Genesis

בייה

Dear Ones,

Does anyone have times when they feel like, ‘I need [the] Lord God to bless me, my spouse, our children, our endeavors, finances, investments, employment, and to heal our stress, anxiety, and health issues? How does anyone receive a blessing from [The] Lord God? Is it as simple as saying, Lord, please BLESS me? In actuality, it is that simple. Yet, there is another way. (Genesis 12.3) reminds us, ‘I will bless those who bless you [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, i.e. the Jewish People].

The Novie/Prophet Jeremiah wrote, ‘Ah Lord God! behold, You have made the heaven and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm, and there is nothing too hard for You. [The] Lord God is there for us even when we feel squeezed by unbearable pressures, difficulties, depression, and paranoia. During the times we need encouragement and guidance with decision-making, He is there for us to lean on. (Jeremiah 17.14) Says, ‘Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for you are my praise.’ It is not unusual to invoke divine assistance. David, king of Israel, wrote, ‘The eyes of [the] Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry.’ (Psalms 34.16) Says, ‘And [David] said, I love you, O Lord, my strength. [The] Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my savior; my God, my strength, in whom I trust; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. I will call on [the] Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.’

On the one hand, it is good when we cry unto [the] Lord, and on the other hand, it is good when we bless [the] Lord. Holy Scripture Teaches that one of our primary purposes is to Bless [the] Lord. (Psalms 145.21) Says, ‘My mouth shall speak the praise of [the] Lord, and let all flesh bless His Holy Name forever and ever.’ (Psalms 150.6) ‘Let everything that breathes praise [the] Lord! Hallelujah!’

(Genesis 12.) States [that the Lord said to Abraham] ‘ וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל [I] will make of you a גָּדוֹל great לְגוֹי nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great, and you shall be a blessing, And I will bless those who bless you, and curse him who curses you; and in you shall all families of the earth be blessed.’

Please try to visualize Abraham standing at a fork in the path he is on. There are two signs. The sign on the right says God will Bless all who follow this path. They are not dissuaded by the ten trials that Abraham faced on that path. The other path says continue. Some people prefer for God not to interfere in their lives or affairs. It’s like this type of individual wants to be just a little better than good enough. They want to be a few marks above acceptable.

Which path did Abraham choose? Abraham chose the path of obedience and blessing. He invested his life in faithful Observances of the Torah. (Genesis 17.1) Says, ‘And when Abraham was ninety-nine years old, [the] Lord Appeared to Abraham, and Said to him, I am Almighty God; walk before Me, and be perfect.’ (Genesis 18.19) Says, ‘ For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of [the] Lord, to do justice and judgment; that [the] Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him.’

In (Genesis 12.2) [the] Lord said to Abraham, I will Bless you.’ וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ Vah Ah Vaw Ray Cih Kaw – meaning – ‘and I will bless you.‘

וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ Vah – meaning – ‘And’

וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ

Vah Ah Vaw Ray Cih Kaw: The [ א ] Aleph has no individual sound of it’s own. The [ א ] Aleph is silent without נְקֻדּוֹת, vowels – Nequdōṯ. This is important to note because the [ א ] Aleph is representative of God. This means God communicates with thoughts, not words. Malachim/Angels may communicate with words. When the Holy Scriptures say ‘God Said’ in actuality the Holy Scriptures are relating ‘God Thought’.

וַאֲבָרֶכְךָ Vah Ah Vaw Ray Cih Kaw – meaning – Blessing

The Blessings that [the] Lord Gives to us are endless. (Psalms 21.6) Says, ‘For You make him most blessed forever; You make him joyful with gladness in Your Presence.’ (Psalm 33:12) Says, ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is [the] Lord, The people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance.’ (Lamentations 3.22-23) Says, ‘The grace of [the] Lord has not ceased, and His compassion does not fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.‘(Psalms 34:8) Says, ‘O taste and see that [the] Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!’ (Psalms 103:2) Says, ‘Bless [the] Lord, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits.’

We know that [the] Lord God can bless us in every imaginable way! It’s as simple as saying, Lord, please BLESS Me. When we say, Lord, Please BLESS me, we invoke divine assistance. Remember that each of us has a promise from The Torah. The Lord God told Abraham, ‘I will BLESS those who BLESS you. In this instance, we can use many paths to BLESS Abraham and his descendants. Do we realize the power given to us for blessing others? (Mishlei 11.25) Says, ‘He/She who waters [others] shall himself/herself be watered.’

(Psalms 122.7) directs us to pray, ‘[May there be] Peace [And safety] within your walls, and prosperity within your Residences.’

Oh Lord God of Israel, I ask You to Bless Eretz Israel, our people, our Prime Minister, our War Cabinet, Government, Leaders, Advisers, Generals, Admirals, Officers of our Air Force, Army, Navy, and all our warriors. Please guide and protect them. Please heal all our injured and return all our captives safely to their families. May we observe your Holy Torah, Sabbaths, and Holy Days Safely and securely with joy.

Good Sabbath!

Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk

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