Genesis

בייה

Rabbi Akiva once traveled along a road leading to a particular town. He sought lodging there, but every Inn refused him. He said, ‘Whatever the All-Merciful does is for good,’ and spent the night in an open field. He had a donkey, a rooster, and a lamp with him. A gust came up, and the wind blew out the lamp; a weasel came and ate the rooster, and a lion came and ate the donkey. Rabbi Akiva said: ‘Whatever the All-Merciful does is for good’. The same night, terrorists came. They kidnapped the inhabitants of the town and carried them off. Rabbi Akiva shared his experience [with people he knew] and said, “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Whatever the All-Merciful does is all for good?’ Rabbi Akiva was saved that night because his light did not shine, his rooster did not crow, and his donkey did not bray, so they did not know he was there. Essentially, this is what happened according to – Berachot 60b.

Let’s consider how God Defines ‘Good.’ Would it be surprising to learn that humanity defines ‘Good’ entirely differently than God Defines ‘Good’?

Remember, Joseph was kidnapped by his half-brothers, placed in a snake-infested pit, held against his will, and sold as an enslaved person. He was trafficked to Egypt where ‘Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard.’ bought him for sexual pleasure. Later, Joseph was appointed overseer of his master’s house. His master’s wife falsely accused Joseph of sexually attacking her. Joseph was arrested and imprisoned for about a decade. Most of us would think that what happened to Joseph was terrible. Yet, (Genesis 50.15 – 20) we are informed that Joseph said to his half-brothers, ‘God Meant it to be good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.’

How would we have reacted if we were walking in Joseph’s shoes? Would we look at Joseph’s misfortunes during thirteen years of slavery and confinement as good? Joseph suffered some to feed the world. The outcome was good.

How do we view the 210 years of brutal slavery in Egypt? The Egyptians enslaved us. They murdered us drowned our sons in the Nile, raped our women, brutalized and demoralized us. Was that good? Yet, we emerged as a holy nation chosen by God to be His. (Genesis 46.1-4) Says, ‘And God Spoke to Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob.’

And [Jacob] said, ‘Here am I.

[God Said], ‘I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt; for there, I will make of you a great nation; I will go down with you to Egypt; and I will also surely bring you up again.’

In a previous discussion, I mentioned that The Torah hints about other places and times. (Genesis 1.2) Says, ‘And the earth הָיְתָה Haw Yih Tawh was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. [before] a wind from God moved upon the face of the waters.‘ הָיְתָה Haw Yih Tawh is translated as ‘become’ to become.’ It is possible that the inhabitants of another world committed the blackest, darkest, most horrific, frightful, gruesome, barbaric acts and, as a result, were confined to the blackest dungeons of the abyss because they refused to repent. If so, how can this be good?

The Torah Teaches Adam, and Chavah sinned. They ate the forbidden fruit. They were judged, tried, and sentenced for their sins and expelled from Gan Eden at the conclusion of the first week on the eve of the first Sabbath. Was this also good?

(Genesis 1.31) the first chapter of Genesis concludes with these words: ‘And God Saw all He had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and morning, the sixth day.’

The point is that the Lord our God will cause the outcome to be good. God sees every frame of the picture from beginning to end. Maybe we will see one of the billions of frames. God is good. He desires that we enjoy good things. The Letter ו Vav connects the Letter ט Tet and The Letter ב Bet. טוב They spell GOOD. The ט Tet represents goodness. The ב Bet represents house. Mystically, we can see goodness in the House/World Lord our God Created as written in (Genesis 1). (2 Chronicles 16.9) remind us that ‘the eyes of Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth.’ God Saw the extreme wickedness in Noah’s age, the Russian pogroms, the holocaust, and the terrorist attacks on the People of Israel and did not prevent them. We cannot understand why now, but we will in the future.

There are those who speak of a previous war in the heavens between the Stars/Angels. (Isaiah 14.12 – 19) Some teach about what they term a rebellion in the Heavens among the stars/angels. ‘How are you fallen from heaven, O bright star, son of the morning! How are you cut down to the ground, you who ruled the nations! Various texts seem to point in that direction. (Job 38.7; Revelations 12)

(Ezekiel 28.25 – 26). Prophecies of a time not far from now, ‘Thus says our Lord God: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the nations, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob. And they shall dwell safely in it, build houses, and plant vineyards, and they shall dwell securely when I have executed judgments upon all those around them who despise them, and they shall know that I am the Lord their God.’ Blessed be His Holy Name.

Dear Ones, our sins are forgiven. All is good. Everything will work out for us. Thank God!

O Lord, we thank You for Blessing, Healing, Prospering, and Uplifting all who read, study, and Observe Ha Torah.

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

Author

PRAYER FOR THE IDF

May He who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, bless the members of Israel’s Defense Forces and its security services who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God from the Lebanese border to the Egyptian desert, from the Mediterranean sea to the approach of the Aravah, and whever else they are, on land, in air and at sea. May the Lord make the enemies who rise against us be struck down before them. May the Holy One, bessed be He, protect and deliver them from all trouble and distress, afflication and illness, and send blessing and success to all the work of their hands. May He subdue our enemies under them and crown them with deliverance and victory. And may there be fulfilled in them the verse, “It is the Lord your God who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to deliver you.” And let us say: Amen.

PRAYER FOR THOSE BEING HELD CAPTIVE

May He who blessed our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, bless, protect and guard the members of Israel’s Defense Forces missing in action or held captive, and other captives among our brethren, the whole house of Israel, who are in distress or captivity, as we, the members of this holy congregation, pray on their behalf. May the Holy One, blessed be He, have compassion on them and bring them out from darkness and the shadow of death; may He break their bonds, deliver them from their distress, and bring them swiftly back to their families’ embrace. Give thanks to the Lord for His loving-kindness and for the wonders He does for the children of men; and may there be fulfilled in them the verse: “Those redeemed by the Lord will return; they will enter Zion with singing, and everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” And let us say: Amen.