Purim – Recognizing Miracles

We are now in the moon of Adar (the 12th moon) where our joy is increased. But we are living in the galut (dispersion, exile) among the very anti-Semitic goy who try and make life for us Jews very difficult. Here in South Africa, our government is instituting a boycott of any Israeli products, persecuting us Jews and having many marches against us because they claim that we live according to an apartheid regime and that we are villains and evil. But is that really true?

But do we live by apartheid? And if so what kind of apartheid are we talking about?  If we are evil then how is this evil defined?  And then, would such opinions not depend on others point of view?  Looking at a torah life as the only way of life and survival may indeed seem stupid or evil from the outside. The Torah makes it very clear that Yisra’el is a kadosh nation. The question is, what does it mean to be kadosh?

Kadosh simply means, “separate” or, “set apart.” The Christian bible translates this Hebrew word, “kadosh” as “holy.” HASHEM made it very clear that we are not allowed to be like the other nations. Are we not to follow the commands and precepts found in the Torah, no matter where we are? To do this, we must separate ourselves in a torah life and culture, not so? Anti-Apartheid (Anti-Kadosh) literally means, “forced conversion,” which is a very wicked act. It is exactly what happened during the Spanish Inquisition where many Jews we killed. Anti-Kadosh, in this sense, is Anti-Semitic.

Now I need to make it very clear that the kadosh'ness' of the Jews is in no way the same as that of the other apartheid regimes, like what happened in South Africa. Us Jews do not hate or mistreat people from other nations or cultures. In fact, Although we are one of the smallest nations in the world, we are the second largest financial, humanitarian aid contributor among all nations. We have a deep love for people and live to be a light to the world bringing morality and righteousness, no matter where we may be.

Unfortunately, because we have not stayed kadosh, and most times, not been able to do so, there is a great amount of Jews that have assimilated into other cultures and religions. This has always been viewed as a great crisis among religious Jews. We have seen throughout history that Jews have been forced to assimilate and convert to other cultures and religions or face the penalty of being kicked out of the community, country or even killed. This is still happening at this moment all around the world to some degree or another, whether it be terrorist attacks, pressure from the governments, boycotts or simple hate speech against us.

So how are we to increase our joy? We could even be justified in being angry at the injustice and clear violation of our human and religious rights that our own governments show us. But no, we are not angry at all. In fact, we rejoice and really do increase our joy. But how is this even possible? There is one simple word that explains how it is possible, “Emuna.”

Through all this tribulation that we are going through, it is fitting that Purim is being celebrated now. Purim is the remembrance and celebration of the great miracles and protection that the Almighty grants us, His nation, Yisra’el. We read the story Esther on this day, which has so many lessons for us.

The story of Esther is about how we were exiled and were living under the Persian King. One of the King’s generals, Hamman, was an evil man and convinced the King to make a decree that all the Jews must be killed because they live by a different set of laws and separate themselves from the people among whom they live (the Persians). So the Jews were to be destroyed because they were living in apartheid.

But HASHEM had His hand over the situation at every single moment. HASHEM caused this to happen, even though it seemed bad. And As Jews we so many times feel that HASHEM has departed from us, and in worldly terms we may even have every right to moan about being persecuted. But this is not what we do. Such events caused us to fast and repent and turn to HASHEM for their salvation. Everything happened as it should have and at the right moments too. In the end, the evil Hamman and his sons were hanged on the very gallows that Hamman built for the hanging of the righteous Jew called Mordechai. At the end we Jews were not only saved then, we also gained all the respect of the King, something we did not have before.

Emuna teaches that there is only One being that is in control of everything and that everything that happens is from Him. And that everything that He does is for the good, even if it may seem bad.

The Name of the Almighty does not appear even once in the entire book of Esther. In fact it is the only book in the entire Tanakh that does not contain the Name at all. This teaches us, among other things too, that even though it seems that HASHEM has hidden Himself from us, that He is still actually in control and watching over us.

The ultimate goal in life is “tikkun” (soul correction) and everything that happens to us happens for the sake of tikkun, because HASHEM loves us.

That is why us Jews can be happy and Joyful at all times, no matter what our circumstances are at any time. We know that everything is for the good.

May we all continue to do teshuva (repentance) and grow closer to HASHEM, by the study and obedience to His Torah so that we may continue to joyfully say: BARUCH HASHEM no matter what our circumstance. To be kadosh (set-apart) is to be satisfied with being different, as we prefer to be what HASHEM wants us to be, no matter where we are or what the circumstances.

Purim Same'ach

In what do you delight yourself?

There is an Afrikaans saying, “Wat die hart van vol is, sal die mond van praat.” Which in English means, “whatever your heart is filled with, will come out of your mouth.” In other words, if you delight yourself in sports, for instance, you will speak about sport with your friends. If you delight yourself in art, then that is what you are going to speak about, etc. Another thing is that you are going to surround yourself with people who also have the same delights and interests. As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together.”

Now the reason you are reading this article on this website, is because you are interested in, or seeking the truth about Scripture. Now this article is sort of a continuation of the previous article I posted on this website, namely, “Seek and you shall find.”

What is it that you delight yourself in? There are only two real options that you can choose from, either you delight yourself in the Almighty, or you delight yourself in the things of this world. These two things are always in opposition with each other. “Do not love the world nor that which is in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16)

It should now start becoming apparent to you that one cannot delight in both things, or in one thing in the morning and the other during the day etc. You have to choose which one you are going to delight in and live your entire life according to that choice.

Now the Scriptures also classify the people who delight in the Almighty and also those who delight in the world. “Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה (YHWH), And he meditates in His Torah day and night” (Psalm 1:1-2)

This passage found in Psalm 1 gives a lot of information. Firstly, it makes a differentiation between the wrong, who are the sinners and scoffers (of the world), and those who delight in the Torah (instruction) of the Almighty

Secondly, the people who are righteous are those who meditate in the Torah (first 5 books of the Scriptures, Genesis – Deuteronomy) day and night. That means that every thing they do, and every choice they make is in accordance to what is written in the Torah of the Almighty.

Thirdly, it makes it very clear that the Torah is a delight to the righteous. Only the sinful world finds the Torah of YHWH the Almighty to be tedious or even a curse. This is because the Torah is of the Spirit and the flesh rebels against it. “It is the Spirit that gives life, the flesh does not profit at all. The words that I speak to you are Spirit and are life” (John 6:63 ) and also, “For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom 8:6).  Just by knowing this simple point can help you to realize in what it is that you desire.

Now there are many people who claim that they are lead by the Spirit and are shown things by the Spirit and yet do not have any desire to do what is written in the Torah, which is the Word of the Almighty. This is proof that they are being lead by a false spirit as the true Ruach (Spirit) of the Almighty, will never speak against the Torah and will always point us back to the written Torah. If they say the Spirit taught them anything that is contrary to the Torah, then they are a liar or are filled with a different spirit (demon). “The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:4)

It is made very clear in the Scriptures as to what the pleasure of the Almighty is. He takes pleasure in us loving Him and following all that is written in His Torah. “I have delighted to do Your pleasure, O my Elohim, And Your Torah is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). We can learn a lot from the man who is spoken of as being ‘the man after the Almighty’s own heart’. If such a man, who understood the desire of the Almighty, took so much delight and pleasure in learning and doing all that is written in the Torah of the Almighty, then how can anyone call it a curse? “Make me walk in the path of Your commands, For I have delighted in it” (Psalm 119:35), “That I might delight myself in Your commands, Which I have loved” (Psalm 119:47), “Their heart has become like fat, Without feeling; I have delighted in Your Torah” (Psalm 119:70), “Let Your compassions come to me, That I might live, For Your Torah is my delight” (Psalm 119:77).

I could go on and post MANY more verses that proclaim the love of the Torah of the Almighty by the beloved servant of the Almighty, King David. But is he the only one who ever delighted in the Torah? “For I delight in the Torah of Elohim according to the inward man” (Rom 7:22). Here we can see that Sha’ul (Paul) too had the same desire for the Torah of the Almighty as David did.

We can also learn a lot from science and from scientists too. Let us have a look at a statement (or rather a scientific law) that was named after the scientist called Isaac Newton. The third law of Newton is, “for every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction”. This law is true in the spiritual realm as well. Just as much as the Almighty loves those doing righteousness, He too hates those who work wickedness, “For You are not an Ěl taking delight in wrong, Nor does evil dwell with You. The boasters do not stand before Your eyes; You hate all workers of wickedness” (Psalm 5:4-5).

The Almighty even sent a working of delusion for those who do not have a love for the truth, but rather delighted in unrighteousness (worldly desires), “and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved. And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood, in order that all should be judged who did not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness” (2 Thess 2:10 - 12).

What is an example of this delusion spoken of above? Christianity is a good example of a delusion that causes people to believe in falsehood.  Now before anyone gets upset by this statement, you have to consider a few points first, namely, why are there so many different translations of the Bible in Christianity, which all differ from each other? Which version is the correct one? Why has the Bible been mistranslated, and then, taught to be correct? Why is it that the Church throws away all the Words of the Almighty and calls them old and irrelevant (contrary to what the Messiah said)? Why does the Church teach doctrines from pagan followers rather than what is written in the Scriptures? Why is it that Christianity teaches that things that were once abominable and hated by the Almighty, are now okay to do?

I could go on and on asking many questions, but the fact is that Christianity creates an environment where the people, who want to carry on with their worldly desires, can come together and get a “guiltless pass” where it is okay to carry on living in sin.

Only those who delight in the Torah are those who are the delight of the Almighty, “Praise Yah! Blessed is the man, who fears יהוה (YHWH), Who has greatly delighted in His commands” (Psalm 112:1).

And what is the fear of the Almighty? “The fear of יהוה (YHWH) is to hate evil. I have hated pride and arrogance, And the evil way, And the perverse mouth” (Proverbs 8:13). Do you hate evil, or do you tolerate it and even delight in it? Do you love the Way of the Almighty (Torah), or do you love the way of the world?

The Scriptures make it very clear that the ways of the world are unrighteous and evil, but the Way of the Almighty, which is written in the Torah, is righteous and perfect.

In which one do you delight yourself?

Did the Almighty change His Law?

What is the function of a law? It is to govern a group of people so that they may adhere to the rules of a ruler and to make sure that everyone lives and treats their fellow being in the way that is desired by that ruler. Whoever breaks the specific law gets punished, put in prison or even gets a death penalty. Now the Almighty gave a specific law for those who follow Him. YHWH is the melech haolam (king of the universe). Everything in nature abides by His Law, as well as those following Him. Anyone who breaks His Law, WILL be punished or even put to death. It may not happen right at this moment, but it certainly WILL happen.

Now many teach that we do not have to follow His Law. Some even teach that His Law has been done away with, and some even teach that the Almighty has changed His Law. These people that teach these things are either out to create a following in order to make money by deceiving people, or they themselves are deceived and teaching others what they believe to be true. But the fact stands that they are teaching falsehood. The Law of the Most High is eternal, never ending. If His Law has been done away with, or changed, then the scientific laws would also have to change or be done away with. But as we can see, Science is still alive and well.


When Y’hoshua said “I have not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it”. Here the Christian church teaches that by “fulfilling” the law, he actually cancelled it. Nothing could be further from the truth than that statement.  Hebrews use many idioms in their communication with one another. The scriptures are full of Hebrew idioms.  At the time when Y’hoshua walked the earth, whenever someone taught something against the Torah, they would say that person is “destroying the law”.  “Fulfilling the law” meant to DO and OBEY the law. That is what Y’hoshua was saying, that he is obedient to the law and that they were not understanding exactly who he is.

The only thing that has changed are the people. They have decided to ignore the Law of the Almighty and create their own laws, laws that are easy and cater to their fleshly lusts and enjoyments. The fact of the matter is that there are only two laws, if you do not abide by the one, then you are following the other one. The two laws are, “the Law of the Almighty” which is His Torah which leads to life, and “the Law of sin” which is Satan’s law which is the opposite of the Torah and leads to death. The motto of the church of Satan, founded by Anton LeVey, is “Do what thou wilt”, meaning that you can do as you please, not having to keep the Torah of the Most High.

The Law of the Almighty is His Word, also known as Scripture. Let us have a look at what we are taught in Scripture:

”יהושע (Yehoshua) Messiah is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb 13:8). Here we can see that the Messiah never changes. He existed from before the world was created and He will continue to remain after everything has come to an end. But we are speaking of the Law of the Almighty, the Father of the Messiah here. Let us read another verse then, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). It is clear that they are of the same character and the same mind. If the Messiah differed in even the slightest opinion to His Father, then He would not have been able to say that they are the same.

Let us then see what the Messiah says about the Torah of His Father, “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done” (Mat 5:18). Has all been done? If not, where is the Torah now? And what or who is it applicable to? Well every tree and animal and planet and ocean and scientific law are governed by the Torah of YHWH. 

There are many things that the Almighty hates. Those that desire to do the Will of the Almighty, also have to hate these same things. If we do not utterly loath these things that the Most High hates, then that is a very clear indication that we do not follow Him, but rather do the things we desire to do. One of these things that is an abomination to the Almighty is idolatry. Let us have a closer look.

Idolatry

“You do not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of that which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth, you do not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim am a jealous Ěl, visiting the crookedness of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me” (Exodus 20:4-5) (Deut 5:8-9). Here it is clearly written in the Ten Commandments that those who make a carved image or anything of the sort will be punished. Those who do are those who hate the Almighty. One of these carved images that comes to mind is the “cross”. Now what happens to those who hate the Almighty and have carved images? Let us read to find out, ”but repaying those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He does not delay to do so with him who hates Him, He repays him to his face” (Deut 7:10)

Is something that the Almighty once hated, now all of a sudden, become acceptable to Him? Is He not the same today as he was 6000 years ago?

I have heard many people, who have some dodgy images and carvings etc, say that they do not pray to them or worship them in any way, but only have it in their house as an ornament or something nice to look at. But what does the Word of the Almighty say? “And do not bring an abomination into your house, lest you be accursed like it. Utterly loathe it and utterly hate it, for it is accursed” (Deut 7:26). It is clearly written that we too have to hate and loath it and not allow it into our homes. Once again the “cross” comes to mind, as well as African masks and even pretty carvings of animals, like eagles etc.

Idolatry is not something that is new, it was very rampant from long before the nation of Yisrael even existed. The entire world was wiped out, except for 8 people (Noah and his family) when the world was flooded because of idolatry. Now when the nation of Yisrael were going to take residency of their promised land, they were to destroy all the nations that lived there before them. This is so that they do not learn to do as the other nations did as they were all idolaters. Let us read what the Law of the Most High taught the Israelites and also teaches us now, “When יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim does cut off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, guard yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire about their mighty ones, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their mighty ones? And let me do so too. Do not do so to יהוה (YHWH) your Elohim, for every abomination which יהוה (YHWH) hates they have done to their mighty ones, for they even burn their sons and daughters in the fire to their mighty ones” (Deut 12:29-31). This, once again, clearly teaches us that we are not to learn the ways of the pagans. We cannot serve the Almighty as the pagans serve their own deities, it is an abomination to the Most High and He hates it. Things like Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day, January first new years day and even birthdays celebrations all originate from paganism and is an abomination.

So it is very clear that we need to follow the Almighty using His Instructions (Torah) and not learn how the rest of the world (pagans) worship their deities.

Is the statement “love the sinner but not the sin” a valid statement?

This statement of “love the sinner but not the sin” is used many times by Christians who try and shift the blame from themselves or others when they commit sin. But my question is always, “where is that written?” there is no such statement in the entire Scriptures. The sinner is the one committing the sin and is therefore guilty of committing that sin. If someone habitually commits such sins that are an abomination to the Almighty, then is that person not also an abomination? Let us see what is written,”The boasters do not stand before Your eyes; You hate all workers of wickedness” (Psalm 5:5). Here we can see that those who habitually commit these sins, are themselves wicked too and they are hated by the Almighty. This statement is confirmed by the following verse, “יהוה (YHWH) tries the righteous, But His being shall hate the wrong And the one who loves violence” (Psalm 11:5).

Even the followers of the Almighty, like King David, also hated those who were wicked. ”I have hated the assembly of evil-doers, And I do not sit with the wrong” (Psalm 26:5). We are not to fellowship with those who are sinners. If we do, they will cause us to stumble. Just like the Israelites had to destroy all the inhabitants of the land of Israel as they were taking occupancy, so that they do not learn as they do. So too must we not spend our time with those who are not followers of the Almighty as we will learn many things that they do and turn away from following the instruction of the Most High. We are to hate those who are habitually breaking the Torah of YHWH. ”I have hated those who observe lying vanities; But I trust in יהוה (YHWH)” (Psalm 31:6).

I could go on and on showing you all over Scripture that the Almighty and His followers hates sin and those habitually committing sin, ”You have loved righteousness and hated wrongness; Therefore Elohim, Your Elohim, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions” (Psalm 45:7).

Here is another one, “You who love יהוה (YHWH), hate evil! He guards the lives of His kind ones, He delivers them out of the hand of the wrong” (Psalm 97:10). What then is evil? Anything that is a transgression of the Torah of YHWH is evil. The Almighty hates it when His Law is broken, and He labels it as evil. So if you love the Most High, then you will abstain from doing evil and rather continue to keep His Law. If you hate the Almighty, then you will not keep His Torah. ”I have hated falsehood and loathe it, Your Torah I have loved” (Psalm 119:163).

How many times have you heard the phrase that we need to, “fear the Almighty”? If I go to a church and ask ten different Christians what it means to fear the Almighty, I am sure to get ten different answers as this is not a topic that is really taught in the churches. Let us see what is written in the Scriptures, “The fear of יהוה (YHWH) is to hate evil. I have hated pride and arrogance, And the evil way, And the perverse mouth” (Proverbs 8:13). Here is the purist form of fearing YHWH the Almighty, to hate evil (which is the transgression of the Torah).

So has the Law of the Almighty changed?

“For everyone who is practicing evil matters hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (John 3:20). Who decides what is evil or not? I am sure that almost everyone will agree that it is the Almighty Creator of the heavens and the earth. What we need to remember is that He is the same today as He was yesterday, and is the same as He was 4000 years ago too.

Now with this in mind, can the Almighty accept something now that used to be hated by Him and considered an abomination? Or can He now love someone that would have been hated before and called an abomination? Certainly not, The Almighty NEVER changes, He is always the same.

Did the Messiah bring a new law? If He did, I cannot find it. He came to do what is written in the Torah and taught us to do the same. If we are followers of the Messiah, then we will walk as He walked. “The one who says he stays in Him ought himself also to walk, even as He walked” (1 John 2:6). How is your walk? Does it look like the walk of the Messiah?

As you can clearly see, the Almighty YHWH hates sin and even those walking in sin. We can also clearly see that His Laws have not changed and are certainly not done away with. Those who are walking as the Messiah did are hated by the lawless ones and even persecuted and attacked by wicked people. “Blessed are those persecuted for righteousness sake, because theirs is the reign of the heavens. Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, and falsely say every wicked word against you, for My sake. Rejoice and be glad, because your reward in the heavens is great. For in this way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mat 5:10-12).

So the time on this earth for those who love the Almighty might be a tough life, but those who endure to the end, WILL be saved. “And you shall be hated by all for My Name’s sake. But he who shall have endured to the end shall be saved” (Mat 10:22). So do not lose hope, the Almighty will bring you gladness for your efforts, “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Because of this, Elohim, Your Elohim, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions” (Heb 1:9).

My prayer after writing this article is that people’ eyes be opened to the Truth and turn to follow what is pleasing in the eyes of the Most High and NOT what is evil in His eyes.

Let those who have the Creator as their ruler, all follow His rules.

Blessings and Shalom to all those reading this.