to know about it. Number one the shmitah the Sabbatical Year in this week's Torah portion, God introduces the laws of the Shmitah. The Sabbatical Year for six years, Israel is to work the land. But in the seventh year they must stop. No sowing, no pruning, no harvesting. Instead, the land is to rest. And whatever grows naturally is the only thing to be gathered. And it's gathered in the moment as needed. This wasn't just an agricultural practice. It was a lesson in trust. Israel had to learn that their provision didn't ultimately come from their effort to, but from the Lord. Alongside this, debts between fellow Israelites were to be released in the seventh year. See Exodus 21, Deuteronomy 15, etc. The shmitah reminded them that both their land and their livelihoods were in the hands of heaven. Number two the Yovel the Jubilee Year beyond the cycle of the seven years, Israel was also commanded to observe the Yovel, the Jubilee every 50th year. Like the Shemitah, the land was to lie fallow. But jubilee went even further. It was a complete rest. Land that had been sold had to be returned to the original family. Inheritances were restored. Generational loss was undone. The only exception was property within walled cities, which had a limited window for redemption. The jubilee ensured that poverty would never become permanent and that no family would lose its place forever. It was a powerful reminder that the land does not belong to us. [00:02:15] We belong to God, and we are only stewards of what he has entrusted to us. [00:02:21] 3. Gemelut Hasidim acts of Loving kindness this portion also calls Israel to a life of Gemelut Chassidim, acts of lovingkindness. The Torah forbids exploiting the vulnerable, including charging interest to a fellow Israelite. But it doesn't stop at prohibition. It gives a path for restoration. If someone begins to fall into poverty, you you step in early, you support them before they collapse, you help redeem what they've lost, and above all, you treat them with dignity. When Israel lives this way, it becomes obvious to the nations this is a people shaped by wisdom. This is what it looks like to be a light to the world, not just in what we believe, but in how we care for one another. [00:03:05] What does it really mean to live by the Spirit of the Law and not the letter of the Law? For centuries, believers have been told that the law of God is a burden and something Yeshua came to set us free from. But what if that's not what the scriptures say at all? What if Paul's words about the letter of the law killing were never meant to pit God's spirit against his own commandments? If you've ever struggled to reconcile law and grace, Spirit of the Law will open your eyes to a richer, more faithful, faithful understanding of both. It will challenge assumptions, bring clarity to misunderstood passages, and invite you into a deeper walk of obedience, one that's alive with the Spirit of God. Pick up your copy today and let the Spirit of the Law transform the way you see God's Word and the way you live it. This week's Torah commentary is called the Righteous Delusion and comes from my book 5 Minute Torah, Volume 1, as the final reading and concluding note to the Book of Leviticus. The Torah portion of Beku Hathai, which means in my decrees, makes a final appeal to the children of Israel by listing out a series of blessings and curses related to whether or not they would be faithful to the terms of the covenant God made with them at Sinai. Blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. One unique component about this portion is its use of the Hebrew word karei. The word is used only seven times in the entire Bible, all of of which occur in our current Torah portion. Here is its first appearance then. If you walk contrary the Hebrew word karei to me and will not listen to me, I will continue striking you sevenfold for your sins. This is Leviticus 26:21. In each of these instances, it is used in relation to living a life not in accordance to the Torah. The way it's typically translated is related to being contrary, hostile, or even stubborn. Since the Torah seems to be speaking of a rebellious person, it seems obvious that this one word in question should be translated along these lines. However, Rashi, the Medieval Jewish scholar and commentator suggests something entirely different. According to Rashi and his knowledge of Hebrew, kari is the connotation of casualness or passiveness. This makes for a very different understanding of these passages. Rashi helps us understand what this means by saying that just as some things appear to happen by chance, so too will our Torah observance become. In other words, we will behave casually toward the commandments and their performance, and therefore the Lord will act casually toward us. We are living in the days of Keri casualness toward the Lord's Torah. Our generation has brought God down to our level. He's no longer holy and revered. We know his requirements, but we are casual in living a spiritually disciplined life. Although we may know the Torah, living out its principles is seldom on our radar. James, the brother of the Master reminds us of the danger of this but be doers of the word and not hearers, only deceiving yourselves. James 1:22 Rabbiyah taught his disciples something very similar. He said, he who learns Torah with no intention of practicing had been better unborn. Leviticus Rabbi 35, 7 the Yetzer Hara, or the evil inclination, is clever. It does its best to make us think that we are acting righteously. Even when we are apathetic about living according to the Scriptures. It creates a delusion that is nearly impossible to see through. How can we ever hope to escape its influence? The Midrash tells us that the Torah itself is a protection against the yetzer hara. It says that the Torah was given for the purpose of refining man and learning to overcome the negative influence of the yetzer hara. According to Genesis Rabba 44:1, Rabbi Echa gives us a key to how this works. He who learns with the intention of practicing will be privileged to receive the Ruach Hakodesh, the Holy Spirit as it is written, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have Good success. Quoting Joshua 1:8 this is from Leviticus Rabbah 35:7. Maybe we've been learning for the wrong reasons. Are we studying Torah for intellectual stimulation or simply to fit into the classification of being Messianic? Or are we studying to put it into practice? If we're not studying for the sake of application, then we're not fertile ground for the Holy Spirit to be working within us. We are simply prolonging the exile, delaying the rebuilding of the holy Temple, and denying the establishment of the Messianic kingdom on earth. When we study the weekly Torah portions. Let's look for application so that the Holy Spirit will be able to use us to change the world by first changing ourselves. Well, if you have children who enjoy learning Torah in a fun, engaging way, we've created a space just for them. Our Rabbi Shmilly Socks video now have a brand new home on the Shalom Macon Kids YouTube channel. A place filled with kid friendly tour teaching designed to help them learn, connect and grow. Be sure to head on over, subscribe and turn on notifications so that they don't miss a single episode of Socks on your table. And as always, thank you for making Shalom Macon part of your home. You can check out the new channel right here.