Friday, 1 October 2021

One Earth, Many Heavens

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This week our Torah portion is Beresheet. It is translated "In the beginning," but is word taken from "Rosh" meaning "head." So the beginning isn't really a beginning, but just ahead of everything else. The first letter in the Torah is the second letter of the alphabet. It is a "Bet" which is enlarged, probably just to decorate it just because it is the first letter.

Also, I wish to clarify something I said the other evening when we rolled back the Torah to Beresheet. I was asked if there is anything special marking the middle of the Torah, the half-way mark so to speak. I didn't know of anything then, but now I do. The middle verse of the Torah is Leviticus 13:33. And yes, the "gimel" is written enlarged "VehitGalah" (and he shall shave himself). In letter count the middle letter is a "Vav" found in the word "Gachon," (belly), so that "Vav" is also enlarged.

All this talk about fonts and letter size is nice, but let's come back to something more practical. Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Notice "heavens" (Hashamayim) is plural, while "earth" (Aretz) is singular. Heaven is the spiritual realm, while earth is the physical realm. Of course there is only one physical realm, but why did God create multiple spiritual realms?

Do you suppose God knew about the rebellion Satan would instigate? That rebellion forced God to remove Satan from His spiritual realm (God's heaven), but Satan is still a spirit, so God placed Satan in his own spiritual realm apart from God. Yeshua came and gave Himself so that we, who believe, would have access, once again, to the presence of God in His heaven.

Psalm 100:1-5 A psalm of thanksgiving. Shout joyfully to Adonai, all the earth! Serve Adonai with gladness. Come before His presence with joyful singing. Know that Adonai, He is God. It is He who has made us, and we are His. We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise! Praise Him, bless His Name. For Adonai is good. His lovingkindness endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.

Praise be to Yeshua! He made the way. Now, all who believe can once again enter the presence of Adonai. Amen and amen.