Parsha Vayigash and Vayechi Postcards

`Chai`, Life!!

 Yeshua said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life!

Whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?

John 11:25~26

There the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD-- as a testimony to Israel --to praise the Name of the LORD.  For there thrones of judgement are set up, the thrones of the house of David.  Pray for the peace of Jerusalem -- may those who love you be at peace!

Psalm 122:4~6


♡

Ending the book of Genesis,
Chazak Chazak, Venitchazek!!*

Be strong, be strong, and may we strengthen one another!!

*Parsha Vayigash and Parsha Vayechi are the last two Torah portions in the book of Genesis; these are the words we say after reading each book of the Torah!


(PS stay tuned for a post to follow on this topic and the Hebrew word "Chai"!)

Fruits of the Spirit, Pineapple of Shabbat!

 But the fruit of the Ruach (Spirit) is love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control---against such things there is no law.    ---Galatians 5:22~23

I have written some posts about fruits on my blog.  Not with any intent to do a `fruit` series, but certain fruits have called to my attention, as if the Holy Spirit did indeed want to show me something through them. Does that sometimes happen with you?


There was the famous Grapefruit from Israel, then Tu B`shevat and my first fruity challah.  Recently,  Israeli orange samples were being given out at our local department store food floor.  Another fruit surprise was a birthday pomeganate, and now...a pineapple of Shabbat.  It was this past Shabbat that I picked up the pineapple.  I almost didn`t post it, but after all I will include it, and not let the pineapple pass by.

In the Book of Exodus that we just finished reading, do you remember a fruit that appears on the garments of the Holy Priest?  Yes, it is a pomegranate (not a pineapple), which alternates with bells on the pattern of the hem of the priestly garment.  Perhaps I am pushing it, not just because they both are fruits which begin with `P` but I see some similarity between them.

The similarity is in... the crown!! There is something King-ly about both  the pineapple and the pomegranate.  This pineapple was born (grown) in Japan, in the very southernmost part, in Okinawa.  It may be the first time I saw a Japan-grown pineapple.  On the Shabbat I like to sometimes buy a special fruit to honor the LORD and the special-ness of the day.

Delight is one of the qualities that we experience in the Shabbat,  our senses are at a peak as the LORD shines a divine light on everything in that time---colors, tastes, smells, everything seems to be heightened when we enter the Sabbath.  Even in preparing for the Shabbat,  I will sometimes sense a nudging, or pointing out by the Holy Spirit to pick out something delight-full for the Shabbat table.

This week it was the pineapple!! We didn`t actually even eat it until the day after, but it was there gracing the table.  While I was worshiping and welcoming the Shabbat on Friday,  I had a vision of a stream of turquoise flowing from the throne of Heaven.  I was dancing and then Yeshua himself came to dance with me and our hands touched, making a kind of high bridge over the stream of Living Water.

When I tried to make a drawing of it, I wanted to to somehow express the Throne but without drawing what it `looks` like, so I put something there to express the Throne room of heaven, and guess what it was?? A pomegranate? No!  A pineapple? No.  But you are close...

Yes!! there you see it, A Crown!!!

You will also be a crown of beauty 

in the hand of ADONAI,

and a royal diadem

in the hand of your God.  

 Isaiah 62:3

So that is my story of the pineapple of Shabbat. I would like to dedicate this post to a new sister, friend, and reader of my blog who I met on this very Shabbat.  For Mrs. N!!

Drawing that brings together the crown, the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, the New Jerusalem, and Yeshua bringing healing on the Shabbat!

 How precious is Your kindness, O God!   The sons of man take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. May they be sated from the abundance of Your house; and may You give them to drink from the stream of Your delights.  For with You is the source of life---by Your light we shall see light.  Extend Your kindness to those who know You, and Your charity to the upright of heart.

---Psalms 36:8~11

Finishing the Book of Exodus, and The Second Challah Cover!!

Placing the second challah cover over the challah.  Shabbat Shalom!!

Can you see how the Challah Cover has something of a `tent`-like feeling?!

Blessed art thou, LORD our God who brings the Light of Yeshua to the world!

Blessed art Thou, King of the Universe, who bringest forth fruit from the vine.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad, Asher, Dan, Naftali, Yosef, Benjamin

         Shabbat Shalom!

Ending the Beginning, and my Second Challah Cover begins!

These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this is what their father spoke to them.  He blessed them, each one he blessed with a suitable blessing.  ---Genesis 49:28

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says ADONAI Elohim, "Who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty!"   ---Revelation 1:8

Amazing in the Parsahat cycle we are already finishing the last reading from the book of Genesis this coming Shabbat and going into Exodus after that.  Like the end of each Shabbat, its a little sad coming to the end of the readings of one book.  But at the same time a new one begins, and the cycle keeps on going.

And as we go from Genesis to Exodus,  I will start the second challah cover!!

The inspiration for this challah cover is the twelve sons of Jacob.  I started by laying out the squares to represent the twelve sons, the twelve tribes of Israel.

 In Genesis God created the heavens and earth and filled them with plants and trees and all the living creatures and the people, from Adam to Jacob and his sons.   God plans and purposes and lays everything out from the beginning.  If we skip ahead to the end, i.e. Revelation, the end of the whole book, and a new beginning,  there is the most beautiful description of the New Jerusalem, where each of the 12 gates of the city are inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of Bnei-Yisrael. 
On the gates were inscribed the names of the twelve tribes of Bnei-Yisrael---three gates on the east, three gates on the north, three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.  ---Revelation 21:12~13.  As well as the twelve names of the the twelve emissaries of the Lamb on the foundations of the city walls.           Then the twelve names of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb are written on the twelve foundations of the walls of the city.  ---Revelation 21:14


The foundations of the Jewish people and tribes of Israel were set up in the book of Genesis.  All the way into Revelation the foundations of the city wall are decorated with every kind of precious stone, which are reminiscient of the twelve precious stones representing the twelve tribes that we will soon see in Exodus in the breastplate of Aaron.    To read about the precious stones on the foundations and the pearls on the gates of the New Jerusalem, and description of the streets of the city as pure as gold, please continue reading in the book of Revelation, from 21:15.

I am just starting the challah cover, it begins where the first challah cover left off! As that one expressed the Life of Sarah and went through the generations to Isaac, this one continues with the generations of Jacob, Joseph.  Who are the twelve tribes that are so precious in God`s heart and plan? In the parsha this week there is the special blessings by Jacob for each of his twelve sons before he dies. 

A fruitful son is Joseph,

a fruitful son beside a spring---

daughters walk along a wall.  

                     ---the first lines of Jacob`s blessing to Joseph, Genesis 49:22

To be continued....