March 16th, 2010/ 1 Nisan 5770

Purim 2010/5770

Purim Sameach!

For more information on Purim

click here.

WITH YOUR HOSTS:

Baruch HaShem Messianic

Sunday Afternoon, January 24, 2010

Starting with Registration at 2:00 PM

Messianic Dance Camp will follow from 2:30 – 5:30

A Suggested $10 Donation ($20 for Family)

28660 North Black Cyn Hwy, Phoenix

PHOENIX_AZ_MESSIANIC_DANCE_CAMP_1-24-10

www.messianic-dance-camps.info

This is usually translated in Christian Bibles as “I Am that I Am”. “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh” more accurately translated would be “I shall be, (that, which, who) I shall be”.  This could put our very limited understanding of HaShem, in a new light.  When we ask why there is famine, disease, murder, war, etc. and how could HaShem allow such things, “Ehyeh asher Ehyeh”. HaShem explains to us that His ways are not our ways (Is 55:8), so why is it that we try so hard to force Him to be the way we want?  HaShem gave us in the Torah the ways in which we should be.  This is what we should be working on, not making up things that do not belong.

Ultimately, your conclusions are dependent upon what you want to do and what you don’t want to do, who you are and who you want to be, how you see your world and how you want your world to be. Truth doesn’t await your approval. Truth is something you accept despite what you want or don’t want to do.

In truth, Truth is often very inconvenient.

—Tzvi Freeman

As humans, we are indignant about such limitations, as though the unknown has no right to stay unknown. As though reality is defined by our ability to know it. It may be hard to concede, but none of us is G–d. Our job description is not to know all things.

Our job is only to pick up those truths we will each need for our mission while we are here.

-Tzvi Freeman

The link above is to an article explaining Obama’s support of the dividing of Jerusalem.  Like Bush, he will continue the Saudi’s plan, called the Road Map.  Supporting the division of Jerusalem is not what a “friend” of Israel would support.

“This example serves as a lesson for all who might feel that the challenge of learning the Torah is beyond their abilities and so they give up the study of Torah from the start. They should keep in mind that ultimately they will receive the Torah as a gift from HaShem, if they will only make the effort. That is why the first blessing concerning the Torah in the morning prayers concludes with המלמד תורה Who teaches Torah, and is followed by the blessing ending with the words נותן התורה Giver of the Torah.“

–Rabbi Munk

“And now what does HaShem ask of you but to fear HaShem your G-d, to walk in His ways, to love Him, to serve HaShem your G-d with all of your heart and soul, and to observe HaShem’s commands and decrees.” Deuteronomy 10:12-13

Teshuvah (Return, or Repentance) is a generous gift from HaShem, which allows us to erase our improper actions through a four-step process (see below).
The Torah tells us that no matter how far we stray or how many times we sin, HaShem will wait for us to return to him through Teshuvah. There are four basic parts to Teshuvah:

1. Leaving the Sin
2. Regret
3. Confession Before HaShem
4. Acceptance for the Future

1. Leaving the Sin
Leaving the sin consists of stopping the commission of the sinful act. One cannot do Teshuvah if one continues to do the sin, even if he or she were to perform the next three steps perfectly.

2. Regret
Regret consists in sincerely regretting one’s wrong action. One must be genuinely ashamed and embarrassed over one’s sins.

3. Confession Before HaShem
Acceptance for the future consists of resolving in one’s heart never to commit the sin ever again.

4. Acceptance for the Future
Confession before HaShem consists of an oral confession spoken out loud, in which one formulates in words the commitments and attitudes one has reached in his or her heart. One should say, “I have sinned, I have done such and such; I deeply regret my actions, and I declare before HaShem, Who knows my innermost thoughts, that I will never do this sin again.”

However…
1. The above steps only work for sins committed against HaShem; for sins committed against other people, one must first ask forgiveness from that person before HaShem will accept the Teshuvah. This is the source of the practice by many to contact all of their family, friends and co-workers during this period to ask for forgiveness for anything we may have done to upset them during the past year(s).

2. These four steps are of course only valid if we do Teshuvah AFTER THE FACT. One cannot say in advance – “I can do this sin, then do Teshuvah and He will forgive me…” It simply doesn’t work that way as it may in other belief systems.

Also……
One should keep in mind that Teshuvah is an ongoing process that cannot be accomplished overnight. No matter how many times a person may stumble in the Teshuvah process, that person has to simply pick him or herself up and keep trying to stay on the right path.

What HaShem is really looking for is the sincerity of the effort that a person puts into their Teshuvah!