Shalom Aleichem,
Peace upon you, and soon almost literally. Welcome to the 37th Torah portion reads, and a world that sits on the edge of their seat as the Israel and Iran conflict is shaping real fast, and high stakes. It is also currently a war where Benjamin Netanyahu has declared in prophecy unfolding of the “rising lion” campaign foretold in the Bible.
The Hebrew word Sh’lach means literally, “to send”. They did, and still do send, spies.
You will recall that the Israelites after Egypt, began “counting” of themselves in numbers, priest duties, warrior duties,…and, spies duties before entering and taking the promised land. We see a lot of parallells between the spies of old, and the current Mossad activities in Iran…but with some differences. Shelach recounts tells the story of Israelite spies journeying into Canaan in surveillance, they bring negative report back, resulting in a punishment decreed upon the Israelites, being to wander and die in the desert over forty years. Then it ends with laws about sacrifices, the story of a man who desecrates Shabbat, and the commandment to wear ritual fringes.
Torah Portion: Number 13:1-15:41
Spies and military activity is nothing new to the Israelites. Mossad and CIA ground activity in Iran is also nothing new, and has been unfolding prophecy as we see on TV screens and social media. Many see the “lion” of Judah, as Aslan the lion in CS Lewis childrens books and movies that represents Yahsua for he came through the Davidic lineage. In a sense, this may well be true in this war, that while we dont doubt that Israel will win, they might need the other tribes in America to help them, for the bombers and weapons they can bring into the conflict. The above picture is actually a door wreath that the ministries founders have on their door of their home synagogue. As this picture was being taken, the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was at the wall in Jerusalem fro a prayer, and he slipped in a note into the cracks of the wall, that cited the “rising lion” bible verse and prophecy, that is now the name of the current campaign.
The meaning of the bible verse Bibi cites, is Numbers 23:24 and it means “Look, a people like a lion arises, like the king of beasts, rears up”….and there is no shortage English translations that also fail to capture the meanings. Does it apply to religious or military meaning? We venture it is both, but also never before possible, without the Aslan led nations making it possible with their presence and…. possible participation.
Keep watching the news, watching Israel, and be ready.
B’Shalom,
asst.rabbi@mountainmajestyministries.com