Torah 101-Shemot

I.

ANSWERS TO LAST WEEKS STUDY QUESTIONS (from

Vayechi)

1) Question for Genesis 47:28-48:22

In some cases Jacob is rebuking his sons for bad behavior but in one place he appears
to take the blame for something they did and he did not approve of. Where is that
place that Jacob takes blame that doesnt belong to him and why does he do it?
SHECHEM (48:22) = could refer to the city of that name, but the word also means
shoulder and idiomatically can be thought of as a portion of land, a sliver. Some
rabbis think this shechem refers to a small hill in the area however I believe it is
still Shechem the city and that what happened there is what is being referred to now.
Technically speaking Jacob didnt take this land Shechem with his sword and
bowhis sons took it FOR him on account of the raping of Dinah in Genesis 34. It is
clear from the records of that event that had Jacob been given an opportunity to deal
with the crime, the city would never have been taken. However, after so many years,
the territory has been his this whole while and he seems to be taking responsibility for
the bad acts of his sons and become resigned to that outcome.
2) Question for Genesis 49:
How are parts of Jacobs blessings on his sons confirmed separately by Moshe and by
Yshua?
BEACHARIT HA YAMIM (49:1) = Some translate as in the course of time or
eventually but literally this means in the End of Days. I believe End of Days is
the correct reading. Jacobs sonsthe nation of Israelwill be preserved in the End
of Days! This is also confirmed by Moshe in his address in Deuteronomy 33 and
later by Yshua when he says, This SHARBATA shall not pass away, the word
SHARBATA can mean generation but also tribe, its intended meaning. Yshua
is saying this TRIBE of JUDAH will not pass away from his time until the end of
days.
3) Question for Genesis 50:
In this parsha Joseph says repeats something nearly verbatim that was said previously
but in a completely different context but with the same underlying truth. What did
Joseph say and who said it before he did?
AL TARAU KI HATACHAT ELOHIM ANI (50:19) = Shall I take the place of
Elohim? This exact phrase was said by Jacob to Rachel when she couldnt bear
children. The point is the same in both cases: What judgments YHWH has rendered
man cannot undo. Joseph here then means that if YHWH chose to save his brothers

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in spite of their evil acts, he was not going to use his position to overturn YHWHs
mercy. If YHWH wanted them dead, they would be dead.
4) Haftorah Question of the Week: 1 Kings 2:1-11
What is Davids last rebellion just before he dies?
VEHAYITA LEISH (2:2) = be strong and show yourself to be a man. This is
perhaps Davids last tiny bit of rebellion against YHWH, although it is probably
unconsciously done. Just as Moshe should not have allowed Israel to send spies into
a land YHWH called good, so too should David not question YHWHs choice for
Solomon to succeed him. Solomon was clearly not the kind of son David initially
wanted on the throne. Solomon was of a far gentler temperament and far from the
macho man type of sons David favored before him, such as Absalom and Ammon
before they went astray. David is also smarting from the fact that his warrior ways
have made his hands too bloody to actually build the Temple, an honor that falls now
to Solomon as well. By saying then be strong and show yourself to be a man, this
may indicate David still has some doubts about Solomon. He may believe that
YHWH knows Solomon WILL rise to the occasion but is less convinced that
Solomon is there at the moment David is getting ready to die.

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II.

QUESTIONS FOR THIS TORAH PORTION (Shemot)

Please NOTE:

For clarity and time constraints, if I elect to not read the whole parsha (which
is the case this week) I may still ask questions relating to the portions I did not
read!
5) Question for Exodus 1 and 2:
What are the origins or genealogy of Jethro, Moshes father in law and what do all his
various names (Hobab, Jether, Reuel) relate to one another?
6) Question for Exodus 3 and 4:
Where does our Messiah Yshua very likely make a pre-incarnate visit to Moshe?
7) Question for Exodus 5:1-6:1:
How does the Egyptian festival calendar help us in explaining why Pharaoh will not
let Israel go even for 3 days to worship Abba YHWH in the wilderness?
8) Haftorah Question of the Week: Isaiah 27:6-28:13
How does a line in this Haftorah portion relate to controversies in one of the largest
Protestant denominations in the world?
9) Renewed Covenant Commentary: Yochanan 17:1-26
John 17:11
201) Kadosh/Set Apart means that YHWH and His Word will never change; we can
put our trust in Him knowing He will keep His Word. See Unity of the Name of
YHWH in Appendix.
202) A very key passage. Aramaic literally reads that YHWH gave His Name to
Y'shua; therefore, he has the Name of his Father within him.
John 17:12
203) Y'shua keeps them in YHWH's name so when we call upon YHWH in Y'shua's
name, we are calling on YHWH for Salvation. As the Name of YHWH is in
Mashiyach, so are we to have the name of Mashiyach in us, which means that as
followers of Y'shua we are to walk according to his righteousness, observe Torah and
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walk in the anointing of the Ruach haKodesh as Mashiyach demonstrated to us.

John 17:19
204) Literally, "Their faces." (PY)
John 17:24:
Noting the word FOUNDATIONS is in the plural, meaning there is more than one
foundation for the world or universe. I believe this proves some of the discussion in
Genesis Decoded that there is more than creation of the heavens and the earth. i.e.
that we started with a foundation, laid the earth waste with a flood and re-created it.

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