Nasso - Day #5

Nasso נָשֹׂא - Elevate!  

Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Numbers 7:1–41

7:1 On the day that Moses had finished setting up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it with all its furniture, and the altar with all its vessels, and had anointed and sanctified them; 2 the princes of Israel, the heads of their fathers’ houses, offered. These were the princes of the tribes. These are they who were over those who were counted; 3 and they brought their offering before Hashem, six covered wagons and twelve oxen; a wagon for every two of the princes, and for each one an ox. They presented them before the tabernacle. 4 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 5 “Accept these from them, that they may be used in doing the service of the Tent of Meeting; and you shall give them to the Levites, to every man according to his service.”

6 Moses took the wagons and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. 7 He gave two wagons and four oxen to the sons of Gershon, according to their service. 8 He gave four wagons and eight oxen to the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the direction of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest. 9 But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonged to them; they carried it on their shoulders.

10 The princes gave offerings for the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed. The princes gave their offerings before the altar.

11 Hashem said to Moses, “They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedication of the altar.”

12 He who offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah, 13 and his offering was:

One silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

14 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

15 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb, a year old, for a burnt offering; 16 one male goat for a sin offering;

17 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs, a year old. This was the offering of Nahshon, the son of Amminadab.

18 On the second day, Nethanel, the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, gave his offering. 19 He offered for his offering:

One silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

20 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

21 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb, a year old, for a burnt offering; 22 one male goat for a sin offering;

23 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, five male lambs, a year old. This was the offering of Nethanel, the son of Zuar.

24 On the third day, Eliab, the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, 25 gave his offering:

One silver platter, the weight of which was a hundred and thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

26 One golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

27 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb, a year old, for a burnt offering; 28 one male goat for a sin offering;

29 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs, a year old. This was the offering of Eliab, the son of Helon.

30 On the fourth day, Elizur, the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, 31 gave his offering:

One silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

32 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

33 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb, a year old, for a burnt offering; 34 one male goat for a sin offering;

35 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs, a year old. This was the offering of Elizur, the son of Shedeur.

36 On the fifth day, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, 37 gave his offering:

One silver platter, the weight of which was one hundred thirty shekels,

one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a meal offering;

38 one golden ladle of ten shekels, full of incense;

39 one young bull, one ram, one male lamb, a year old, for a burnt offering; 40 one male goat for a sin offering;

41 and for the sacrifice of peace offerings, two head of cattle, five rams, five male goats, and five male lambs a year old: this was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

Today’s Meditation:

The Tabernacle is finished and anointed. The princes from each tribe come to bring their offerings, most of which go to the priests. It’s really about sharing what you have for the glory of Hashem. They took what they had and found a gift for Hashem, His tabernacle, and His priests. It may seem to us like it was an obligation, but really, they must have seen it as an honor. Remember, they were coming out of Egypt, idolatry, and slavery. They were meeting the one true Elohim for the first time. Some did not even know who He was. Now they were witnessing His power, glory, and majesty. They were probably eager to give gifts to support this.

Today’s Challenge:

How eager are you about giving gifts to Hashem and His people? Do you support Israel, the people, and the land? Maybe take some time to pray about how you can support Hashem’s people and the land. In doing so, you are honoring Hashem. Just make sure you do it with eagerness and joy. Check your motive. Maybe think about how the princes gave their gifts from their tribes. And how they were meeting Hashem, some for the very first time. They were learning how to worship, pray, and give. It must have changed their lives. Maybe if we do some joyful giving, it will change ours.

Nasso - Day #4

Nasso נָשֹׂא - Elevate!  

Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Numbers 5:11–6:27

5:11 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 12 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘If any man’s wife goes astray and is unfaithful to him, 13 and a man lies with her carnally, and it is hidden from the eyes of her husband and this is kept concealed, and she is defiled, there is no witness against her, and she isn’t taken in the act; 14 and the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she is defiled; or if the spirit of jealousy comes on him, and he is jealous of his wife and she isn’t defiled; 15 then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and shall bring her offering for her: one tenth of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil on it, nor put frankincense on it, for it is a meal offering of jealousy, a meal offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to memory. 16 The priest shall bring her near, and set her before Hashem. 17 The priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and the priest shall take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water. 18 The priest shall set the woman before Hashem, and let the hair of the woman’s head go loose, and put the meal offering of memorial in her hands, which is the meal offering of jealousy. The priest shall have in his hand the water of bitterness that brings a curse. 

19 The priest shall cause her to take an oath and shall tell the woman, “If no man has lain with you, and if you haven’t gone aside to uncleanness, being under your husband’s authority, be free from this water of bitterness that brings a curse. 20 But if you have gone astray, being under your husband’s authority, and if you are defiled, and some man has lain with you besides your husband—” 21 then the priest shall cause the woman to swear with the oath of cursing, and the priest shall tell the woman, “May Hashem make you a curse and an oath among your people, when Hashem allows your thigh to fall away, and your body to swell; 22 and this water that brings a curse will go into your bowels, and make your body swell, and your thigh fall away.” The woman shall say, “Amen, Amen.”

23 “‘The priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall wipe them into the water of bitterness. 24 He shall make the woman drink the water of bitterness that causes the curse; and the water that causes the curse shall enter into her and become bitter. 25 The priest shall take the meal offering of jealousy out of the woman’s hand, and shall wave the meal offering before Hashem, and bring it to the altar. 26 The priest shall take a handful of the meal offering, as its memorial portion, and burn it on the altar, and afterward shall make the woman drink the water. 27 When he has made her drink the water, then it shall happen, if she is defiled and has committed a trespass against her husband, that the water that causes the curse will enter into her and become bitter, and her body will swell, and her thigh will fall away; and the woman will be a curse among her people. 28 If the woman isn’t defiled, but is clean, then she shall be free, and shall conceive offspring.

29 “‘This is the law of jealousy, when a wife, being under her husband, goes astray, and is defiled, 30 or when the spirit of jealousy comes on a man, and he is jealous of his wife; then he shall set the woman before Hashem, and the priest shall execute on her all this law. 31 The man shall be free from iniquity, and that woman shall bear her iniquity.’”

6:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them: ‘When either man or woman shall make a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to Hashem, 3 he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink. He shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of fermented drink, neither shall he drink any juice of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried. 4 All the days of his separation, he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from the seeds even to the skins.

5 “‘All the days of his vow of separation no razor shall come on his head, until the days are fulfilled in which he separates himself to Hashem. He shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow long. 

6 “‘All the days that he separates himself to Hashem, he shall not go near a dead body. 7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to Adonai is on his head. 8 All the days of his separation, he is holy to Hashem.

9 “‘If any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he defiles the head of his separation, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing. On the seventh day, he shall shave it. 10 On the eighth day, he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting. 11 The priest shall offer one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering, and make atonement for him, because he sinned by reason of the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day. 12 He shall separate to Hashem the days of his separation, and shall bring a male lamb a year old for a trespass offering; but the former days shall be void, because his separation was defiled.

13 “‘This is the law of the Nazirite: when the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought to the door of the Tent of Meeting, 14 and he shall offer his offering to Hashem: one male lamb a year old without defect for a burnt offering, one ewe lamb a year old without defect for a sin offering, one ram without defect for peace offerings, 15 a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil with their meal offering and their drink offerings. 16 The priest shall present them before Hashem, and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering. 17 He shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Hashem, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also its meal offering and its drink offering. 18 The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings. 19 The priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazirite after he has shaved the head of his separation; 20 and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Hashem. They are holy for the priest, together with the breast that is waved and the thigh that is offered. After that, the Nazirite may drink wine.

21 “‘This is the law of the Nazirite who vows and of his offering to Hashem for his separation, in addition to that which he is able to afford. According to his vow, which he vows, so he must do after the law of his separation.’”

22 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 23 “Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, ‘This is how you shall bless the children of Israel.’ You shall tell them,

24 ‘Hashem bless you, and keep you.

25  Hashem make His face to shine on you,

    and be gracious to you.

26 Hashem lift up His face toward you,

    and give you peace.’

27 “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel; and I will bless them.”

Today’s Meditation:

Hashem wants unity, trust, and honesty in a marriage. And if this is challenged, He provides a way to solve any issues regarding faithfulness. It sounds rather harsh, but the offense in itself is harsh. Doubt in a marriage can be very troublesome. It is better to get things out in the open and resolved. If you are married, make sure you have communicated everything you worry about to your spouse. Talk about things and bring them to the fore. Have an honest and truthful relationship with your partner. This honors Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

In chapter 6, we learn about the Nazarite vow, which applies to both men and women. Apparently, it is a time to separate yourself from the things of the world and get closer to Hashem, even to become “holy”. Again, Hashem goes into great detail about this. Holiness is essential to Hashem. So, my challenge for you today is to look at your life and think about how you could set yourself apart from the world and separate yourself from it for Hashem. You could even pray about taking a Nazarite vow and follow these instructions. You may want to conduct a study on it to ensure you are following it appropriately. Think of the blessings that would follow as you grow closer to Hashem.

Nasso - Day #3

Nasso נָשֹׂא - Elevate!  

Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Numbers 5:1–10

5:1 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper, everyone who has a discharge, and whoever is unclean by a corpse. 3 You shall put both male and female outside of the camp so that they don’t defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.”

4 The children of Israel did so, and put them outside of the camp; as Hashem spoke to Moses, so the children of Israel did.

5 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 6 “Speak to the children of Israel: ‘When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit, so as to trespass against Hashem, and that soul is guilty, 7 then he shall confess his sin which he has done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, add to it the fifth part of it, and give it to him in respect of whom he has been guilty. 8 But if the man has no kinsman to whom restitution may be made for the guilt, the restitution for guilt which is made to Hashem shall be the priest’s, in addition to the ram of the atonement, by which atonement shall be made for him. 9 Every heave offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they present to the priest, shall be his. 10 Every man’s holy things shall be his; whatever any man gives the priest, it shall be his.’”

Today’s Meditation:

Hashem does not want His Tabernacle or the camp in which He dwells to become defiled with people who have leprosy. So, if someone does have it, they have to go outside the camp (verse 3). We really have no concept of Hashem's holiness. He is so holy that you cannot get anyone or anything near Him that is contaminated. That makes me think about our own lives. When we disobey Hashem and His commandments, we are, in a sense, defiled. In this state, we cannot be in the presence of Hashem. For us, that would be during prayer, praise, or our daily walk with Him. If you want this special time to be filled with Hashem’s power and glory, you must stay clean, and that means to be holy. Repent today so that you can be clean before Hashem.

Today’s Challenge:

Again, the Torah teaches us to make restitution when we sin (verse 7). It provides details on whom to give the restitution to and how to add a fifth and a sacrifice. Torah is teaching me a lot about this. The other day, I did something foolish and immediately felt remorse. I repented, but I felt horrible. It was then that I remembered Torah and the commandment to make restitution. So, to make a long story short, I did something for someone that I really did not want to do, but it could be a part of making restitution. It would have been impossible to do something for the person I offended, so instead, I feel Hashem directed me to someone who really needed some help. And if I were to help out that person, it would be the same as making restitution to the person I harmed. So, a little reluctantly, I did just that. I helped the person who needed it. And I had to make an attitude adjustment. I had to remember that I was doing this “unto the L-rd.” That really helped. I did my task unto Hashem. And honestly, it made me feel so wonderful. Sin is wrong, but doing something sacrificial will help you find freedom sooner.

Nasso - Day #2

Nasso נָשֹׂא - Elevate!  

Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Numbers 4:38–49

4:38 Those who were counted of the sons of Gershon, by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 39 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, 40 even those who were counted of them, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, were two thousand six hundred thirty. 41 These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Gershon, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Hashem.

42 Those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, by their families, by their fathers’ houses, 43 from thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old—everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting, 44 even those who were counted of them by their families, were three thousand two hundred. 45 These are those who were counted of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Hashem by Moses.

46 All those who were counted of the Levites whom Moses and Aaron and the princes of Israel counted, by their families and by their fathers’ houses, 47 from thirty years old and upward even to fifty years old, everyone who entered in to do the work of service and the work of bearing burdens in the Tent of Meeting, 48 even those who were counted of them, were eight thousand five hundred eighty. 49 According to the commandment of Hashem, they were counted by Moses, everyone according to his service and according to his burden. Thus, they were counted by him, as Hashem commanded Moses.

Today’s Meditation:

Thousands of people between the ages of 30 and 50 are available to help take care of the Tabernacle and its surroundings. It just dawned on me that there were so many, many men available. Obviously, they must have been on some sort of rotation. And even then, the work must have been done quickly, given the many available hands. Can you imagine why Hashem would appoint so many thousands of men for this task? To ensure there were plenty of people available during times of war, sickness, change, and other circumstances. It makes me think that being prepared (the Boy Scout motto) was Hashem’s motto first. So, shouldn’t we always be prepared?

Today’s Challenge:

Hashem commanded Moses, and he counted. I’m sure he did not ask Hashem why He was doing things the way He was. Again, it is about authority. And this is the highest authority in the universe. Hashem asks Moses to do something, and he does it. And we will learn later, when Moses begins to question, that the penalty is severe (hitting the rock instead of speaking to it). 

Do we question our authority? Do we do what they ask without offering our own suggestions? Sharing ideas is important, but there is a time and place for it. My challenge to you today is to review how you are responding to those in authority in your life. Are you quickly obeying? You may need a minor adjustment in this area. Today is the day to make that adjustment, especially if it concerns your attitude.

Nasso - Day #1

Nasso נָשֹׂא - Elevate! 

Torah Portion: Numbers 4:21-7:89

Numbers 4:21–37

4:21 Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, 22 “Take a census of the sons of Gershon also, by their fathers’ houses, by their families; 23 you shall count them from thirty years old and upward until fifty years old: all who enter in to wait on the service, to do the work in the Tent of Meeting.

24 “This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, in serving and in bearing burdens: 25 they shall carry the curtains of the tabernacle and the Tent of Meeting, its covering, the covering of sealskin that is on it, the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting, 26 the hangings of the court, the screen for the door of the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle and around the altar, their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and whatever shall be done with them. They shall serve in there. 27 At the commandment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burden and in all their service; and you shall appoint their duty to them in all their responsibilities. 28 This is the service of the families of the sons of the Gershonites in the Tent of Meeting. Their duty shall be under the hand of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.

29 “As for the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, by their fathers’ houses; 30 you shall count them from thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old—everyone who enters on the service, to do the work of the Tent of Meeting. 31 This is the duty of their burden, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the tabernacle’s boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, 32 the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service. You shall appoint the instruments of the duty of their burden to them by name. 33 This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service in the Tent of Meeting, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

34 Moses and Aaron and the princes of the congregation counted the sons of the Kohathites by their families, and by their fathers’ houses, 35 from thirty years old and upward, even to fifty years old, everyone who entered into the service for work in the Tent of Meeting. 36 Those who were counted of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred fifty. 37 These are those who were counted of the families of the Kohathites, all who served in the Tent of Meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted according to the commandment of Hashem by Moses.

Today’s Meditation:

The special sons of Aaron and the Levites had the privilege of caring for the Tabernacle. They were to take care of the place where Hashem would place His glory. What an honor. For some reason, Hashem picks this particular group and tribe. It makes me think. What has He asked us to take care of?

Today’s Challenge:

Continuing with the thought above, I am pondering what Hashem has asked me to take care of. He has given me so much. Family, a home, careers, and friends. How do I take care of them? By being kind, giving, peaceful, and righteous. By being an example and a light to those around me. And the physical things He has given me, like my house and car, must be maintained (and with joy). If something breaks on my car, I need to be expedient and take care of it. If something in my house needs repair, I need to fix it right away. If you don’t, I guarantee it will start piling up. That is why we work six days a week and rest on the seventh. So that we can be good stewards of what Hashem has given us. Believe me, it is a witness to others around us. My challenge to you today is to look at the repairs on your home and car. Start fixing them today.

Shavuot Week - Day #7 (Officially Day #2)

Shavout Week - Day #7   (Officially Day #2)

Main Reading: Deuteronomy 15:19–16:17

Maftir: Numbers 28:26–31

Haftarah: Habakkuk 2:20–3:19

Deuteronomy 15:19–16:17

15:19 You shall dedicate all the firstborn males that are born of your herd and of your flock to Hashem your Elohim. You shall do no work with the firstborn of your herd, nor shear the firstborn of your flock. 20 You shall eat it before Hashem your Elohim year by year in the place which Hashem shall choose, you and your household. 21 If it has any defect—is lame or blind, or has any defect whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Hashem your Elohim. 22 You shall eat it within your gates. The unclean and the clean shall eat it alike, as the gazelle and as the deer. 23 Only you shall not eat its blood. You shall pour it out on the ground like water.

16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover to Hashem your Elohim; for in the month of Abib Hashem your Elohim brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to Hashem your Elohim, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Hashem shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. 3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it. You shall eat unleavened bread with it seven days, even the bread of affliction (for you came out of the of Egypt in haste) that you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. 4 No yeast shall be seen with you in all your borders seven days; neither shall any of the meat, which you sacrifice the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning. 5 You may not sacrifice the Passover within any of your gates which Hashem your Elohim gives you; 6 but at the place which Hashem your Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell in, there you shall sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that you came out of Egypt. 

7 You shall roast and eat it in the place which Hashem, your Elohim, chooses. In the morning, you shall return to your tents. 8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to Hashem your Elohim. You shall do no work.

9 You shall count for yourselves seven weeks. From the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain, you shall begin to count seven weeks. 10 You shall keep the feast of weeks to Hashem your Elohim with a tribute of a free will offering of your hand, which you shall give according to how Hashem your Elohim blesses you. 11 You shall rejoice before Hashem your Elohim: you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite who is within your gates, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are among you, in the place which Hashem your Elohim shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt. You shall observe and do these statutes.

13 You shall keep the feast of booths seven days, after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and from your wine press. 14 You shall rejoice in your feast, you, your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow who are within your gates. 15 You shall keep a feast to Hashem your Elohim seven days in the place which Hashem chooses, because Hashem your Elohim will bless you in all your increase and in all the work of your hands, and you shall be altogether joyful. 16 Three times in a year, all of your males shall appear before Hashem your Elohim in the place which He chooses: in the feast of unleavened bread, in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of booths. They shall not appear before Hashem empty. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to Hashem your Elohim’s blessing which He has given you.

Maftir: Numbers 28:26–31 

28:26 “Also in the day of the first fruits, when you offer a new meal offering to Hashem in your feast of weeks, you shall have a holy convocation. You shall do no regular work; 27 but you shall offer a burnt offering for a pleasant aroma to Hashem: two young bulls, one ram, seven male lambs a year old; 28 and their meal offering, fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for each bull, two tenths for the one ram, 29 one tenth for every lamb of the seven lambs; 30 and one male goat, to make atonement for you. 31 Besides the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, you shall offer them and their drink offerings. See that they are without defect.

Haftarah: Habakkuk 2:20–3:19 

2:20 But Hashem is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him!”

3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk, the prophet, set to victorious music.

2 Hashem, I have heard of Your fame.
    I stand in awe of your deeds, Hashem.
Renew your work in the middle of the years.
    In the middle of the years, make it known.
    In wrath, you remember mercy.

3 Hashem came from Teman,
    the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah.

His glory covered the heavens,
    and His praise filled the earth.

4 His splendor is like the sunrise.
    Rays shine from His hand, where His power is hidden.

5 Plague went before Him,
    and pestilence followed His feet.

6 He stood and shook the earth.

   

  He looked, and made the nations tremble.
    The ancient mountains were crumbled.
    The age-old hills collapsed.
    His ways are eternal.

7 I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction.
    The dwellings of the land of Midian trembled.

8 Was Hashem displeased with the rivers?
    Was Your anger against the rivers,
    or Your wrath against the sea,
    that You rode on Your horses,
    on Your chariots of salvation?

9 You uncovered Your bow.
    You called for Your sworn arrows. Selah.
You split the earth with rivers.

10 The mountains saw You, and were afraid.
    The storm of waters passed by.
    The deep roared and lifted up its hands on high.

11 The sun and moon stood still in the sky
    at the light of your arrows as they went,
    at the shining of Your glittering spear.

12 You marched through the land in wrath.
    You threshed the nations in anger.

13 You went out for the salvation of Your people,
    for the salvation of Your anointed.
You crushed the head of the land of wickedness.
    You stripped them head to foot. Selah.

14 You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears.
    They came as a whirlwind to scatter me,
    gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.

15 You trampled the sea with Your horses,
    churning mighty waters.

16 I heard, and my body trembled.
    My lips quivered at the voice.
Rottenness enters into my bones, and I tremble in my place
    because I must wait quietly for the day of trouble,
    for the coming up of the people who invade us.

17 For even though the fig tree doesn’t flourish,
    nor fruit be in the vines,
    the labor of the olive fails,
    the fields yield no food,
    the flocks are cut off from the fold,
    and there is no herd in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in Hashem.
    I will be joyful in the Elohim of my salvation!

19 Hashem, the Elohim,  is my strength.
    He makes my feet like deer’s feet,
    and enables me to go in high places.

For the music director, on my stringed instruments

Today’s Meditation:

Habakkuk says it completely in verse 2 above, “Hashem, I have heard of Your fame. I stand in awe of your deeds, Hashem.” During this Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), not only do we remember His command to honor it, but most importantly, we honor Hashem for all He has done.

We stand in awe of Hashem's deeds. He has given us all that we have. He has created us to be all that we are. It is because of His love that we exist today. This Shavuot, remember to praise Hashem our Elohim with all your heart, soul, and strength. He has given us Torah. Through it we find eternal life.