CONGREGATION MELECH YISRAEL OF TORONTO

It appears to me in Parsha "Mishpatin" that from the beginning G-d was preparing a place for the nations to be a part of the commonwealth of Israel. You belong, you are a part of us, don't ever feel like a second class citizen here at Congregation Melech Yisrael.

The second verse or pair of verses that stood out when I was reading are:

Shemot 21:12-13 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

Verse 12 deals with premeditated murder, which is punishable by death. The second verse deals with involuntary, unintentional or accidental murder. More importantly, what I want to point out in this verse is this, take a look at it with me:  "And if a man lie not in wait, but G-d deliver him into his hand;... "

What's meant here? You mean God delivers him into his hand? I thought this was talking about accidental death, why is God delivering the victim? What this verse implies is that the person that was killed unintentionally, involuntarily, in fact accidentally was actually put in that fatal situation by God. What tremendous implications that has.

We all know there are consequences to sin, and we're told in Deuteronomy that unrepented sin perpetuates itself from one generation to another.

Amos 1:11 Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Edom, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath for ever:

The father of the Edomites was Esau. Esau was the brother of Jacob. Amos is telling us that after hundreds of years and who knows how many generation later, the unrepented sin of Esau was passed down to the Edomites of Amos's generation. So now it was to that generation God was going to take vengeance for Esau's hatred of his brother Jacob. What tremendous implication that has. This means a child that was accidentally killed by a motorist, when they darted out into the street chasing after a ball, was actually put there by God. Is God so callus that He places innocent children in harms way? I think the problem here is not God, but rather our lack of perspective. It's not a case of whether or not that child deserved to die, but rather it is a case of the sovereignty of God. Only God has the broad perspective necessary to make these type of decisions. But Yeshua tells us that only repentance and turning from our sin to Him, will brake generations curses from being perpetuated in a persons life, curses which may cause consequences to our future generations.

Uri / Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Yeshua answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

I leave you with only one thought. "REPENT"

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Baruch HaShem
Rabbi Ya'acov Farber