In this week's Torah portion, parashat Yitro, G-d reveals Himself to the people of Israel during the giving of the Aseret Dibrot – the Ten Commandments. In the Torah, G-d revealed Himself in very physical manifestations on Mt. Sinai. There was thunder and lightning, the ground shook, and a great shofar blast was heard growing louder and louder. And then in the climax of the moment, G-d answered Moshe with a voice (Ex. 19:19). This was a powerful encounter with the G-d of Israel, who made Himself and His will known to the Jewish people.

Luke 7 appears right after a revelation of Yeshua also made from a mountain top. Often known as “the Sermon on the Mount,” the context of Yeshua’s message is actually paralleled with the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai. Yeshua’s message is rooted in Jewish legal – halachic – style and nature. Similar to the giving of the Torah, it is also a revelation of G-d’s will to humanity - a sort of “second Sinai experience.” Instead of thunder and lighting, however, G-d’s character became further made known through Yeshua.

Luke 7:1-17 describes two miracles performed by Yeshua. The first miracle was the healing of an influential Roman officer’s servant, and the second is the healing of a dead man who was the only son of a widow in the city. At the end of the section, Luke describes that the town’s people “were all filled with awe and gave glory to G-d, saying, ‘A great prophet has appeared among us,’ and, ‘G-d has come to His people.’ This report about him spread throughout all of Y’hudah and the surrounding countryside (Luke 7:16-17).”

Through both of these portions, we gain a glimpse of G-d’s attributes and guidelines for our lives. Through Yeshua, we see the G-d of Israel, the same G-d who revealed himself to Moshe on Mt. Sinai. As Paul states in Colossians, “He is the visible image of the invisible G-d (Col. 1:15).” And in the same way, G-d wants to reveal Himself to us in a very personal and real way.

Each and every one of us has the opportunity to engage HaShem in our own Sinai experience – individually and corporately. So the next time the Torah is removed from the ark, remember the original revelation on Mt. Sinai, and relive the giving of the Torah. For G-d wants to reveal Himself to, and through you in the same way.

This is important because far too many people within the broader Messianic movement use the title "rabbi" without any formal education, rabbinical studies, or recognition. When this is done it is an embarrassment to our movement, weakens our credibility, and makes the job of my colleagues and I that much harder. After all, it is actually fraud if someone claims to be a lawyer when they are not. Or claims to be a doctor, when they did not complete the requisite study.

When someone assumes a title they did not earn (or can back-up) they weaken the meaning of the title. For centuries a rabbi has been defined as a scholar of Jewish law and practice. Historically, rabbis were consulted as experts on matters of halachah and its application. It is only in the last two hundred years or so that rabbis have been expected to take on more of a pastoral role, and assume a position of being the "professional Jew." However, as the roles of rabbis have evolved over the last two hundred years, what has not changed is the expectation of the rabbi as a scholar.

The issue is not whether someone can be an effective leader without being an ordained rabbi. The issue has to do with the use of the title rabbi which has a clear and specific meaning. If one does not agree with the meaning, they do not have to use (nor should they) the title.

One becomes a rabbi by receiving s'micha from another rabbi or group of rabbis after the completion of a formal level of study. Furthermore, conferment of s'micha MUST be passed down from those who already possess s'micha from a recognized body or individual (and cannot be self-administered). Today, most rabbis are graduates of a rabbinical seminary; which is often a 5 year graduate level education. Within the Orthodox and Jewish Renewal communities, s'micha from an individual rabbi is still widely practiced after completing a particular level of study.

I am proud to be a part of a small group of Messianic rabbis who are rabbis in every sense of the word - and have worked very hard to get to this point. We officiate at life cycle events, decide on halachic matters, study and teach Jewish history and texts - yet remain rooted in Mashiach. My colleagues and I have had to immerse ourselves in Jewish life. We have had to complete graduate level educations in Jewish Studies, have a thorough understanding of Jewish history, Hebrew, prayer, Jewish texts, and halachah; and have studied in yeshivot and other Jewish institutions. Many of us even hold credentials within the wider Jewish community.

The s'micha administered today by the UMJC (for example) meets these criteria in both academic requirements AND in the chain of succession of conferment. Because we readily recognize the need of learned and well-prepared leaders, we are also always working hard on regularly increasing requirements and expectations of what it means to be a Messianic Rabbi.

In fact (stay tuned) as the MJRC is currently working on, and will soon be releasing, a formal document clearly defining the term "Messianic Rabbi" from our perspective.

The Jewish community is buzzing with the news that beloved Jewish folk singer Debbie Friedman passed away this morning at 5:49am (PST). She had been in a coma for a few days, and going into the weekend countless Jewish tweets, messages, and emails were reminding people to pray for rafuah shleimah.

According to the Jewish Journal:

"Friedman had been in critical condition and was being held on a respirator in a medically-induced coma in an Orange County, California hospital.

A healing service was scheduled for Sunday evening at the Manhattan JCC and was set to be viewed online. There is no word if the service will become a memorial tribute or not.

According to JTA, 'Friedman, who was in her late 50s, is widely credited with reinvigorating synagogue music by introducing a more folksy, sing-along style to American congregations. In 2007 she was appointed to the faculty of the Reform movement’s cantorial school in a sign that her style had gained mainstream acceptance.'”

Countless Jewish people across the world have been inspired by her music, warmth, and stories. She was a sort of female Shlomo Carlebach in regard to her impact on Jewish music, liturgy, and prayer. So many of her melodies have now become staples in many congregations - songs like "Mi Sheberach," her melody for Havdalah, and "Lechi Lach."

For two years I taught Hebrew school at a very large Reform synagogue. Many of her songs were staples for chapels and Summer camps because they were moving, spiritual, and singable. In 2005 I attended one of her concerts and I must say, it was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life (and, trust me ... I have been to all kinds of concerts and worship services). I will never forget that evening, and the way it furthered my own Jewish spirituality and journey. Her music carries a very sweet place within my own neshama as it does within numerous other Jewish people around the world.

This afternoon a great tribute was published in the Jerusalem Post. And for those interested, you can watch this tribute video from 1997 by Union of Reform Judaism.

***UPDATE: You can watch the video of today's funeral service for Debbie Friedman HERE.

Last week’s Torah portion, Va’era, introduced the first seven of the ten plagues. This week, Parashat Bo identifies the final three plagues and records the mitzvot concerning Passover.

Each of these plagues are devastating enough on their own, but added up together you can see why the result was the dramatic climax of Israel’s exodus from Egypt. Each plague is a demonstration of HaShem’s might and omnipotence. And what most people miss in the story is that each plague carries its own unique message, as each plague was meant to bring a direct assault against a different Egyptian deity.

“… and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, I am HaShem (Exodus 12:12b).”

The Nile River in Egyptian mythology carries a sacred aura about it. It is the life source of the country. It alone represents life and sustenance in an otherwise dry and parched land. Blood is a symbol of death. Therefore the first plague represented a direct assault upon the Egyptian’s sole source of life.

The Egyptian deity, Heqet (or Isis), is often represented as a frog. She represents fertility and sustenance. As a result, the second plague of frogs was a direct assault against this specific deity, demonstrating that HaShem, the G-d of Israel, was more powerful than Heqet and that HaShem alone is the source of all life.

The ninth plague, darkness, was a demonstration against Egypt’s primary deity Amen-Re, who is often represented as the sun. Three days of darkness so thick it could be felt (Ex. 10:21) established that the G-d of Israel was even greater than Egypt’s primary deities.

So, you get the idea … each plague directly correlated with a particular deity or central tenet of Egyptian mythology. But the final plague – the death of the firstborn – was the most catastrophic. Pharaoh would not have let us go on his own. Sadly, it took ten deadly and disastrous plagues to get Pharaoh to let the Jewish people leave Egypt. Although the result of these plagues would be our exodus from tyranny, slavery, and oppression; we do not rejoice over the suffering of the Egyptians or the havoc brought upon them.

Wine is a symbol of joy. So during the Passover Seder, when we recall the ten plagues we deplete the wine in our cups by placing drops of wine onto our plate. When havoc is wrought upon any people – be they helpless victims or our enemies, we do not rejoice over their fate. Our tradition teaches us that their suffering decreases our own joy.

So although we do not rejoice over the fate of the Egyptian people, we do commemorate our redemption from Egypt. We also look forward to our ultimate redemption – when our Messiah, Yeshua, returns and ushers in the world to come. The Messianic Age will bring with it not only our redemption as a people, but a permanent end to oppression, disease, and the suffering of others.

The Torah repeatedly calls us to stand up for the downtrodden and to recognize every person as created b’tzelem Elohim, in the image of G-d (Genesis 1:26-27). This is especially true regarding strangers in our midst:

"You are not to deprive the sojourner or orphan of the justice which is his due, and you are not to take a widow’s clothing as collateral for a loan. Rather, remember that you were a slave to pharaoh in Egypt; and HaShem your G-d redeemed you from there. That is why I am ordering to do this." (Deuteronomy 24:17-18)

The Torah considers the treatment of strangers a matter of justice. The way we treat strangers reveals our gratitude to G-d for redeeming us from Egypt (or lack thereof). Therefore, we are further commanded in Deuteronomy: “Justice, only justice you must pursue!” (16:20)

According to the Torah, holiness is not some mystical, esoteric state of being. Rather, it is a way of life and a pattern of action. To “do holiness” is to partner with G-d in bringing redemption into the world. We are instructed to weigh fairly, pursue justice, observe Shabbat and the mitzvot, and protect those who are downtrodden. Why? Because the Torah states “Anochi HaShem … Because I am HaShem … and you are to be holy as I am holy (Leviticus 19:2)”.

We are additionally commanded in the Torah: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:16). Regarding this verse the Talmud asks:

“What does the verse mean, ‘Do not stand idly by your neighbor’s blood?’ It means that if a person sees his fellow drowning, mauled by beasts, or attacked by robbers, he is bound to save him (b. Sanhedrin 73a).”

The rabbis clearly understood that when we see someone in trouble we are commanded to act. This goes beyond only when someone’s life is in danger. In fact, the Talmud further states that if we do not act upon injustice, we are directly responsible for not doing so:

“All who can protest against [something wrong that] one of their family [is doing] and does not protest, is held accountable for their family … A citizen of their city is held accountable for all citizens of the city. [All who can protest against something wrong that is being done] in the whole world, is accountable together with all citizens of the world (b. Shabbat 54b).”

From the perspective of the Torah, we must act whenever we see injustice. And if we do not act, we are personally responsible for the outcome.

Tomorrow we'll explore the concept of Justice as Holiness within the Prophets ...