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Parashah 51 Nitzavim

Deuteronomy 29:10(9) – 30:20

By Dr. K. Blad©

Second edition 2013-14

Lucrative copying not permitted. 

Torah Readings (the years when Nitzavim is read separately):

  1. 29:10-12 (9-11 Heb.)

  2. 29:13-15 (12-14 Heb.)

  3. 29:16-29 (15-28 Heb.)

  4. 30:1-6

  5. 30:7-10

  6. 30:11-14

  7. 30:15-20

  8. Maftir: 30:18-20

Haftarah: Isaiah 61:10 – 63:9

Comments

Nitzavim

Means “(you pl.) stand”

The First Aliyah, 29:10-12 (9-11 Heb.)

29:10(9) “You stand this day all of you before HaShem your God; your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Yisra'el”(HNV revised) – In this final renewal of the covenant before the people crossed over into the Promised Land everyone is present, including those who joined them when they came out of Egypt and who were not born into the people, as it is written in Exodus 12:38a,

A mixed multitude went up also with them”(HNV)

This mixed people group from other nations had converted in Egypt before they ate of the Pesach lamb. No male foreigner could eat of the lamb without first being circumcised in the flesh, which means converting to Judaism, as it is written in Exodus 12:48-49,

“When a stranger shall live as a foreigner with you, and will keep the Pesach to HaShem, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one who is born in the land: but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. One Torah shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you.”(HNV revised)

Converts from other nations that have entered into the covenant ought to be treated just like the native Israelites and they have the same commandments to fulfill as the Jews. The expression “One Torah” does not include people from other nations, only the Israelites and the converts, those who are in the Sinai covenant.

The Second Aliyah, 29:13-15 (12-14 Heb.)

29:14-15(13-14) “Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but with him who stands here with us this day before HaShem our God, and also with him who is not here with us this day”(HNV revised) – This teaches us that this covenant includes those who were not yet born, and this can be paralleled with Yeshua’s prayer in John 17:20-21,

“Not for these only do I pray, but for those also who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one; even as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me.”(HNV revised)

The Third Aliyah, 29:16 – 29 (15-28 Heb.)

29:18(17) “lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turns away this day from HaShem our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that bears gall and wormwood”(HNV revised) – This bitter root is the idolatry that Avraham’s forefathers practiced, which we can see in Joshua 24:2, where it is written,

“Yehoshua said to all the people, Thus says HaShem, the God of Yisra'el, Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terach, the father of Avraham, and the father of Nachor: and they served other gods.”(HNV revised)

In Hebrews 12:15, it is written,

“looking carefully lest there be any man who falls short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby the many be defiled”(HNV revised)

According to the second rule of the pshat-level of interpretation, called similar expression (gezerah shavah), the bitter root that is mentioned here is referring to idolatry, just as it does in the text in Deuteronomy.

29:19(18)b “thereby adding the watered upon the thirsty.” – According to Nachmanides, this is the correct understanding of the words and his explanation is that the watered means the satisfied and the thirsty means the desirous. Rashi and Onkelos however, say that it ought to be translated, “in order to add the sins that were not committed intentionally to those that were committed intentionally”.

29:28(27) “and HaShem rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as at this day.”(HNV revised) – According to Talmud,[1] this text is referring to the ten tribes that must remain in another land until the coming age begins. The word “as at this day” is interpreted as a reference to the olam habah, the coming age.

29:29(28) “The secret things belong to HaShem our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this Torah.”(HNV revised) – This teaches us that we are responsible to convey to our children all the things that the Eternal has revealed to us. If the Eternal has revealed to you who is the Messiah, pass on that revelation to your children!

It also means that the sins that are committed privately in secret cannot be judged by a human court of law, but will be judged by the heavenly court, and that HaShem does not bring judgment over the people for those sins. However, if the leaders of the people do not judge the sins that were committed openly, the whole people will partake of the punishment for them.

The Fourth Aliyah, 30:1-6

30:1 “It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where HaShem your God has driven you”(HNV revised) – When it talks about “all these things”, it is referring to chapter 28, where the blessings and the curses are listed. All this has already come over the children of Israel throughout the course of history. This verse takes us to the end times, the time after all this has come over Israel. Here the Torah speaks of what would come after all the blessings and curses of chapter 28. We are living in that time now and the power of this promise has reached us.

Most of Israel’s descendants have lost their identity through assimilation. The few million Jews who exist today are only a small fraction of the descendants of the twelve tribes. The Jewish people of today are mainly descended from three tribes only, Yehudah, Binyamin, and Levi.

The ten tribes were exiled to “another land, as at this day”, see 29:28, in singular. In 28:64, it is also speaking of an exile to “all lands”. This means that the people of Israel, the twelve tribes, have been spread out among all the peoples that exist on the earth. In all nations, there are physical descendants of Israel, as the prophet Hosea also says in 1:10a,

“Yet the number of the children of Yisra'el will be as the sand of the sea, which can't be measured nor numbered.”(HNV revised)

The prophet Hosea was sent to prophesy over the ten tribes in the north.

Our father Avraham received promises about three different kinds of children: the dust of the earth, see Genesis 13:16, the stars in the sky, see Genesis 15:5; 22:17, and the sand of the seashore, see Genesis 22:17. Yitzchak only received the promise that his children would be as the stars, see Genesis 26:4, and Yaakov was promised that his descendants would be both as the dust of the earth and the sand of the sea, see Genesis 28:14; 32:12. The stars symbolize heavenly children, faithful spiritual children, the children of God. The earth symbolizes Eretz Israel, the land of Israel. The dust of the earth symbolizes the physical descendants who live in the land of Israel. If we compare the text in Genesis 22:17 with Genesis 32:12, we can see that the promise concerning the sand is a two-fold promise. HaShem said to Avraham that his descendants would be as the sand by the seashore, but to Yaakov he says that they would be as the sand of the sea. Sand by the seashore is not the same thing as the sand in the sea. The sea symbolizes the gentile nations, see Psalm 93:3-4; 144:7; Isaiah 17:3; Ezekiel 26:3. There are three types of sea sand. One type of sand is by the seashore. It is always visible and it is never covered by water. Another part of the sand is closer to the water. It is exposed to the attacks of the ocean waves and the tidewaters and therefore it is sometimes out of the water and other times under water. The third part of the sand is always under the seawater. The part of the sand that is on the sea shore and that is never under water, symbolizes those Israelites and Jews among the nations who keep the Torah and make up a barrier against evil, as it is written in Jeremiah 5:22,

“Don't you fear me? Says HaShem: won't you tremble at my presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea, by a perpetual decree, that it can't pass it? and though the waves of it toss themselves, yet they can't prevail; though they roar, yet they can't pass over it.”(HNV revised)

The sand that is at times under the sea and at times out of the water symbolizes those Jews who live a life of compromise, those who cannot stand against the different attacks of the gentiles. Therefore they are under the water sometimes, but at times they are able to live a Jewish life. The sand in the sea represents those Israelites and Jews who have been assimilated among the gentiles and are no longer living like Jews. Just as there is a lot more sand at the bottom of the ocean than there is by the shore, there are a lot more descendants of Israel who have drowned among the gentiles than there are those who live separated from them. The majority of Avraham’s descendants have been completely swallowed up by the customs and cultures of the gentiles.

The Hebrew word that is translated as sand is chol,[2] which comes from the root chul or chil,[3] which means:

  1. Qal: twist, turn, shake, have birth pains; Poel: twist, give birth; Poal: tremble, be cowardly; Hitpael: shake.

  2. Qal: be firm.

  3. Qal, Poel, and Hitpoel: wait.[4]

This teaches us that the sand represents those descendants of Avraham who have gone around in the world, those who have been shaken in the nations, those who have had mortal birth pains, like Rachel, and waited for the Messiah to come, those who have twisted and trembled because of campaigns of hatred, persecution, and murder.

There are a few million Jews who have never lost their identity, and the majority of them do not live in Israel. They are still spread out among the gentile nations. However, the great majority of the descendants of Israel do not know that they have Israelite forefathers and they live their lives and serve “other gods of wood and stone”. Their identity is not at all Israelite but gentile.

When the Torah speaks about Israel returning in the end times, we must carefully define which group of Israel’s descendants this is talking about. Let us therefore analyze this passage more thoroughly:

“It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where HaShem your God has driven you”

We have said earlier that all the blessings and curses have already been fulfilled in the history of the people of Israel, and that we are now living in the time for the fulfillment of this prophecy. Now is the time for the assimilated ones to receive the call to come back to their origin.

The Hebrew word shuv[5] occurs six times in this chapter, in verses 1, 2, 3 (twice), 8, and 10. Shuv means: Kal: return, repeat, be changed, refrain, change; Poel: bring back, restore, pervert; Hi: bring back, return, turn, pay, remove, be changed, calm, replace, distance (oneself), answer, take back; Ho: be returned.[6]

This passage of Scripture describes such a great return of the people of Israel in the last days that the world has never seen anything like it. The world has, at a couple of occasions, witnessed how Israel has left two nations, Egypt and Babylon, but this time the world will see Israel being raised up and coming out of all the nations of the world. The Torah and the Prophets are not only speaking of the return of those who have kept their Jewish identity throughout the course of history, since they can be counted. The Scriptures are speaking about a return of the twelve tribes of Israel who cannot be counted because of their great number.

Dear Reader, we are now beginning to see one of the greatest miracles in world history, the return of the children of Israel. Return to what? The Torah gives us the answer. This text is talking about five different kinds of return:

  1. The return of the heart to the history of Israel, v. 1.

  2. The return of the family to the Eternal, the God of Israel, and to all his commandments that are written in Moshe’s Torah, v. 2.

  3. The return to listening to the voice of the Eternal to keeping all the commandments in the Torah, v. 8.

  4. The return to the Eternal with the whole heart and the whole soul, v. 10-14.

  5. This is the redemption program for Israel that the Eternal has for our time.

If we analyze this prophecy, we will see that it is talking to the descendants of Israel who have experienced the curses that are written in chapter 28, that live outside of the land of Israel, have not had the history of Israel in their hearts, have not loved HaShem with their whole heart and soul, and therefore have not been obedient by keeping his commandments. In this time we will see how they gradually, one by one, are moved by the Messiah of Israel to come into this returning process in the final restoration of Israel before the Messiah Yeshua comes back. This movement is beginning to touch millions of lives all over the world right now, in accordance with the word that says, “among all the nations” (30:1).

The First Type of Return

The first thing that happens to these people who are visited by the Messiah Yeshua in our day, is that they begin to identify themselves as Israelites or Jews. They come into an identity crisis and they ask themselves, “Who am I?” They will no longer feel like gentiles. They no longer feel outside of Israel. They feel like the Jews are their siblings.

Those who have been taught and brought up in the Christian world will realize that they have been deceived by a system that has given them a false identity, separate from Israel. Suddenly they feel like strangers to the Christian and Greek way of speaking, and they identify with the Hebrew vocabulary. They feel the Jewish songs touching their souls deeply. They suddenly feel the urge to dance Hebrew dances. They weep when they hear HaTikvah – Israel’s national anthem. They identify with the history of the people of Israel and thus they fulfill the text in Deuteronomy 30:1, which says that “all this” that came over Israel will once again be in the hearts of those who make teshuvah (return) in the last days. They identify with the Jews who were brought to the Nazi death camps. If they had lived during that time, they would also have been suffering together with them. They like to watch Jewish movies in order to get to know their family. They want to read Jewish literature, dress like Jews, speak like Jews, eat like Jews, sing like Jews, celebrate Shabbat and all the feasts of Israel, and live a Jewish lifestyle in the home. This is a return to the Israeli identity. The Jewish soul is being awakened within them. There is nothing that can stop this inner feeling that they have. They will experience religious resistance, curses, and rejection from their own family members. Brothers, sisters, parents, and children reject them because they have “gone crazy”. They do not care if they are humiliated, misinterpreted, persecuted, mistreated, or slandered, just as long as they can “come home”. They know that what has happened inside of them is something heavenly. In the midst of their fear and insecurity, there is something within them that is giving them the courage to go on, and this inner strength is more powerful than all external resistance. They know that they are a part of the Eternal’s program for Israel’s restoration in the end times, and they do not want to miss it, no matter what. They are willing to give their lives out of love for the Rabbi Yeshua from Natzeret, whom they have discovered as the Messiah of Israel who one day gave his life for them in order to give them an inheritance among the Jews. They have a cry inside of them which says, “Your people are my people and your God is my God”.

This is the fulfillment of the first type of return that is expressed in this text, the return of the heart to identify with the history of the people of Israel.

The Second Type of Return

30:2 “and shall return to HaShem your God, and shall obey his voice according to all that I command you this day, you and your children, with all your heart, and with all your soul”(HNV revised) – The second type of return that is talked about is when the family returns to the Eternal, the God of Israel, and to all his commandments that are written in the Torah of Moshe Rabbenu. This is primarily talking about coming into a much deeper relationship with the Eternal and getting revelation from the Scriptures from a Hebrew viewpoint, not a pagan/Greek viewpoint. These people’s way of thinking is changed so that they understand the written Word like never before. It is as if a veil has fallen from their minds so that they now can see the greatness of the Eternal and respect his Torah in a deeper way. They become very aware that the Eternal cannot change his word, or change or do away with his covenants and his commandments. That which was true 3,500 years ago continues to be true still today. The commandments that are in Moshe’s Torah are no longer considered to be something of the past, but something very relevant and applicable to modern daily life. A deep longing rises up within them to study and learn how to fulfill the commandments that apply to their personal lives, their families, and their congregational fellowship. They have now understood that love for the Eternal is not only expressed in ecstatic emotions and love songs, but in a daily obedience to the eternal statutes that are written in HaShem’s Torah that was given through Moshe.

Secondly, this is speaking of a revelation concerning the importance of the family. Earlier they were more interested in their personal wellbeing and they sought the Eternal for their own sake. Now they have become aware that spiritual life has to do with family. They see how Avraham was chosen specifically to be a father, because he had the ability to convey to his children what the Eternal revealed to him. They understand that they must live a Torah-life in the family. The home becomes a meeting place with the God of Israel. The family Shabbat becomes a meeting with Eternity. The dinner table becomes an altar where they eat before the Eternal and where they speak of spiritual things. The sex life is no longer a means of satisfying animalistic urges, but it becomes a heavenly experience full of consecration and purity. Respect for the position of authority that the husband and father has is being restored. An unselfish love from the husband toward his wife becomes both a strong desire to satisfy her needs as well as to be a practical help that takes the load off of her in her demanding household work. The conversations with the children become a part of the eternal plan that exists for each of them. The children are looked upon as heavenly gifts that carry the calling of being a part of a consecrated people who are trained to fulfill the commandments of the Eternal, to fight idolatry, to win the victory in the great tribulation that will come, and in the end to see the return of the Messiah on the clouds of heaven.

The Third Type of Return

30:3 “that then HaShem your God will turn your captivity, and have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples, where HaShem your God has scattered you.”(HNV revised) – This is talking about the Eternal’s response to those who return according to the first two points. If the people who are spread out among all the nations return to their Israelite identity and come back to the Eternal their God and his Torah, which was given through Moshe, with their whole heart and their whole soul, then HaShem will cause them to return from the Diaspora to dwell in the land of Israel. This return is not the same as what we have seen throughout these past two centuries as Jews have returned from almost all the nations of the earth, although this is certainly a partial fulfillment of these promises. No, this text is speaking of something much larger. It is first speaking of a return to the Eternal and his Torah, including the commandment which speaks of believing in Yeshua, who was the promised prophet like Moshe, see Deuteronomy 18:15.

One who returns to HaShem will take him seriously. He has given, and continues to give, testimony of his Son Yeshua. One who listens to the Father will come to Yeshua. One who does not come to Yeshua does not take HaShem seriously and is not obeying him. One who rejects Yeshua as the Messiah is rejecting HaShem who has made him the Messiah and Adon – Master first and foremost for the Jewish people, but also for all the inhabitants of the earth.

The return to HaShem in the last days means, therefore, a return to the living Torah, Yeshua HaMashiach. When this happens, HaShem will do a great miracle. He will bring them to the Promised Land that was given to Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov’s descendants.

30:4 “If any of your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there will HaShem your God gather you, and from there will he bring you back”(HNV revised) – This text teaches us that this move of restoration of the Jewish inheritance among the descendants of Israel must begin in the lands that are the farthest away from the land of Israel. This is why this movement is strongest in the lands that are the farthest away from Israel; “from there” the Eternal begins his work of restoration in the end times. Since the sowing of the children of Israel was made from the land of Israel and out to the farthest corners of the earth, and the time has now come for bringing in the great harvest, which the prophets speak about, the return is beginning in the lands that are the farthest away from Israel and continues with the countries that are closer to Israel. Thus the whole world will be aware that he who scattered the children of Israel also gathers them together without leaving a single one behind.

“bring you” – This expression can be understood as referring to the second step of a Hebrew marriage ceremony, the wedding itself, which is called nisuin (upliftings) and lakach (take), when the bride is taken and brought under the chupah (the wedding canopy) in the home of the bridegroom’s father. Here we see how the wedding of the Lamb is announced in the Torah of Moshe. It will take place in Yerushalayim and will be celebrated for a thousand years.

30:5 “and HaShem your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and he will do you good, and multiply you above your fathers.”(HNV revised) – According to R. Munk,[7] this could mean that the land of Israel is expanded.

30:6 “HaShem your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your seed, to love HaShem your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, that you may live.”(HNV revised) – In Deuteronomy 10:16, the people are urged to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts. Here, however, the Eternal promises that he himself will circumcise the hearts of the parents and children who have made teshuvah. Since we have already talked about this, we will only note here that this is referring to the yetzer ha-rah – the evil urge – being totally destroyed. This will finally happen when the Messiah Yeshua visits the people of Israel for the second time.

“that you may live” – This is talking about eternal life, which is the result of the final circumcision of the heart.

The Fifth Aliyah, 30:7-10

30:7 “HaShem your God will put all these curses on your enemies, and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.”(HNV revised) – This is speaking about all history but finally also about the moment when the Messiah returns and when all the armies that fight against Yerushalayim will be crushed, see Zechariah 14.

The Fourth Type of Return

30:8-9 “You shall return and obey the voice of HaShem, and do all his commandments which I command you this day. HaShem your God will make you plenteous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your cattle, and in the fruit of your ground, for good: for HaShem will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers”(HNV revised) – I do not know if this is to be understood as a repetition confirming what was said earlier, or as a reference to another group of people within Israel. If we understand it to mean another group of people within Israel, i.e., not the group mentioned in verses 1-7, it is possible that it is talking about those who did not receive Yeshua as the Messiah earlier and were part of the bride or wedding guests and were transformed to become immortal, but about those of the children of Israel who receive Yeshua just as he comes back. They will receive the land of Israel as their physical inheritance while those who are a part of the bride of Messiah will rule with him from Yerushalayim in the Messianic kingdom for a thousand years.

The descendants who are only dust of the earth will have their joy in the Eternal’s Torah during the thousand year Messianic reign.

The Fifth Type of Return

30:8b, 10 “do all his commandments… if you shall obey the voice of HaShem your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this Torah scroll; if you turn to HaShem your God with all your heart, and with all your soul.”(HNV revised) – This is talking about the 613 commandments that will be kept during the Messianic reign, including the commandments concerning temple and animal sacrifice. This teaches us that the temple must be built again in connection with the return to Israel that take place in the end times and the return of the Messiah, see Ezekiel 40-48.

The Sixth Aliyah, 30:11-14

30:11-14 “For this commandment which I command you this day, it is not too hard for you, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and make us to hear it, that we may do it? But the word is very near to you, in your mouth, and in your heart, that you may do it.”(HNV revised) – According to Nachamanides, this text is talking about the commandment to make teshuvah (return, repent), which is mentioned earlier in this context. The majority of the rabbis, including Rashi, say however, that it is talking about the Torah in general. Rabbi Shaul gives the text a specific Messianic application, speaking from the drash-level, showing that the commandment that it is talking about is referring to the Messiah, the living Torah, as it is written in Romans 10:6-10,

“But the righteousness which is of faith says this, ‘Don't say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ – that is, to bring Messiah down – or, “’Who will descend into the abyss?’” – that is, to bring Messiah up from the dead. – But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth, and in your heart’ that is, the word of faith, which we preach: that if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshua, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, one believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.’”(HNV revised)

Note the connection between repentance and keeping the commandments, and being saved by acknowledging Yeshua, who was raised from the dead, as Lord. There is one commandment that brings salvation more than any other commandment, and it is the commandment that talks about listening to and obeying the prophet who is like Moshe, see Deuteronomy 18:15. One who fulfills this commandment will be eternally saved, as it is written in Acts 16:31,

They said, ‘Believe in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, and you will be saved, you and your household.’”(HNV)

One who fulfills this commandment will be saved for eternity.

Furthermore, we can understand these texts to mean that salvation through Yeshua is the door, which leads to a life in obedience to the rest of the commandments.

The Seventh Aliyah, 30:15-20

30:15 “Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil”(HNV) – The Eternal does not force anyone to go the right way. He informs us of both ways, the way of life and the way of death, and we are free to choose. We cannot force anyone to love HaShem and to believe in Yeshua. Each person must choose to do this. On the other hand, we must inform all men that each person’s choice brings eternal consequences. There are very serious consequences to not obeying HaShem who commands us to choose the way of life and who commands all men to repent from evil and leave their idols, as it is written in Acts 17:30,

“The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent”(HNV revised)

In Acts 13:38-41, it is written,

“Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the Torah of Moshe. Beware therefore, lest that come on you which is spoken in the prophets: ’Behold, you scoffers, and wonder, and perish; for I work a work in your days, a work which you will in no way believe, if one declares it to you.'"(HNV)

Freedom means responsibility. There is no freedom without responsibility.

30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed”(HNV) – Man has the ability to choose between the way of life and the way of death, but HaShem commands him to choose the way of life. One who does not do this is rebelling against the Eternal and will suffer the anguish of death for his rebellion.

Heaven and earth stand as witnesses against all the sins of the people of Israel. Therefore the present heaven and earth must pass away after the thousand year reign, so that there will be no witnesses to recall the sins of Israel, see Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; Matthew 5:18; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1.

30:20 “to love HaShem your God, to obey his voice, and to cleave to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days; that you may dwell in the land which HaShem swore to your fathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya`akov, to give them.”(HNV revised) – Love for the Eternal is the way of life. Love for the Eternal is expressed by obedience to his voice in a very intimate relationship with him.

“for he is your life” – He himself is the eternal life, as it is written in 1 John 5:20,

“We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Yeshua the Messiah. This is the true God, and eternal life.”(HNV revised)

The word “This” is referring to the Father, not to Yeshua. The Father is the true God and the eternal life, and he has placed this eternal life in his Son Yeshua, as it is written in 1 John 5:12,

“He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn't have God's Son doesn't have the life.”(HNV revised)

Dear Reader, have you chosen the way of life? HaShem commands you to turn from the evil way and to choose the good way that leads to life. If you choose the way of life now, and trust in the atonement through Yeshua, you will be saved.


[1]     Sanhedrin 110b.

[2]     Strong H2344 chôl, khole, From H2342; sand (as round or whirling particles): - sand.

[3]     Strong H2342 chûl  chîyl, khool, kheel, A primitive root; properly to twist or whirl (in a circular or spiral manner), that is, (specifically) to dance, to writhe in pain (especially of parturition) or fear; figuratively to wait, to pervert: - bear, (make to) bring forth, (make to) calve, dance, drive away, fall grievously (with pain), fear, form, great, grieve, (be) grievous, hope, look, make, be in pain, be much (sore) pained, rest, shake, shapen, (be) sorrow (-ful), stay, tarry, travail (with pain), tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded.

[4]     Ortiz V., Pedro, Léxico Hebreo-Español y Arameo-Español, (Santa Engracia, Madrid: Sociedad Bíblica) 2000. Translated from Spanish by the author of this article.

[5]     Strong H7725 shûb, shoob, A primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbially again: -  ([break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep]) X again, (cause to) answer (+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call [to mind], carry again (back), cease, X certainly, come again (back) X consider, + continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back, fetch home again, X fro, get [oneself] (back) again, X give (again), go again (back, home), [go] out, hinder, let, [see] more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), X repent, requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, + say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, X surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.

[6]     Ortiz V., Pedro, Léxico Hebreo-Español y Arameo-Español, (Santa Engracia, Madrid: Sociedad Bíblica) 2000. Translated from Spanish by the author of this article.

[7]     La Voz de la Torá, page 1793.