Our sages, Rashi & Ibn Ezra stated that the people who were counted in this portion of B'midbar (Numbers) were Jews and did not include the erev rav (mixed multitude) and they based this assumption on verse 3 in the 1st chapter. I disagree with them both. When a verse in the Scriptures is taken out of context it becomes a mere pretext.

Verse 18 states "and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by the house of their fathers (beit avotam) otba tb. The descendants of the Jewish families would come from the line of the father, this is very clear. However the Rabbis have changed it to the descendants coming from the mother using the verses in the Babylonian Talmud in Kiddushim 66b and 68b as their proof text, their reason being that many of the women were raped and we could never be certain about who the father was. That being said, why would Jews, born to Jewish fathers whose lineage we were certain about be excluded from their heritage? In one fell swoop of the pen, one half of the Jewish population was destroyed, forcing them to live as gentiles. If what the Rabbis say is true, what do we do with the two tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh or Moshe's children or our own King David who would not be a Jew since his grandmother was Ruth the Moabite. The moment man changes the Word of God we destroy His testimony and what He is doing through us.

Which man has the right to change the Word of God?

Where in the Scriptures is it written that one cannot eat dairy and meat together? The man-made regulation was is created from taking one phrase in Leviticus out of context…"you shall not cook a calf in its mother's milk", a verse again taken to extremes and out of context. Where does it say that we need to have two refrigerators and two stoves, four sets of dishes and so on and so on? Even if we were to concede and say it is right to not eat meat and milk at the same meal, why can we not eat chicken and drink milk? What chicken gives milk?

Yeshua spoke exactly about that, stating that the traditions of the elders nullify the Word of God and put burdens on the people that are too hard to bear. Deuteronomy 4:2 is clear "do not add to the word which I commanded, neither shall you take away from it…" Yeshua repeated this in Matthew 5:17 in other words "Do not imagine that I have not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete (fulfill, explain) them. In truth I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one stroke is to disappear from the Law until all its purpose is achieved. Therefore anyone who infringes even on of the least of these commandments and teaches other to do the same will be considered least in the kingdom of Heaven but the person who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of Heaven."

Has the purpose of Law been achieved? Has Heaven and earth passed away?

Jesus came for His own, the Jewish people. He was speaking to the religious Jews in Kehal Israel when he was stating these words.

Both Judaism and Christianity are guilty of doing this in order to try to force their points. When Christianity at large takes so lightly what Yeshua said and states so emphatically that the Law is no any longer necessary when Yeshua said the opposite, then, Christianity is ignoring the fact that the erev rav, the mixed multitude who were with us were incorporated inside greater Israel; they became one of us and were subject to the same Torah, rules and regulations (Number 15:15-16).

The church may have wonderful goals, excellent tenets, fine and moral principles but when these do not line up with what God is actually saying, they simply become man-made precepts and are not from God.

Back to B'midbar; verse 2 of chapter one begins with the word, vas Seu which is translated as 'take a count of' but literally means "lift up" like in the expression " lift up your heads'. The word p'kod (count) was not used as in the portion "Pikudei" meaning "take an account". This word "seu" announces either a warning or a blessing. The same word is used when Joseph interpreted the dream of the Pharaoh's baker …."within three days Pharaoh shall lift up the head from you…"and in verse 20 …"and he lifted up the head of the chief butler…"in which case it was blessing as the butler's position was restored. King David's head was lifted up when he was blessed. The meaning is given in the context of the situation.

How do we apply this teaching for our lives?

If you are a member of any congregation, you are being counted…your head is lifted up. You are being counted for the Lord either with a blessing or a warning. Based on your function, God expects you to deliver on what He has called you to do. If you are faithful with little, He will entrust you with much. The job of the leader of a congregation is to put the fear of God into you.

Are you lazy about your calling?

Why do you think that I spoke to you about the erev rav? Do you think that it is a source of pride to be Jewish? One is not better than the other. Remember that Calev was one of the only two men who survived the wilderness experience from the original group that left Egypt. God chose him to enter the Promised Land along with Joshua, a born Israelite. Calev was the son of Yefunneh, a Kenezzite, a Gentile who is now named a prince of the tribe of Judah. Judah was thought to be the largest tribe because of the erev rav who was integrated into it.

Whether or not we are Jew or Gentile believer in Messiah is not what is important. What is important is that if each of who are called by God were doing what we were called to do, there would be no begging or lack of anything in our lives.

On the other hand, when we do not, the consequences can be quite serious. In B'midbar, we read that God has appointed the Levites for specific tasks related to the transportation of the ark. Anyone else who would do what they were not appointed to do would die. This is an emphatic command. When King David did not obey by appointing his friend to transport the ark, he literally sentenced his friend to death. In the book of Hebrews, Rabbi Shaul warns us not to be hasty but to think twice about our decision to be teachers because we who are teachers bear the burden of double responsibility.

Do you want to be counted? When you make a pledge to God to fulfill your vows, no matter whether you are Jew or Gentile, remember that you have been called, you become one in the body of Messiah and now you have the choice to be faithful or not.

Are you ready to do what God is calling you to do? If not, do not complain when you suffer the consequences. Do you remember the "tochecha", the admonitions which I spoke about from last week's portion? It is not God who is punishing us when we do not step into His will for our lives but we who reap the consequences and thus suffer due to our own disobedience.

May we be faithful to His Word and especially to His call on our lives! In this way, not only will we experience the true joy of serving the living God with the accompanying blessings on our lives but the entire community benefits as we reap the rewards of being in obedience to His Will.

   May God add blessings to His Word.

     Rabbi Percy Johnson
     Netanel ben Yochanan
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