V'etchanan (Deuteronomy 3:23-7:11) 2009/5769

The following is from my Seven Thunder Notes on this parsha:

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The message of the Seven Thunders in the time of the last judgment upon the present world order is the message of why God chose Israel. It is the message that God can be known by rebellious Adam only through a word that has never been heard before. This is the message of the Torah itself saying this, that God can only be known by rebellious Adam through this word that is new to Creation, that makes Creation new. The Torah has always said this. When the Torah was first given to Abraham by promise it said this. Only a word from God to come, a separate word, a word that the nations have not heard, because Adam did not hear it, nor was it spoken to him, only such a word as promised to Abraham could bring sinners into a perfect and true knowledge of God. And when the Torah was given to all Israel this is the message that it continued to give in a deeper and fuller way. Repentance was and is only possible, the Torah said to Israel, through the authorization of the commandment of God in the hope of the world to come, the new Creation. For the Torah is not given as a contradiction to the word spoken by God to Adam in the garden, the word saying, In the day you eat thereof you will certainly die. The Torah is given only as a revelation of the hope of the resurrection from the dead.

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Who We Are

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"I have not come to bring the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Yehoshua

Neither pride nor fear of condemnation cultivate repentance. We are the homeless, those who are spiritually disabled by sin, who do not condemn ourselves but hope for the Hand of Heaven to reach us and empower us with strength to enable us, with His Divine assistance, to restore our souls, to repair all damages and to build a holy character.

Why should we who have proven ourselves to be failures and have nothing in ourselves to justify pride have confidence to seek the path of repentance and righteousness instead of simply condemning ourselves as we rightly deserve? It is because the Most High is kind toward His unthankful and evil children and corrects with love those who are undeserving of love and who have left His home and have refused to be called His children.

What shall we say then? Shall we protest because we are they who have stolen their planet from its Maker and are rejected for dishonoring our Creator, who have destroyed the eternal potential of our lives and have made the earth itself homeless? No, we shall utter no protest. For us, the path of repentance can only be one of treating all people with the utter grace, the same grace as we desperately hope for ourselves. If we have enemies because we have abused ourselves and have become so irresponsible for our own souls that others feel burdened just to see us, or if we have enemies because we do not conceal the pitifulness of our case, then we, in following the path of repentance and correction can do only one thing.

We can only love and honor our enemies, for though their disdain for us would block us from the path of repentance if we allowed it to, our own self-defense against that disdain would only re-spark the dying embers of pride within us, which would also block us from the path of repentance. When adversity comes upon us we can only pray that it serves as a remedy to the affliction of our own evil inclination. Therefore we do not judge those who judge us but desire the same mercy that is shown to us will be shown to them. And because our path is too narrow for us to walk in and too steep for us to ascend upon, while we may have many teachers who are taught of God to help us, we can have only one shepherd to lead us, the one who came only for our sakes, only to lead sinners to repentance.

Tzohar

In Isaiah 60 we read:

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5 Then you shall see, and flow together, and your heart shall be startled and expanded; because the abundance of the west shall be converted unto you, the select of the gentiles shall come unto you.

10 The children of foreigners shall build your walls...
11 Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that people may bring unto you the select of the nations, and that their leaders may be brought.

Now all the material wealth and all the service that those who separate out of the nations to build up the walls of the holiness of Israel and Jerusalem will bring will in the end turn out to only be bribery and flattery if it is not accompanied with prayers and blessings for Israel and for Jerusalem. But prayers that are offered without understanding of the holiness of Israel cannot be received.

Rabbi Nachman in his teaching entitled, Tzohar, states: “A person must elevate his prayer to the gate of his tribe, because if it reaches the gate of another tribe, it cannot ascend.”

Since gentiles shall labor upon the walls of the holiness of Jerusalem below they shall also elevate the walls of the holiness of Jerusalem above. And for this reason the gates of the walls shall always be open.

It is certain, therefore, that the gentiles who separate out of the nations to build up the walls of the holiness of Jerusalem shall learn the knowledge of the corporate wholeness of Israel, the knowledge of the unity of the twelve tribes, and shall learn to recognize the gate of the tribe where they should each, as various gentiles, attach their prayers of blessing. Only then when they have learned these things will their prayers be holy and received and bring true wealth into the heart of Israel.

The New Universe

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Look! Is there anyone among you who can see this? The old universe is passed away. Everything that was in it is made new. The universe was very tiny in comparison with the Torah of the Creator. The new universe stretches out to reach for the full dimensions of the Torah! The old, tiny universe expanded like a bubble whose skin grew thinner and thinner, until it could not exist anymore. Its Creator said, "Enough! Now you will die and live with me." Now the new universe expands in the eternal expansion of the glory of joy, for it is always preceded in its joy by the pathways of the Torah of the Limitless Eternal One.

Look! Before there were damages. But see! In the new universe there are no damages. The beauty of limitations remain as the inheritance of every created soul. But now the Torah burns with love in the core of every soul and no clash will ever arise again. Every ear is learning. Every eye is looking ahead on behalf of the neighboring body and soul. Every soul is watching with understanding the Torah of Israel's Lamb, and acting with humble self-control ahead of the movement where before, long ago, in the universe of good and evil, damages could have occurred. Now, where damages might have occurred before, loving mitzvot always occur. Look! See! Forever and ever, world without end, responsibility grows. For the new universe is a universe of ever growing Torah knowledge and ever growing Torah love.

Is there nothing lost? Is there nothing missed from the universe that has passed away? The righteousness of rectification is lost, for no need for rectification will ever arise again. But this form of righteousness is not missed for it is retained in songs of redemption, songs that are sung at every step and every level of Torah learning by every soul, from the least to the greatest. These are the songs of memory. These are the songs from the foundation of the world, the world now redeemed, the world now learning Torah with every breath, the stars now redeemed, the planets now redeemed, the children of Israel, adopted and natural born, and all their flocks and herds, fish and angels now redeemed and filling the heavens and the earth. There is nothing lost.

The Yoke of Yehoshua's Torah

The Messiah of Israel is himself the commandment to the nations to believe in the God of Israel.

For Israel he is the ear of obedience.

A Torah scroll in the hands of Yehoshua is the promise of justice, to the eyes of the poor.

A Torah scroll in the hands of Yehoshua is the promise to the "bent reed" that, not only will she not be broken, she will be repaired!

A Torah scroll in the hands of Yehoshua is the promise to the poorest spirit that he will be covered by Yehoshua with the Torah scroll as with a prayer shawl.

Yehoshua shall cover them with the Torah scroll and they shall know their sins are forgiven.

They will hear the commandments of the God of Israel in their broken hearts,

and His commandments shall say unto them, "Live! Rise up and walk!"

By the commandment of Israel's God the lame shall be repaired and prepared to serve at the table of His banquet; they shall carry the treasures of the Lord with grace and beauty!

For the homeless from the hedges shall come with dignity at his command, to be gathered around His table, in the hour when the seventh shofar begins to sound.

They Saw The Voices

The seven thunders

Thunder upon waters, changing darkness to light
Thunder from the Strong Hand, plucking Adam from the serpent's fang
Thunder crackling through the splendor, lifting Isaac from the altar to the chariot
Thunder like a wave leveling the northern forests and kingdoms
Thunder like rolling fire and steam, waves of plasma, balancing justice and kindness on a plume
Thunder like pillars of heat exploding with redemption in the desert
Thunder like the cry of mothers in the wilderness giving birth to worlds

From my site: Poems of Max Carl Kirk

Isaiah 24 + Psalms 85

With my own interpretive translation -

(View on I Will Sing With Israel website)
(View as document)

Psalms 85-1 For the Leader. A Psalm by the children of the one that the earth swallowed alive.

Isaiah 24-1 Look! The God of Israel is emptying the earth and turning it into waste. He is turning the the world upside down, and scattering its inhabitants everywhere.

Psalms 85-1(2) God of Israel, You have been charitable unto Your land, You have turned the captivity of Jacob around.

Isaiah 24-2 The same thing that happens to the people shall happen to the priest; the same thing that happens to the worker will happen to his employer; the same thing that happens to the housekeeper will happen to the homeowner; as it happens to the buyer, it will happen to the seller; as it happens to the lender, it will happen to the borrower; as it happens to the creditor, it will happen to the debtor.

Isaiah 24-3 The earth shall be utterly emptied. It shall be completely plundered; for the God of Israel has spoken this word.

Psalms 85-2(3) You have forgiven the iniquity of Your people, You have pardoned all their sin. Selah

Isaiah 24-4 The earth faints and fades away, the world fails and fades away, the powerful people of the earth now fail.

Psalms 85-3(4) You have withdrawn all Your wrath; You have turned from the fierceness of Your anger.

Isaiah 24-5 The earth is utterly defiled by its inhabitants; because they have broken the laws of existence, violated the statute of life, broken the everlasting covenant with God.

Psalms 85-4(5) Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your indignation toward us to cease.

Isaiah 24-6 Because of this a curse devoured the earth, and it is its citizens who are found guilty; for this reason the citizens of the earth waste away, and the people who are left are few.

Psalms 85-5(6) Will You be angry with us forever? Will You show Your anger to all generations?

Isaiah 24-7 The new wine fails, the vine fades; all the merry-hearted moan.

Isaiah 24-8 The happiness of musical instruments stops, the sound of those that rejoice can no longer be heard; the joy of the orchestra is no more.

Isaiah 24-9 They do not celebrate with wine or with song; even those who drink hard liquor have no stomach for it.

Psalms 85-6(7) Will You not bring us to life again, that Your people may find joy in You?

Isaiah 24-10 Broken down is the city of wastefulness; every house is shut up, that none may come in.

Psalms 85-7(8) Show us mercy, O God of Israel, and grant us Your salvation.

Isaiah 24-11 There is a crying in the streets in the middle of all the wine; all joy is turned to darkness, the laughter of the land is blown away.

Isaiah 24-12 In the city is desolation; in the country is utter ruin.

Psalms 85-8(9) I will hear what God the God of Israel will say; for He will speak shalom unto His people, and to His separate ones; those who do not turn back to foolishness.

Isaiah 24-13 For this is how it shall be on the face of the earth, among the nations; they will be like a beaten olive-tree, like scattered gapes upon the ground when the harvest is done.

Psalms 85-9(10) Surely His salvation is near them who fear Him; that grace and glory may find their home in our land.

Isaiah 24-14 Those in the distance lift up their voice, they sing for the joy of the majesty of Israel’s God, they shout from across the sea:

Isaiah 24 -15 'Therefore glorify the name of the God of Israel in the deepfields of light, even the name of Israel’s God, the God of Israel in truth, in all continents from sea to sea.'

Isaiah 24-16a From the farthest reaches of the earth we have heard songs: 'Glory to the righteous.'

Psalms 85-10(11) Mercy and truth are meeting together; righteousness and peace are kissing each other.

Isaiah 24-16b But the words come out of my mouth: I am wasting away, I am wasting away, woe is me! The pretender acts treacherously; yes, the impostor deals very treacherously.

Isaiah 24-17 Terror, and the snare, even the trap, are upon you, all you inhabitants of the earth.

Isaiah 24-18 It will happen that anyone who flees from the noise of the terror shall fall into the snare; and anyone who escapes the snare shall be taken in the trap; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth are shaking;

Psalms 85-11(12) Truth springs out of the earth; and social justice has looked down from heaven.

Isaiah 24-19 The earth is broken, broken down, the earth is crumbled in pieces, the earth trembles and totters;

Isaiah 24-20 The earth reels to and fro like a drunk, and sways back and forth like a toppling building; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again.

Psalms 85-12(13) Yes, the God of Israel will give that which is good; and our Land shall yield her produce.

Isaiah 24-21 Then, in that day, the God of Israel will punish the armies of the high heavens above, and the kings of the earth below upon the earth.

Isaiah 24-22 They shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the examination cell, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days they shall be punished.

Psalms 85-13(14) Righteousness shall go before Him, and shall make a path for His footsteps.

Isaiah 24-23 Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun shall be ashamed; for the God of Israel with armies will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and displayed before His old ones shall be Glory.