Parasha Nasso 5785 (2024) reading:

Bemidbar (Numbers) 4:21-7:89
Shophetim (Judges) 13-15
Yochanan (John) 11, Luqa (Luke) 22

Fair Use: Pro-Israel Content, Academic Content, Autistic Content:
The following notes are a summation of the video dialogue.

Our Parasha Nasso 5785 (2024) midrash continues Genesis 35 Alliance dialogue for the reunification of the house of Judah and the house of Ephraim (Joseph). This week’s study is full of important topics as we explain the Mystery-Babylonian Democracy and why Nazarene Israelites should not take part in the Babylonian voting system, and the necessity to place sin outside the camp.

Parasha Nasso also focuses on how the written Torah of Moshe (the Covenant of Yahweh) teaches the Law of the Jealous Husband, the Nazirite vow, and the Priestly Blessing, versus how Talmudic-Rabbinic ‘Torah Law’ adds, takes away, and changes the commandments of Yahweh’s Torah.

We hope you will join us as we continue pressing forward on the need for Ephraim to unite in the Original Faith to form the stick of Joseph, and the need for both houses to forsake replacement theology and to return to the written Torah of Moshe (the Torah of Yahweh).

Question of the week

First, we answer an important question of the week concerning the upcoming 2024 US elections, and why Nazarene Israel does not support participation in Democratic elections.

“Should I vote in the upcoming elections? And who should I vote for, Harris or Trump?”

We answer this question by reviewing how the Democractic system is a Mystery Babylonian system which is in rebellion to Yahweh Elohim’s system. We explain the following:

Yahweh selects His leaders

The four main roles in Scripture are filled by those chosen by Yahweh, rather than by popular vote. This includes the kingship role.

1. King: chosen by Yahweh. Heads the temporal army and host. Serves on the battlefield and in his court.
2. Priest: head of the spiritual army (altar, rituals, prayers, render judgment). Serves at an altar.
3. Prophet: hears from Yahweh and transmits His words to the people. (Foretell, forthtell.)
4. Anointed Judge: combination of
   all three for special circumstances
   (shaliachim / apostles).

Yahweh’s word says that we are not to set up kings for ourselves.

Hoshea (Hosea) 8:4
4  “They set up kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. From their silver and gold They made idols for themselves—That they might be cut off.”

Mystery Babylon vs Yahweh’s system

The history of the democratic system and the Mystery Babylonian system, and how the two relate.

(For more information, please check out our study on Revelation and the End Times.)

How democracy is an anti-Scriptural system based upon the ‘power of the people’ and the majority vote, rather than upon following the written Torah of Moshe (Yahweh’s Covenant laws).

And how Elohim’s system is based upon the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets who hear and obey Yahweh’s voice, with five-fold ministry of leaders who will lead and teach the people according to Elohim’s commandments.

In contrast, democracy enables rebellion against Yahweh, governing the people and the nation according to popular vote by the people, without standards of Torah-obedient, and with ‘liberties’ to do however one wills according to his own judgment.

When examined, the Hebrew translation of ‘Babylon’ (‘confusion) is broken down to mean ‘house’, ‘house’, ‘authority’, and is a house of confusion and division. We explain how democracy is a Babylonian system of division of power, with more than one house working against itself, and how Scripture shows us that a house divided cannot stand.

בבל  = Babylon = “confusion”
ב = house (council of elders)
ב = house (free men bearing arms)
ל = authority
= “Divided (bicameral) authority”

Mattityahu (Matthew) 12:25
But Yeshua knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”

Democracy equals rebellion against Yahweh

Yahweh’s system is a system of obedience to Him, and to His anointed leadership who hear and obey His voice. Democracy is a system where the people do what is right in their own eyes, which Scripture speaks against and always leads to rebellion against Yahweh Elohim.

Devarim (Deuteronomy) 12:8
8  “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes…”

Bemidbar (Numbers) 16:1-3
1  Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;
2  and they rose up before Moshe with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives
of the congregation, men of renown.
3  They gathered together against Moshe and Aharon, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is set-apart, every one of them, and Yahweh is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of Yahweh?”

For more about the system Yahweh chooses and how it differs from Mystery Babylonian systems, please check out our study on Torah Government.

Torah portion

Census and the armies of Elohim

This week’s Torah portion begins by continuing the census and the topic of two armies of Elohim. It shows how important it is to count the cost, and to place Elohim’s kingdom as our priority in life. (If we are not fulfilling our duties as His soldiers now, what use can we expect Him to have for us in His coming kingdom?)

Bemidbar (Numbers) 4:21-23
21  Then Yahweh spoke to Moshe, saying:
22  “Also take a census of the sons of Gershon, by their fathers’ house, by their families.
23  “From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, all who enter to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of meeting.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 4:29-30
29  “As for the sons of Merari, you shall number them by their families and by their fathers’ house.
30  “From thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, you shall number them, everyone who enters the army to do the work of the tabernacle of meeting.”

Strong’s H6635
צְבָאָה    צָבָא    tsâbâ’    tsebâ’âh
From H6633; a mass of persons (or figurative things), especially regularly organized for war (an army); by implication a campaign, literally or figuratively (specifically hardship, worship): – appointed time, (+) army, (+) battle, company, host, service, soldiers, waiting upon, war

Bemidbar (Numbers) 4:42-43
42  Those of the families of the sons of Merari who were numbered, by their families, by their fathers’ house,
43  from thirty years old and above, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered the army for work in the tabernacle of meeting—

Sin and restitution

We then look at the necessity to place sin outside the camp.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:1-3
1  And Yahweh spoke to Moshe, saying:
2  “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever becomes defiled by a corpse.
3  “You shall put out both male and female; you shall put them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camps in the midst of which I dwell.”

And the commandment of restitution for a commited sin. We explain how the term ‘atonement’ (‘at-one-ment’) means that we are seeking to make things right again, to amend the relationship.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:5-8
5  Then Yahweh spoke to Moshe, saying,
6  “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against Yahweh, and that person is guilty,
7  then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. He shall make restitution for his trespass in full, plus one-fifth of it, and give it to the one he has wronged.”
8  “But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution for the wrong must go to Yahweh for the priest, in addition to the ram of the atonement with which atonement is made for him.”

Torah of Satah/Sotah (diviating one)

We explain what the written Torah of Moshe (Yahweh’s Covenant) says concerning the Torah of the Jealous Husband, (or the Torah of Satah/Sotah), and we compare the written Torah with Talmudic ‘Torah Law’.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:11-12
11  And Yahweh spoke to Moshe, saying,
12  “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him…”

Strong’s H7847
שָׂטָה    śâṭâh    saw-taw’
A primitive root; to deviate from duty: – decline, go aside, turn.

We also explain why there is a torah for a jealous husband, and not a torah for a jealous wife, the expectations for each role (husband and wife), and how men, too, have standards to follow (and severe punishments we they fail to follow those standards).

While the Torah of the Satah may seem unbalanced at first glance, Elohim’s system is a balanced plan, where each member must follow the standards in place for their role. And how it is by following Elohim’s system that we build the kingdom that He wants, and healthy family lives.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:11-13
11  And Yahweh spoke to Moshe, saying,
12  “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and behaves unfaithfully toward him,
13  “and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband, and
it is concealed that she has defiled herself, and there was no witness against her, nor was she caught—

In contrast with the Talmud teachings (we will talk about later), we see that the wife is not pronounced guilty of adultery without a trial and evidence.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:14-17
14  “…if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, who has defiled herself; or if the spirit of jealousy comes upon him and he becomes jealous of his wife, although she has not defiled herself—”
15  “…then the man shall bring his wife to the priest. He shall bring the offering required for her, one-tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil on it and put no frankincense on it, because it is a grain offering of jealousy, an offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to remembrance.”

16  “And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before Yahweh.
17  “The priest shall take set-apart water in an earthen vessel, and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water…”

And we also see the requirement for a woman’s head to be covered.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:18
18  “Then the priest shall stand the woman before Yahweh, uncover the woman’s head, and put the offering for remembering in her hands, which is the grain offering of jealousy. And the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that brings a curse.”

Womens’ head covering

Many Ephraimite women have a difficult time accepting the requirment for headcoverings. There are several reasons for this requirement, which we explain in this video and in the study (below).

But the point is whether we are willing to live in submission to Elohim’s standards, and to be separate from the world and our fleshly desires, and to ‘count the cost’ and consider how the choices we make in life weigh for the coming kingdom.

Feminism, communism, socialism, and other modern-day ideologies do away with gender roles. Elohim has specific roles for men and for women. (And men, too, must do things that are not comfortable in the flesh and are not required of women.)

(For more on this topic, please read our study on Head Coverings in Scripture.)

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:19-23
19  “And the priest shall put her under oath, and say to the woman, ‘If no man has lain with you, and if you have not gone astray to uncleanness while under your husband’s authority, be free from this bitter water that brings a curse.’”
20  “But if you have gone astray while under your husband’s authority, and if you have defiled yourself and some man other than your husband has lain with you”—

21  “…then the priest shall put the woman under the oath of the curse, and he shall say to the woman—“Yahweh make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Yahweh makes your thigh rot and your belly swell…”
22  “…and may this water that causes the curse go into your stomach, and make your belly swell and your thigh rot.” ‘Then the woman shall say, “Amein, so be it.”
23  “‘Then the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall scrape them off into the bitter water.”

Bemidbar (Numbers) 5:27-31
27  “When he has made her drink the water, then it shall be, if she has defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her husband, that the water that brings a curse will enter her and become bitter, and her belly will swell, her thigh will rot, and the woman will become a curse among her people.”
28  “But if the woman has not defiled herself, and is clean, then she shall be free and may conceive children.

29  “‘This is the torah of jealousy, when a wife, while under her husband’s authority, goes astray and defiles herself…”
30  “…or when the spirit of jealousy comes upon a man, and he becomes jealous of his wife; then he shall stand the woman before Yahweh, and the priest shall execute all this Torah upon her.
31  “Then the man shall be free from iniquity, but that woman shall bear her guilt.’”

Again, why is there a Torah of a Jealous Huband, but no law for a jealous wife? One of the reasons this is a balanced part of Elohim’s system is because each role in a marriage has different responsibilites.

If a man commits an adultery, the wife does not usually have to raise another woman’s child. And under the written Torah, the guilty husband is guilty of the death sentence, and the other men in the community are responsible to carry out that punishment.

However, if a wife commits adultery, the husband may put his wife away until the time she repents. Upon repentance, the husband remains responsible for providing for his wife and her children.

In today’s society, there are many one-sided views. Elohim’s system is a balanced system that, when followed by both men and women, works for the entire kingdom, community, and family.

Jealous husband-rabbinic Talmud version

Next, we take a look at the law of the jealous husband according to the rabbinic-Talmudic version and how it differs from the written Torah of Moshe (Yahweh’s covenant), starting with Talmud Tractate Yevamot 24b-25a.

We read that, Yevamot 24b explains the baritot that are in agreement with Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi (Yehuda the prince), which says that it is required for a husband to divorce his wife without any evidence of adultery.

Treachery against the wife

…If you wish, say a different answer for Rav’s explanation: Those baraitot that require the wife and the suspected adulterer to divorce even without witnesses to the adultery are taught in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi…

…As it is taught in a baraita: With regard to a case where a husband saw a peddler leaving the house, and when he entered he found his wife retying her smock [sinar], i.e., putting her clothes back on, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: Since this is a distasteful matter because it looks as though she committed adultery with the peddler, she must be divorced by her husband.

…Alternatively, if the husband entered after the peddler had left and found saliva above the netting of the bed, implying that someone had lain on the bed and spit upward, although no actual act was witnessed, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: Since this is a distasteful matter, she must be divorced.

[Sefaria, Tractate Yevamot 24b]

Continuing with Yevamote 25a, we see a similar teaching. The Gemara questions the matter of divorcing a wife without evidence, and Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says, “she must be divorced”.

…The same applies if the husband found the shoes reversed under the bed, so that the toe of the shoe faced the bed; this is a sign that a stranger came in and placed them like that. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: Since this is a distasteful matter, she must be divorced…

…The Gemara questions this: Shoes turned around? Let him see whose they are and clarify who the stranger was and then find out what he was doing there. Rather, the case was that he found the place of the shoes, i.e., shoe prints, reversed under the bed and cannot recognize whose shoe prints they are. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: Since this is a distasteful matter, she must be divorced.

[Sefaria, Tractate Yevamot 25a]

The Gemara then concludes that one halakha contradicts the other halakha, and attempts to explains away the contradiction.

…The Gemara concludes: The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rav, that they must divorce only if there were witnesses, and the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, that they must divorce if there is a matter that is distasteful. The Gemara challenges this: One halakha is difficult, as it contradicts the other halakha.

…The Gemara answers: This contradiction is not difficult. This one relates to a case where the rumor ceases and the woman is sent away only if there are witnesses, but that one relates to a case where the rumor does not cease, in which case he divorces her even if there are no witnesses.

…The Gemara elucidates the cases: In cases of a rumor that does not cease, even if there are no witnesses the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi and he divorces her.

[Sefaria, Tractate Yevamot 25a]

The Mishna states that a man who divorces his wife due to an on-going rumor may not take his wife back, even if it is proven that the wife was innocent. And that if the husband does take his wife back who is proven innocent, he must divorce her again.

§ We learned in a mishna there (Gittin 45b): A man who divorces his wife due to her bad reputation may not take her back again, even if it turns out that the rumor was untrue.

So too, the Sages said in the case of one who divorced his wife due to her reputation or vow that he may not take her back, and if he does remarry her he must divorce her.

[Sefaria, Tractate Yevamot 25a]

Yahweh’s response to rabbinic-Talmudic divorce

We take a look at Malachi 2. Yahweh is addressing the house of Judah concerning the act of dealing treacherously with their wives. Yahweh made the man and his wife one flesh, and that Yahweh Himself hates divorce. He warns Judah to not deal treacherously with the wife of his youth, his wife by covenant, such as the Talmud causes.

Malachi 2:13-16
13  “And this is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of Yahweh with tears, With weeping and crying; So He does not regard the offering anymore, Nor receive it with goodwill from your hands…
14  “Yet you say, ‘For what reason?’ Because Yahweh has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant…

15  “But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks righteous offspring. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth…”
16  “For Yahweh Elohim of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says Yahweh of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”

Law of the Nazirite-written Torah of Moshe

Next in the Torah portion, we explain about the Nazirite vow, and how Yeshua HaMashiach is our ideal example of a (celibate) Nazirite.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:1-2
1  Then Yahweh spoke to Moshe, saying,
2  “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When either a man or woman consecrates an offering to take the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Yahweh…”

(And for more on how Yeshua was a celibate Nazirite, and how the vow of celibacy and the Nazirite vow often go together, please take a look at the following studies.)

What does Nazir mean?

First, we explain the Hebrew meaning of ‘nazir’ and ‘nazar’, which means to ‘consecrate’ or to be ‘set-apart’ for divine purpose. We also explain the difference between the roots of nazir (נָזִיר) and Nazarath (נָצְרַת).

Strong’s H5139
נָזִיר    נָזִר    nâzı̂yr    nâzir    naw-zeer’, naw-zeer’
From H5144; separate, that is, consecrated (as prince, a Nazirite); hence (figuratively from the latter) an unpruned vine (like an unshorn Nazirite). (The translation, Nazarite, is by a false alliteration with Nazareth (נָצְרַת‎)… separate (-d), vine undressed.

Strong’s H5144
נָזַר    nâzar    naw-zar’
A primitive root; to hold aloof, that is, (intransitively) abstain (from food and drink, from impurity, and even from divine worship (that is, apostatize)); specifically to set apart (to sacred purposes), that is, devote: – consecrate, separate (-ing, self).

We also see this word נָזִיר (nazir) in B’reisheet (Genesis) 49:26

B’reisheet (Genesis) 49:26
26  “The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separated [נָזִיר] from his brothers.”

Nazirite requirements:

We explain the necessary requirements for those who choose to take the Nazirite vow, according to the written Torah of Moshe (Yahweh’s covenant).

We see that the one who takes the Nazirite vow must not eat or drink anything of the grape or of the grapevine.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:3-4
3  “…he shall separate himself from wine and similar drink; he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.
4  All the days of his separation he shall eat nothing that is produced by the grapevine, from seed to skin.”

No razor should come to the head or the beard (in the case of men under the vow). No cutting the hair of the head. He/she is to be focused on the spiritual things, and not focused upon physcial appearance.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:5
5  “All the days of the vow of his separation no razor shall come upon his head; until the days are fulfilled for which he separated himself to Yahweh, he shall be set-apart. Then he shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.”

He/she shall not go near a dead body. The Nazirite is to be focused on the spiritual body, and not on the physcial body. And his/her time is dedicated unto the kingdom work. The Nazirite is placing Elohim first, rather than physical family.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:6-8
6  “All the days that he separates himself to Yahweh he shall not go near a dead body.
7  “He shall not make himself unclean even for his father or his mother, for his brother or his sister, when they die, because his separation to Elohim is on his head.
8  “All the days of his separation he shall be set-apart to Yahweh.”

If someone dies suddenly beside the Nazirite, his separation has been defiled. The Nazirite is not supposed to be about war, but about peace. He is not to be fighting in physcial battles and physical fights. The Nazirite is focused on the spiritual war.

There is also a correspondence between when you are focused on Yahweh and when you take your focus off of Yahweh, and the events that happen in the spiritual world around us.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:9-12
9  “And if anyone dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles his consecrated head, then he shall shave his head on the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day he shall shave it.
10  “Then on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting…”

11  “…and the priest shall offer one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned in regard to the corpse; and he shall sanctify his head that same day.
12  “He shall consecrate to Yahweh the days of his separation, and bring a male lamb in its first year as a trespass offering; but the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.”

When ending the vow of separation, there is a sin offering to provide. This is while there is a cleansed temple in place. The vow can be taken for any amount of time. When taking the vow, one should listen in the Spirit and only take the vow if truely dedicated to Elohim.

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:13-16
13  “Now this is the torah of the Nazirite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
14  “And he shall present his offering to Yahweh: one male lamb in its first year without blemish as a burnt offering, one ewe lamb in its first year without blemish as a sin offering, one ram without blemish as a peace offering…”

15  “…a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their grain offering with their drink offerings.
16  “Then the priest shall bring them before Yahweh and offer his sin offering and his burnt offering…”

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:21
21  “This is the torah of the Nazirite who vows to Yahweh the offering for his separation, and besides that, whatever else his hand is able to provide; according to the vow which he takes, so he must do according to the torah of his separation.”

We will continue more on the Nazirite vow in the Haftarah portion.

Priestly blessing

Next, we cover Yahweh’s commandment pertaining to the priestly blessing (or the Aharonic blessing), according to the written Torah of Moshe (Yahweh’s covenant). The written Torah commands the priests to bless the children of Israel in the name of Elohim, Yahweh. And not in the name of any replacement name or term (Adonai, HaShem, the Lord, etc.)

Yahweh’s name

Bemidbar (Numbers) 6:23-26
23  “Speak to Aharon and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24  “Yahweh bless you and keep you;
25  “Yahweh make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
26  “Yahweh lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.” ‘
27  “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

Rabbinic hand sign

There is a rabbinic hand sign that is claimed to be the same hand sign that Aharon used when blessing the children of Israel. This rabbinic hand sign allegedly derived from Song of Songs 2:8-9, which is much later than Aharon and the written Torah of Moshe. (It is a later ‘addition’.)

The idea applied to the rabbinic hand sign is that it is like looking through ‘the lattice’. It is Kabbalist replacement theology.

Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs) 2:9
9  “My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, he stands behind our wall; He is looking through the windows, Gazing through the lattice.”

With respect, to the late Leonard Nimoy, he was a devoted Kabbalist. Kabbalists do not always tell you the true reasons for why they do things. Again, NI does not support the conclusions of Henry Makow. However, Makow has a good article on his website called Nimoy’s Vulcan Sign is Invocation of the Devil.

This is circumstancial, but below is the Rider-Waite Tarot 15, the devil, which has a certain hand sign, believed to be an invocation of the devil. And then, we also see a 1908 postcard with a triod claw, also a Satanic invocation.

Then we have the founder of the Jesuit Order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, and Jesuit Pope Francis.

Haftarah portion

First, a quick review of the four main roles in Israel.

• King: head of the temporal army and host (lawyers, guns, money). Serves on battlefield and in courts.

In this Haftarah, we see Shimshon (Samson) who was an anointed judge, which is a combination of the 3 main roles of kingship, priest, and prophet. Primarily, Shimshon served in the role of kingship, serving on the battlefield.

• Priest: head of the spiritual army (altar, rituals, prayers, render judgment). Serves at an altar.

We also see Shemuel (Samuel), who served as a priest, the leader of the spiritual army. Shemuel was also a prophet and an anointed judge.

• Prophet: hears from Yahweh and transmits His words to the people. (Foretell, forthtell.)
• Anointed Judge: combination of all three for special circumstances (shaliachim / apostles).

Samson and the Nazirite vow-the written Torah

We take a look at Shemuel Aleph (1 Samuel) 1:11, and her vow over her child, Shimshon (Samuel).

Shemuel Aleph (1 Samuel) 1:11
11  Then [Hannah] made a vow and said, “O Yahweh of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

The lesson here is that we always see the blessings, and we turn to our own power and strength. And then Elohim allows affliction, to turn us back to Him. In this case, affliction by the hand of the Philistines.

Shophetim (Judges) 13:1-4
1  Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of Yahweh, and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.
2  Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had
no children.
3  And the Messenger of Yahweh appeared to the woman and said to her, “Indeed now, you are barren and have borne no children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.
4  “Now therefore, please be careful not to drink wine or similar drink, and not to eat anything unclean.”

Because of the affliction of the Philistines, Elohim sends a deliverer (Shimshon) who will ‘begin to’ deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

Shophetim (Judges) 13:5
5  “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to Elohim from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.”

We see Shimson make some bad decisions. Shimshon seeks a wife from the daughters of the Philistines. Shimson also goes to the vineyards of Timnah. (Why would a Nazirite go to a vineyar?)

Shophetim (Judges) 14:1-5
1  Now Shimshon went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.
2  So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.”
3  Then his father and mother said to him, “Is there no woman among the daughters of your brethren, or among all my people, that you must go and get a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” And Shimshon said to his father, “Get her for me, for she pleases me well.”
4  But his father and mother did not know that it was of Yahweh—that He was seeking an occasion to move against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.
5  So Shimshon went down to Timnah with his father and mother, and came to the vineyards of Timnah. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him.

Shimshon also took honey from the carcass of a lion. (Why would a Nazirite take food from an animal carcass?)

Shopehtim (Judges) 14:9-10
9 He took some of it in his hands and went along, eating. When he came to his father and mother, he gave some to them, and they also ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.
10 So his father went down to the woman. And Shimshon gave a feast there, for young men used to do so.

In verse 19, Shimshon killed men and touched their carcasses. So, again, as a Nazirite, Shimshon is in contact with the dead and with carcasses.

Shophetim (Judges) 14:19
19  Then the Spirit of Yahweh came upon him mightily, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty of their men, took their apparel, and gave the changes of clothing to those who had explained the riddle. So his anger was aroused, and he went back up to his father’s house.

Shophetim (Judges) 15:7-8
7  Shimshon said to them, “Since you would do a thing like this, I will surely take revenge on you, and after that I will cease.”
8  So he attacked them hip and thigh with a great slaughter; then he went down and dwelt in the cleft of the rock of Etam.

We see Shimshon breaking the Nazirite vow several times. He uses the jawbone from a donkey to kill Philistines, and then brags about doing so.

Shophetim (Judges) 15:15-16
15  He found a fresh jawbone of a donkey, reached out his hand and took it, and killed a thousand men with it.
16  Then Shimshon said: “With the jawbone of a donkey, Heaps upon heaps, With the jawbone of a donkey I have slain a thousand men!”

Shimshon also goes into a harlot.

Shophetim (Judges) 16:1
1  Now Shimshon went to Gaza and saw a harlot there, and went in to her.

Shophetim (Judges) 16:4, 17
4  Afterward it happened that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.
17  that he told her all his heart, and said to her, “No razor has ever come upon my head, for I have been a Nazirite to Elohim from my mother’s womb. If I am shaven, then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.”

Then, of course, Shimshon gives in to Delilah, and she causes him to break the Nazirite vow by cutting the locks of his hair.

Shophetim (Judges) 16:19
19  Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him.

We need to remember that Yahweh used Shimshon to move against the Philistines.

Shophetim (Judges) 16:30
30  Then Shimshon said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

Nazirite vow-Talmudic version

Now we look at how what the Talmud and Jewish tradition has to say concerning the Nazirite vow. We look at Wikipedia on the Nazirite vow. (It looks like Wikipedia has a typo in the title. It should say “Tractate Nazir 4a”.) We see that Jewish law has ‘rich’ replacement theology on the Nazirite vow.

Mishle (Proverbs) 30:6
6  Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.

Permanent Nazirites permitted to cut hair?

We see that according to the Talmud, there are two types of Nazirites (something not spoken of in the written Torah). And that there are permissions granted that do not exist in the written Torah of Moshe. According to Tractate Nazir 4a, a ‘permanent Nazirite’ is allowed to cut their hair if it becomes too heavy (in direct contradiction to the written Torah of Moshe).

Sefaria, Tractate Nazir 4a
MISHNA: What is the difference between a permanent nazirite and a nazirite like Samson, both of whom remain nazirites forever? In the case of a permanent nazirite, if his hair grows too heavy for him, he lightens it by cutting some hair with a razor, and he then brings three animals as a sin-offering, a burnt-offering, and a peace-offering, like one who completes his term of naziriteship.…

When you read the Talmud, there is the Mishnah which is the main document. And then there is the Gemara which comments on things in the Mishnah. At times, the Gemara will question points of the Mishnah. In the end, the Gemara will always reconcile with the Mishnah, because the Mishnah is considered to be ‘holy’.

Sefaria, Tractate Nazir 4b
§ The Gemara clarifies a halakha taught in the mishna: And where is the concept of a permanent nazirite written? As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: Avshalom was a permanent nazirite, as it is stated: “And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Avshalom said to the king: I pray to you, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to [Yahweh], in Hebron” (II Samuel 15:7).

Shemuel Bet (2 Samuel) 15:7-8
7  Now it came to pass after forty years that Avshalom said to the king, “Please, let me go to Hebron and pay the vow which I made to Yahweh.
8  For your servant took a vow while I dwelt at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If Yahweh indeed brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve Yahweh.’ “

Shemuel Bet (2 Samuel) 13:37-38
37  But Avshalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
38  So Avshalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 

Tractate Nazir 4b states that Avshalom was under a Nazirite vow, and that Avshalom cut his hair once every 12 months, because the hair was heavy on him. It then cites 2 Samuel 14:26.

Sefaria, Tractate Nazir 4b
…And he cut his hair once every twelve months, as it is stated: “And when he polled his head, now it was at every year’s [yamim] end that he polled it; because the hair was heavy on him” (II Samuel 14:26).

Shemuel Bet (2 Samuel) 14:26
26  And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard.

Replacing Yahweh’s word

The problem here is that if we are going to replace Yahweh’s word, how is that different from the serpent? Both house need to come together. The only thing we can come together on is His word; His voice and His written commandments, and not on replacement theology.

B’reisheet (Genesis) 3:1
1  Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which Yahweh Elohim had made. And he said to the woman, “Has Elohim indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

Brit Chadasha portion

There is a lot to cover in this week’s parasha. If you would like to know more, we hope you will take Shabbat to look at the following studies on Yeshua the Celibate Nazirite, and about Abstinence, Celibacy, and Nazirites (and how those vows do not always, but very often, pair together.)

First, we take a look at the Parable of the Prodigal Son and how this relates to the Joseph being separated (nazir) from his brothers, and how this prophetically relates to the lost ten tribes of the children of Israel, which were sent out into the Diaspora for the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission.

Luqa (Luke) 1:13-15
13  But the messenger said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elisheva will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Yochanan.
14  “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.”
15  “For he will be great in the sight of Yahweh, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Ruach HaQodesh, even from his mother’s womb.”

B’reisheet (Genesis) 49:26
26  “The blessings of your father Have excelled the blessings of my ancestors, Up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills. They shall be on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers.”

Luqa (Luke) 15:11-13 [Bechukotai]
11 Then He said: “A certain man [Yahweh] had two sons [Judah and Ephraim].
12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood.
13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, [i.e., was separated] and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

Luqa (Luke) 15:22-24 (Bechukotai)
22 “But the Father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.”

The message here for Ephraim is how important is it for us to flee and forsake Mystery Babylon and all of her Babylonian systems, and to separate ourselves unto Elohim and His kingdom. As we see in Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 28:1, the majority of Ephraim are overcome with the wine of Mystery Babylon, and her false doctrines. (And this includes the majority of Ephraim, and those who watch these videos but do not commit to serving Elohim.)

Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 28:1
1  “Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower Which is at the head of the verdant valleys, To those who are overcome with wine!”

Yochanan (John) 2:1-4
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galil [Galilee], and the mother of Yeshua was there.
2 Now both Yeshua and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Yeshua said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4 Yeshua said to her, “Woman, what have I to do with you? My hour has not yet come.”

There is a difference between the ‘spiritual’ kingdom of Elohim, and the physical ‘reign’ of the kingdom which will come. Yeshua is focused on the kingdom of Elohim as a Nazirite, actively working for His Father.

Luqa (Luke) 22:17-18
17 And taking the cup, giving thanks, He said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves,
18 For I say to you, I shall certainly not drink of the fruit of the vine until the reign of Elohim comes.”

We also see that Shaliach Shaul (Paul) was under a Nazirite vow, the only vow in Scripture that requires shaving one’s head at the time of separation. During the first century, there were many who misunderstood Shaul’s teaching, who thought Shaul did not keep the Torah, just like many Ephraimites believe today that there is no need to keep Torah. Shaul did keep the Torah, and it is still important for us today to understand the need to keep the Original Halacha.

Ma’asei (Acts) 18:18
18 And having remained many days more, having taken leave of the brothers, Shaul sailed to Syria, having shaved his head; for he had [taken] a vow.

The Nasi Yaccov directs Shaliach Shaul to make the payment of the separation of the Nazirite vow for himself and for four other men, to show all that Shaul was keeping and walking according to the Torah. This shows that Shaul kept the Torah, and that Shaul did not claim the Torah was ‘done away with’, as red-horse Esav Mystery-Babylonian doctrine teaches today.

Ma’asei (Acts) 21:23-24
23 “Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow.
24 “Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the Torah.”

For those considering whether or not to take a vow, it is better to not vow than to vow and not pay. This applies to taking the Nazirite vow, or any vow we take before Elohim. We must consider cafefully about the day when we stand before Elohim, and how we lived our lives on this earth. Did we fulfill our vows to Him? Did we commit our lives to Him?

Qoheleth (Ecclesiastes) 5:4-5
4 When you make a vow to Elohim, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed —
5 Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Yehezqel (Ezekiel) 37:16-17
16  “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’”
17  “Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.”

The two houses of Judah and Ephraim must come together. The only way for the two houses to come together is for both Judah and Ephraim to walk in agreement upon the written word of Yahweh Elohim, obeying His voice. And to forsake all replacement theologies.

Amos 3:3
3  Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?

Thank you for watching and reading our midrash on Parasha Nasso.
Shabbat shalom.

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