Va’eira Beresheit (Genesis) 6:2-9:35

“Elohim spoke to Moshe and said to him, ‘I am Yehovah. And I appeared (va’eira) to Avraham, to Isaac, and to Ya’akov as El Shaddai, but with my name Yehovah I did not make myself known to them.’”

Our portion begins with a mystery.

Elohim reveals to Moshe, and in so doing, to us, two separate manifestations. To Avraham, Isaac, and Ya’akov he appeared as El Shaddai, but He made Himself known to Moshe as Yehovah. The record we have tells us the patriarch’s relationship with Elohim is both limited and hints that they did not know Him very well.

But when we get to Moshe, we see a personal relationship, as we would expect to see between two friends. They communicate regularly, and even disagree about how events should be handled. They even argue. Through it all, Moshe acknowledges his inferior position, and El’s supreme authority.

Because of modern theologies, people seem to forget that El is supreme. The idea that humans are somehow equal with Elohim because once saved they become a child of God is a dangerous proposition. If anyone had the ability to claim such equality with El, it would have been Moshe. At least as far as I am aware, there is nobody else who experienced the closeness and regular ongoing contact like Moshe. He was unique, and yet he accepted his position as only a servant. Elohim set Moshe above even other prophets;

“And he said, Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I Yehovah will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of Yehovah shall he behold:” (Numbers 12:6-8)

In the opening passage of portion va’eira, we learn that Moshe comes to know El by His name, Yehovah, and not just as El Shaddai, the provider. We will continue to experience the difference between the two manifestations as we go through the remainder of the Torah.

"And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers." (Exodus 6:4)

Many question whether the Children of Israel have any claim to the land of Israel as established by UN declaration. Although they currently occupy the land based on a government decree, the Torah records the eternal deed by covenant to the land in our portion. The land of Canaan which is here given to Avraham, Isaac, Ya’akov and his descendants contains the current land of the State of Israel.

The only contentions that could be raised about the Children of Israel’s right to the land is whether there is an Elohim, and whether the Torah is an accurate record of His dealings with His creation. My position is that the answer to both contentions is yes. There is an Elohim, and the Torah is an accurate record of His dealing with His creation. 

It is my belief that Elohim, the Creator of the earth, the heavens and all that is within both has the right to give a deed by covenant to anyone He wishes for anything in His creation. By giving such a deed to the Children of Israel for the land of Canaan, a lower court of men, or angels for that matter, cannot set aside the deed issued by the higher court of the Creator.

"And I have also heard the groaning of the Children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am Yehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am Yehovah your Elohim, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am Yehovah." (Exodus 6:5-8)

It is comforting to understand that Elohim hears when His children call, and responds. A popular homily is that “God hears and answers prayers, but sometimes the answer is no.” It is wise for us to remember,

He that turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination. (Proverbs 28:9)

Each year as we celebrate the Pesach (Passover) we emphasize the four promises made at the exodus from Mitzrayim (Egypt). They were originally given in this portion.

-          I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

-          I will rid you of their bondage.

-          I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great judgments. And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you Elohim.

-          I will bring you in unto the land (of Canaan) and give it to you for a heritage.

At the time Moshe and Aharon appeared before Pharaoh, Moshe was eighty years old. According to the numerical value of Hebrew letters, the letter Pey has a value of eighty. It is interesting that when Elohim called Moshe, one of the first objections Moshe made was that he was slow of speech, or some translations say that he had obstructed speech. Yet when he appears before Pharaoh, he does not seem to have a problem speaking. I like what Tevye says in Fiddler on the Roof, “For a man who is slow of speech, he certainly said a lot.”

Thinking of Moshe’s objection and the ease with which he spoke to the king of Egypt reminds me of when Yeshua told his disciples:

“But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak. For it is not you that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaks in you.” (Matthew 10:17-20)

I wonder if the two types of encounters are related. Perhaps when Moshe said he was slow of speech, Father said, “Good, then you won’t try to interpret, or add to, or take away from what I say, you will simply tell Pharaoh what I tell you. And you will tell the Children of Israel just what I say.” The Torah is unique among the other books in the Bible. Moshe hears plainly from Elohim, and tells us what He said. The prophets see visions and dream dreams, and tell us what they saw, but most of the time, even the prophet doesn’t know what they mean. Even Yeshua admitted that he taught in parables. The Torah is straight forward and clear. With a caveat.

The Torah was plain and simple to the Children of Israel at Moshe’s time, with the common knowledge of the language, experiences, and culture. It’s not so easy for us today. We don’t have the common understanding they had. So we have to work at understanding what to them was easy to comprehend. Over the generations since Moshe, for various reasons, some legitimate, and some self aggrandizing, religious leaders have given explanations about what the Scriptures mean. In order to come to the understanding Elohim intends us to gain, we have to wade through all of these teachings to find the truth.

The word of Elohim is truth and essential, but much of what today passes for the word of God is not the same as what was given to Moshe, the prophets, and the writers of the Tanakh. For us to be good students, we need to go back to the written word and compare any teachings we hear with what the Tanakh says. It helps if we can look at it in Hebrew and Aramaic. 

I am regularly surprised by the small yet important differences between the Hebrew and the English translation of Scripture. I think much of the difference stems from the theological bias of the translators. What they translate agrees with their particular denomination’s views. It only makes sense. If there is an option of translating so that it agrees, or doesn’t, with the theology, since the translator has a bias, the one that agrees with his view would be the preferred one. But that doesn’t make it correct. Doesn’t make it incorrect. It is up to each of us to examine the text and determine through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit the truth.

One interesting place this takes place in our portion.

“And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.” (Exodus 7:10)

Normally the word serpent is translated from the Hebrew word nachash. But in this instance, the Hebrew word behind the word serpent is taniym. Now the only place in the Tanakh the word taniym is translated as serpent is here in this portion. Everywhere else, it is translated as either dragons (twenty-one times), monsters (once) or whales (twice). What did Aharon’s and the sorcerer’s staffs actually turn into?

Although Pharaoh didn’t heed the warning of Elohim, some of his servants did. The leaders of a nation may be wicked, and hard hearted, but their obstinateness does not need to be reflected in the people.

“He that feared the word of Yehovah among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:” (Exodus 9:20)

Their animals and servants were protected from the hail. As we look at our nation today we see wickedness in high government places, but we don’t need to follow their example. We can still live the Torah to the best of our ability.

Elohim hardened Pharaoh’s heart. If a person really wants to be evil, there are examples of how Elohim will strengthen that person to fulfill his wickedness. The most dramatic examples are when judgment on entire people groups is delayed until they are filled up in wickedness, as in the days of Noah, and Sodom and Gomorrah.

As a side note, the evening of January 12th the new moon was spotted in the southwest United States at 6:35 p.m. Chag Sameach Rosh Chodesh.

Let us not fall into the trap of thinking that because laws are changed to allow immorality and wickedness that somehow it’s no longer sin to engage in activities that Elohim clearly labels as abominations. Shalom. Let’s get back together next week for Torah portion Bo.