Endings

 

I'm not a fan of anything ending. Yet I am faced with 2 endings at the same time right now - the ending of the Gregorian year and the ending of reading Bereshiyt for another year.

    Though both of them offer new opportunities, there remains the action of leaving something behind. In the case of 2025, it's just a number that's changing. But in the case of the Torah, every year when I read:

    וַיָּ֤מׇת יוֹסֵף֙ וְכׇל־אֶחָ֔יו וְכֹ֖ל הַדּ֥וֹר הַהֽוּא׃"

Joseph died, and all his brothers, and all that generation."

    I feel so sad. All these mighty men of God, dead. The ending of the era of the first giants of our faith, returned to dust.

    The might and strength of Yehudah standing up to Yosef, Manasheh's power, the sons of the last Patriach, the fathers of the twelve tribes - left the world.

    Then I remember how I am learning that each of us has a portion of each of them within our own selves, if only we will come to know that and activate the strength of our fathers, we would do valiantly.

    As the saying goes: "Ma'aseh Avot Siman LeBanim" ("The actions of the fathers are a sign for the sons").

                                 Midrash, Talmud and Ramban (Nachmanides).

        When we put the words of the above phrase together with the image of Yehuda and Yosef facing off, a powerful picture of the meeting of the two Messiah's is created.

    So my annual sadness at the loss of these giants evaporated as quickly as it appeared in my head.

    Ohr HaChaim says in his commentary that just as Yosef's brothers didn't recognise him until he purposefully revealed himself, so it is for the brothers of Yeshua - they will ultimately recognise Him when He takes the "Egyptian" mask off and says: "I am HaShem!"

    The Midrash says that the brothers got such a shock when Yosef revealed himself to them that they fainted and their teeth broke! 

    Zechariah 12:10 says: "They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son."

   The only reason for God delaying Israel's recognition of the Jewish Messiah is so that we from the nations can come to Yeshua and through Him be grafted into Israel. But, we are living in the end of days, as can be seen by the volume of prophecy being fulfilled all around us throughout the world in these times.

    So, as uncertainty and even danger grow exponentially, I encourage one and all to turn to the Creator of the universe. As Yeshua Himself said: 

    "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand!"