Podcasts about Amalek

What are you fighting under? This weekend Pastor Joaquin Pardo continued our MOSES: Live No Lies series with a message about how God's people fight spiritual battles.Whenever Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands grew weary, so Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.Exodus 17:11-13Israel had already been delivered from Egypt, but their journey still included opposition. They were no longer fighting for freedom, they were fighting from freedom.The same is true for us. Jesus has already won the decisive victory over sin and death, but every believer still faces spiritual opposition.1) You have to fight.Joshua didn't get to choose whether Amalek showed up. His decision was whether he would engage in the battle. Similarly, we don't choose whether spiritual warfare is real. We cannot experience victory while refusing to fight. We must stop allowing fear, shame, temptation, bitterness, and compromise to bully us into accepting a life God never intended for us. We must decide in our hearts that the enemy does not get another inch.2) Fight faithfully. Fight prayerfully.Joshua fought in the valley, but the battle's outcome was connected to what Moses was doing on the mountain. The sword mattered, but the sword was not the source of victory. Connecting the Lord to the battle was. We do the same today through prayer. Prayer does not make God powerful. Prayer reminds us who is powerful. You cannot win spiritual battles using only physical strategies. Practical obedience matters, but spiritual battles require spiritual dependence.3) Your fight is my fight.When Moses grew tired, Aaron and Hur noticed and moved toward him. They did not wait for Moses to ask for help. They lifted the hands he could no longer lift himself. Victory in the Kingdom of God is never meant to be experienced alone. The church should be filled with people who notice the hurting, the weary, the lonely, and the discouraged and then move into action.4) Fight with The Lord as your banner.When the battle was over, Joshua didn't take the credit. Moses didn't take the credit. Aaron and Hur didn't take the credit. Moses built an altar and called it Jehovah-Nissi —The Lord Is My Banner.A banner gave soldiers identity, direction, courage, and hope in the confusion of battle. When they became afraid or disoriented, they looked toward the banner and remembered that they were not fighting alone.Our Banner is Jesus. Our Banner was lifted up on a cross. He bled, died, rose again, and now reigns in victory. The battle may still be real tomorrow, but don't spend your life staring at Amalek.Lift your eyes to your Banner. The Lord is our Banner.

Today we have a teaching about the blessings for being obedient to God. If you have any questions, or you would like to share how our teachings have affected your life, please email us or visit us at rejoicingheart.net Our email is listed under the about tab on this page. God bless you! Rob and Donna Rejoice In You From the Integrity Music Release One, featuring Planetshakers Ministries Int'l ©2009 Planetshakers Publishing (APRA) (admin. By Music Services, www.musicservices.org) All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (KJV) 22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. 1 Samuel 13:12 (KJV) 12 Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering. 1 Samuel 13:13-14 (KJV) 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee. 1 Samuel 15:3 (KJV) 3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. 1 Samuel 15:9 (KJV) 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly. Isaiah 1:19 (KJV) 19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: John 15:14 (KJV) 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. 1 John 3:23 (KJV) 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. Acts 4:12 (KJV) 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. James 1:25 (KJV) 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. Romans 6:16 (KJV) 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Luke 11:28 (KJV) 28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

A couple once came to me for advice, explaining that they have several children who are older and still not married. "We're embarrassed to go anywhere," they said. "We know that everyone's looking at us, everyone's feeling sorry for us and talking about what's wrong with us and our children." My response to them was clear and simple. I said: "Get it out of your head. No one's looking at you or talking about you. You're making yourselves upset and anxious for no reason. Go out and enjoy. Stop worrying about what other people are thinking or saying. They have their own problems to worry about. They're not talking about you." I explained that any normal adult who's been through life knows that some folks have a harder time than others – in shidduchim and in everything else. Any normal believing Jew knows that Hashem decides who should get married when, and we do not know and are not supposed to know how He decides these things. So many of the things we worry about, that hold us back and that weigh us down, are simply nonsense. Ideas that our imagination came up with but have no basis in reality. Parashat Maseh begins by listing the 42 places where Beneh Yisrael encamped over the course of their journey from Egypt until their final encampment before crossing into the Land of Israel, a list compiled and recorded by Moshe Rabbenu himself. For the most part, these verses just tell us that Beneh Yisrael journeyed from location X and encamped in location Y. The Torah does not tell us the events they experienced at these locations – not Matan Torah , not the war with Amalek, not the spies. There are, however, a few very unusual exceptions. We are told that in a place called Elim, the people found wellsprings and palm trees. We are told that in Refidim, the people didn't have water. We are told that Aharon Ha'kohen died in Hor Ha'har, at which point the Canaanites were able to attack, because the protective "clouds of glory" which shielded them in Aharon's merit were lost. Why did Moshe choose to mention this small handful of events, while omitting the more major events, such as Matan Torah , the sin of the golden calf, and the sin of the spies? Moshe was showing the people that there were times throughout their travels when they were scared, when they felt vulnerable and insecure, but everything turned out ok. They went into a desert, wondering where they would find water and food – and then they saw that Hashem prepared for them springs and date trees. They later came to a place with no water -and Hashem showed Moshe a rock which he struck, and which then miraculously produced water for the next forty years. When they lost their protective clouds, the Canaanite army attacked, but Hashem helped them and they defeated their enemies. Indeed, Rashi cites the Midrash as comparing Moshe to a father whose son was very ill, and needed treatment far away. On their way back home, the father recalled what happened at every stop along the way – the place where the boy had a fever, where he suffered from extreme pain, and so on. Moshe was showing Beneh Yisrael – and us – that they faced many different challenges over the course of these forty years, but it turned out ok. The situation was not always pleasant, but it always worked out in the end. This is an exercise that we all could – and should – do from time to time: to think about the times when we were very scared, when we were very anxious, when we were very upset, when we were very down, when we were very dejected, and then realize how the situation was somehow resolved. Even if it wasn't resolved exactly the way we would have ideally wanted, we managed. We were ok. When we feel anxious, more often than not, it's because our head exaggerates, turning the problem into something far bigger than it really is, and it imagines things that don't exist. We need to remember that Hashem has always helped us in the past, and He will help us now with whatever it is we're struggling with. Even if things don't turn out the way we want them to, they will turn out ok – because Hashem is in charge.

King Saul was highly successful in destroying the Amalekites, but we note what Samuel said to him (1 Sam 15 v.1-3) before he did this!  After giving him the reasons why the Amalekites should be destroyed, Samuel tells him, “Now go and strike Amalek, and devote to destruction all that they have.  Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.”    In v.7 to 9 we read “And Saul defeated Amalek … and devoted to destruction all the people … But Saul and the people spared … the best of the sheep and oxen … and all that was good …. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction.”    What a valuable lesson there is in the LORD's reaction to Saul's selective obedience to his commands.  Samuel is sent to express God's anger at his failure to obey him properly, he tells Saul, “Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD?  Why did you pounce on the spoil  and do what was evil in the sight of the LORD?” [v.19]  Saul claims in reply, “I have obeyed the voice of the LORD” [v.20], but he only did so partly.  His claim is that the animals were saved to offer as sacrifices – and of course, as a result, Saul and the people enjoyed much feasting! The phrase “the voice of the LORD” should cause us to meditate – they did not hear his actual voice – and neither do we!  We have his word – that is “the voice of the LORD” for us.Then Samuel makes a very vital point, “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?” [v.22]  What a clear and vital lesson this is for us – it dovetails in with Isaiah's message at the start of today's ch. 59.  “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save … but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.”     If there were prophets like Samuel and Isaiah around today what kind of message would they give?  Let us not pick and choose only the parts of God's word we like – to believe and obey – let us live so that we can in truth say in our prayers – and on THAT day, “I have obeyed…”

Shabbat: The Root of Exile and the Key to Redemption As we find ourselves in the Three Weeks, mourning the Churban Beit HaMikdash (Destruction of the Temple), we can find a profound connection between this period of exile and the holiness of Shabbat. The Gemara ( Masechet Shabbat 118b ) states a radical concept: If the Jewish people had fully kept the very first Shabbat, no nation would have ever been able to gain control over them. The Apparent Contradiction The Gemara derives this from the text in Shemot. Right after the Jewish people desecrated Shabbat by trying to collect the Manna ( Shemot 16:27 ), the Torah states, "Vayavo Amalek" —Amalek came and attacked ( Shemot 17:8 ). However, there is a textual problem. These two events do not happen right next to each other. In between the desecration of Shabbat and the arrival of Amalek, the Torah records the episode of Massah U-Merivah , where the people openly doubted God, asking: " היש ה' בקרבנו אם אין " ( "Is God among us or not?" ). We traditionally learn that Amalek attacks precisely when our faith wavers and we ask "Where is God?" If their lack of faith caused the attack, why does the Gemara blame it on the desecration of Shabbat? To use an analogy: If someone drinks Alka-Seltzer, then drinks cyanide, and dies—you cannot claim the Alka-Seltzer killed them. The cyanide did. Resolution: Shabbat Filters Our Emunah Rav Matityahu Salomon answers this using a passage from Yechezkel (20:12-13) . The prophet describes how God took the nation out of Egypt, gave them commandments, and they rebelled. Yechezkel highlights one specific sin: " ושבתותי חללו מאד " ( "And My Sabbaths they greatly desecrated" ), noting that this is why God initially wanted to destroy them in the desert. We usually associate the threat of destruction in the desert with the Sin of the Spies ( Meraglim ). Why does Yechezkel point to Shabbat? The Root and the Symptom: If not for the initial breakdown in Shmirat Shabbat (Shabbat observance), the Jewish people would never have developed doubts in their Emunah (faith). The only reason they asked "Is God among us?" at Massah U-Merivah, and the only reason they faltered during the Sin of the Spies, was because the spiritual shield of their Shabbat had been compromised. (Note: This identical insight was published 300 years ago by Rav Moshe Frankfurt in his Sefer Mincha Gedola). The Path to Geulah (Redemption) Just as Shabbat neglect is the root of exile, proper Shabbat observance is the fast track to the Geulah . The Gemara famously notes that if Israel keeps just two Shabbatot properly, they will be immediately redeemed. But how is it practically possible to get the entire global Jewish population to keep Shabbat perfectly all at once? 1. The Power of a Single Community Rav Matityahu Salomon ( Matnat Chaim, p. 205 ) quotes the Zohar Chadash (Parshat Noach) , which resolves this exact logistical question: If even one single synagogue or community sincerely returns to God and elevates their Shabbat together, the entire global exile will be gathered back in their merit. The responsibility doesn't fall on those who do not yet know the beauty of Shabbat; it falls on us—those who do know—to uplift our own observance. 2. The Anatomy of "Two Shabbats" The Sefer Apiryon (quoting Rav Teitelbaum , the Yismach Moshe , 1758–1841) takes this a step further. He explains that we technically only need to keep one Shabbat flawlessly—but a flawless Shabbat requires a specific framework: [Shabbat 1: The Source] ──> [6 Holy Weekdays] ──> [Shabbat 2: The Destination] To truly rest on the seventh day, the preceding six days of work must be infused with the holiness of the Shabbat that came before them. Therefore, to experience one perfectly integrated holy week, you naturally need to experience two Shabbatot —one to fuel the week, and one to conclude it. 3. Overriding the Laws of Nature A final, mind-boggling piece of this puzzle is found in Gemara Niddah 13b , which states that Mashiach cannot come until all destined souls ( Neshamot ) are born into the world. Tosafot poses a challenge: If keeping two Shabbatot can bring Mashiach instantly, what happens to the remaining unborn souls? Tosafot answers: The spiritual power of keeping two Shabbatot is so immense that God will alter the laws of nature. Much like the miraculous births in Egypt, mothers will instantly and safely give birth to multiple children at once, rapidly bringing all remaining souls into the world to clear the path for Mashiach. Conclusion Shabbat holds the ultimate spiritual leverage. When neglected, it weakens our foundational faith and leaves us vulnerable to exile. But when cherished and elevated—even by just one dedicated community—Shabbat possesses the supernatural power to alter reality, repair our Emunah , and bring the ultimate Geulah today.

The Three Weeks: Beginning with the End in Mind There is a well-known rule: סוף מעשה במחשבה תחילה (Sof ma'aseh b'machshava techilah) "The end of an action must first be conceived in thought." In other words: Begin with the end in mind. The Three Weeks culminate with Tisha B'Av. The specific text our Sages instituted for us to read on Tisha B'Av is Eicha (Lamentations). How does Eicha end? "Take us back, O Hashem, to Yourself, and we will return; renew our days as of old." (Eicha 5:21) These are the final words we recite. The Real Final Verse: A Deeper Reading Now, hold on. Someone might argue that this isn't actually the final verse of Eicha . The technical final verse is: "For even if You had utterly rejected us, You were only exceedingly angry with us." (Eicha 5:22) We normally repeat the previous verse ( Hashiveinu ) because we don't want to conclude on a negative note. However, the truth is that the absolute last verse is not actually negative. The Reishit Chochma ( Sha'ar HaTeshuva , Chapter 7) explains that the verse should be read like this: "If You were truly disgusted with us, You would have destroyed us completely in Your extreme anger. But we see that You did not destroy us completely." We are not wiped out; we are still here. We still have a remnant. Therefore, it is obvious that the purpose of the exile and the destruction was never to eliminate us, but rather to direct us to return to Him in teshuvah (repentance). Why then do we repeat the second-to-last verse ( Hashiveinu )? I saw once—though I don't recall the exact source—that the average person reading the literal text might misunderstand the final verse. They might mistakenly think it means God is genuinely and permanently disgusted with us. Therefore, we repeat Hashiveinu so nobody walks away with a mistaken impression of what Tisha B'Av is truly about. It is about Hashiveinu —returning. "Renew Our Days as of Old" The verse says: חדש ימינו כקדם ( Chadesh yameinu k'kedem ) — "Renew our days as of old." We want to go back to the old days. What does "the old days" mean? It means the era when Hashem dwelt among us in an open, revealed way. God still dwells with us today, but His presence is hidden. That is the core theme: We want to rejuvenate that old relationship. There is a fascinating Gemara in Masechet Berachot 3a that describes what happens when the Jewish people gather in Batei Knesiyot (synagogues) and Batei Midrashot (study halls) and declare: יהא שמיה רבא מברך ( Yehei Shmei Rabba Mevarach ) — "May His great Name be blessed..." The Gemara states that Hashem, so to speak, shakes His head back and forth and says: "Fortunate is the king whose children praise him in his house! What is there for a father whose children have been exiled from his table? And woe to the children who have left their father's table!" Hashem, as it were, bemoans the fact that we are not at His table, that we are scattered among the nations. Tur, Orach Chaim, Siman 56 ומה שאנו אומרין הקדיש בלשון תרגום And regarding that which we recite the Kaddish in the Aramaic language ( Lashon Targum ): יש אומרים מפני המלאכים שלא יתקנאו בנו שאנו משבחים שבח נאה כזה There are those who say it is on account of the angels, so that they should not become jealous of us because we are praising [Hashem] with such a beautiful praise. וגם שע"י זה הקב"ה נזכר לחורבן הבית וגלות ישראל And furthermore, because through this [praise], the Holy One, Blessed be He, recalls the destruction of the Temple and the exile of Israel, כדאיתא בפ"ק דברכות as it is brought down in the first chapter of Berachot (3a): בשעה שישראל עונין אמן יש"ר הקב"ה מנענע בראשו ואומר "At the hour when Israel responds, 'Amen, Yehei Shmei Rabba...', the Holy One, Blessed be He, shakes His head and says: אוי לבנים שגלו מעל שלחן אביהם 'Woe to the children who have been exiled from their Father's table, ומה לו לאב שככה מקלסין אותו בניו ורחקם מעל שלח נו and what is there for a Father whose children praise Him in this way, yet He has distanced them from His table?'" וכביכול שיש דאגה לפניו Thus, kavyachol (so to speak, as it were), there is distress and anguish before Him. ואם יבינו המלאכים זה יקטרגו עלינו And if the angels were to understand this, they would prosecute (bring accusations) against us [out of jealousy or judgment over our survival despite our failings]. ע"כ אומרים אותו בלשון שלא יבינו שאינן מכירין ארמית . Therefore, we recite it in a language they do not understand, as [the ministering angels] are not familiar with Aramaic. The Father-Child Connection Hashem "cries" for us daily. Think of a child who goes away to summer camp or to Israel; the child might be perfectly happy in their new environment and might not even miss home, but the parents back home are miserable. We have been in Galut (exile) for so many years that we have forgotten what it actually means to sit at our Father's table. The Zohar explains that we perform the mitzvah of sending away the mother bird ( Shiluach HaKen ) to arouse Hashem's mercy for His children. He hears the mother bird's cry and remembers His own children. Similarly, when a child says Kaddish for a deceased parent, they deeply miss that parent, and that act arouses Hashem's own "feelings." He sees an orphan reciting Kaddish , and it invokes— kavyachol (so to speak, since God does not possess human emotions)—that deep, intrinsic Father-son connection. Rav Nosson Wachtfogel, in his commentary on Tisha B'Av, notes the specific language used: the children were exiled from the Father's table. The table itself is still there. We still receive our sustenance from it; we are just no longer sitting directly at it. As we say in Birkat HaMazon : Shulchan aruch lakol —the table is set for everyone. We are still being fed from our Father's table. And that is the profound difficulty of life: We can have everything in the world, but our Father isn't openly there with us. That is what is missing. Avel vs. Aval : The Life of "But" The Hebrew letters for a mourner ( lo aleinu —may it not happen to us) are א-ב-ל ( Avel ). Often, when people are learning, they encounter this word and accidentally read it as אֲבָל ( Aval ), which means "but." There is an underlying homiletical truth here: The avel (mourner) lives a life defined by a "but." Lo aleinu , a person is at a beautiful wedding, but their father or mother is missing. The wedding is gorgeous, but the parent isn't there to see it. In semantics, there is a major difference between the words "and" and "but." If I say, "I like the cake, but it has blueberries in it," the "but" inherently detracts from or negates the first part of the sentence. If I say, "I like the cake, and blueberries are not my favorite," I am still holding onto the first statement while simply adding context. "And" adds; "but" subtracts. Our lives in exile are a life of "but." Everything can be fine—the wedding is beautiful— but we still break the glass to remember Jerusalem: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill." (Tehillim 137:5) There is always something vital missing. The job of the Three Weeks is to start missing our Parent again and to realize just how much He loves us. Correcting the Mistake of the Spies This dynamic traces back to the mistake of the very first Tisha B'Av. In Devarim 1:27 , when reviewing the tragic episode of the Spies, Moshe reminds the nation of what they grumbled in their tents: "Because Hashem hated us, He brought us out of the land of Egypt [to destroy us]." This verse appears in Parshat Devarim , which we always read on the Shabbat immediately preceding Tisha B'Av, specifically to remind ourselves of this foundational error. Just a few verses later, the Torah states: "...and in the wilderness, where you saw how Hashem your God carried you, just as a man carries his son..." (Devarim 1:31) Yet the very next verse admonishes: "Yet in this matter, you do not believe..." (Devarim 1:32) What does it mean that they didn't believe? Rashi explains that they didn't believe in God's promise to bring them into Eretz Yisrael. But the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh offers a alternative explanation: "You don't believe that God carried you like a father carries his son." That is what they failed to believe. Notably, the Hebrew month in which Tisha B'Av falls is called Av ( אָב ) —which literally means "Father." Our goal, beginning with these Three Weeks, is to re-internalize that reality. The Parable of the Father and Son The Ohr HaChaim connects this back to Shemot 17:7 , where the Jewish people questioned: "Is Hashem among us or not?" Rashi there provides a famous parable: A father is carrying his son on his shoulders during a journey. The son meets a passerby and asks, "Have you seen my father anywhere?" The father responds, "I have been carrying you on my shoulders the entire time, and you ask where I am?" The father sets the child down, and immediately a dog comes and bites him—which symbolizes the sudden attack of Amalek. Moshe continues to recount how God went before them on the road with a pillar of fire by night and a pillar of cloud by day. All of these expressions of care are still happening. We are still being led by the cloud and the pillar of fire; we just don't visually see it. Creating the Yemei Ratzon (Days of Favor) I will conclude with a powerful quote from the Be'er Mayim Chaim ( Parshat Bo , Chapter 10). He writes that a person must constantly tell themselves: "Nothing in this world happens on its own; everything is decreed by Heaven. As our Sages taught, a person does not even stub their toe below unless it was decreed from Above. So why is God doing this specific thing to me? Isn't God good to all, as it says: 'Hashem is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works' (Tehillim 145:9)? It must be that God is doing this precisely because He wants me to remember Him and return to Him in teshuvah." The Be'er Mayim Chaim continues that when a person internalizes this—realizing that God's challenges are merely reminders to connect—then (to quote his exact words): שש ושמח ( Sas v'same'ach ) — "He becomes happy and joyful," filled with immense awe and pride seeing how much God supervises him individually to bring about that reconnection, כחיבת אב על בנו ( k'chibat av al b'no ) — "like a father's deep endearment for his son." As the verse in Mishlei 3:12 states: "For whom Hashem loves He rebukes, even as a father the son in whom he delights." This insight is unbelievable: We are the ones who create the Yemei Ratzon (the Days of Favor). The upcoming month of Elul is known as a time of Ratzon (Divine favor). How do we activate that favor? When we recognize that Hashem is actively watching over us, and we realize that even His rebuke stems from love, we awaken our own ratzon (desire to connect). That alignment brings about genuine joy ( sas v'same'ach ), leading right into the uplifting holiday season of Tishrei. Ultimately, these three weeks are the days designated for us to focus on the enduring truth that God is still our Father , and to genuinely yearn to return to the days of old. That is the true theme of the Three Weeks.

The Rebbe addresses the importance of regular correspondence from an educator in a Chassidic institution, discusses Torah study, clarifies points about Amalek's punctuation, and details the practice regarding the placement of tefillin during prayer. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/012/007/4246

Daily Dose of Bitachon: The Power of "Yesh Li Kol" Welcome to the Daily Dose of Bitachon. We are continuing the topic of the difference between the approach of Yaakov and the approach of Eisav. Yaakov's approach is "Yesh li kol" — I have everything . The opposite of this is "V'chol zeh einenu shoveh li" — all this is worthless to me . As we discussed, the negative theme of the month of Tammuz is "this is all worthless to me," and Yaakov Avinu is the polar opposite. Yaakov Avinu: The Father of Bitachon Seforim say that Yaakov Avinu represents the ultimate level of bitachon (trust in God) among the Avot. As it says in Tehillim: "Yaancha Hashem b'yom tzarah, yesgavecha shem Elohei Yaakov" (Hashem should answer you at a time of difficulty; you should be strengthened by the God of Yaakov). Yaakov Avinu is singled out because he went through intense challenges—with Eisav, Lavan, Dinah, and Yosef—and survived them all through his bitachon . He is the father of bitachon . He is also the archetype of one who is mistapek b'muat —happy with just a little bit. When you have true bitachon , you realize everything is from Hashem, so you can be genuinely happy with the smallest amount. Yaakov only asked Hashem for the essentials: beged lilvosh, lechem leechol (garments to wear, bread to eat). He stated, "Katonti mikol hachasadim" (I have been diminished by all the kindness You have given me). Yaakov Avinu views everything as an undeserved kindness, and that is precisely how he ends up having everything. When he responds to Eisav, he says, "Ki chanani Elokim" (God was gracious to me). The word chanan comes from the language of matnat chinam (a free gift). If you realize that everything is a gift and that you don't inherently deserve anything, then you feel like you have everything. Rav Shach's Insight: How to Have Everything I'd like to share a beautiful thought in the name of Rav Shach, who asks a powerful question on the Mishnah: "Eizehu ashre? Hasameach b'chelko" (Who is wealthy? The one who is happy with his lot). Rav Shach asks: How can anyone naturally be happy with their lot? The nature of a person is "yesh lo maneh, rotzeh matayim" —if you have a hundred, you want two hundred. He answers that the one who is sameach b'chelko is someone who views himself as owning absolutely nothing. If you have a hundred, you feel you need two hundred. But if you have zero, you need zero. How does a person achieve a state of having nothing? By realizing that everything belongs to HaKadosh Baruch Hu and is merely on loan. Once you realize you own nothing, you can appreciate everything as a gift. The Symbolism of the Kosher Animal The Vilna Gaon shares a fascinating thought regarding why a kosher animal must chew its cud. Chewing the cud symbolizes being happy with what one already has. To chew the cud means to ruminate. The kosher animal ruminates and ruminates on what it has already consumed; it is not constantly looking for what it lacks. It's like the concept taught by Rabbi Avigdor Miller: re-chewing and appreciating the apple, over and over again. It is the art of appreciating what you have, rather than looking for what you don't have. In contrast, non-kosher animals are predators. They are never satisfied and are always hunting for more. Tamim Tihyeh: Simplicity and Completeness The Torah states, "Lo nachash b'Yaakov" (There is no magic/serpent activity in Yaakov). As we mentioned yesterday, the nachash (snake) symbolizes Eisav. The snake is the voice that says, "I don't have anything; Chava, you don't have anything." The Torah forbids nichush (superstition and predicting the future through sorcery). Instead of acting like the nations who rely on these practices, we are commanded: "Tamim tihyeh im Hashem Elokecha" (Be whole/simple with Hashem your God). Our Sages note the connection: Yaakov is described as an "ish tam yoshev ohalim" (a wholesome man, dwelling in tents). He is the ultimate example of being tam —complete. Because he is complete, he doesn't need to look outside or try to predict the future. Tamim tihyeh means to walk simply with God, but it also means to be complete with God. If you know you have everything you need right now, you have no reason to look to future-tellers. Amalek, Haman, and the Power of "Li" The force of Haman is the force of Amalek. The Torah says of Amalek, "Asher karcha b'derech." While this means he cooled you down, karcha also comes from the word mikreh (coincidence). Amalek claims that everything is a coincidence. Similarly, by Haman, the Megillah uses the phrase "Asher karahu" (what happened to him). Haman viewed everything as random chance, not directed by God. If nothing is directed by God, you naturally fall into the trap of, "This is all worthless to me." As we mentioned yesterday, Haman said, "V'chol zeh einenu shoveh li." He completely missed the concept of "li" —the realization that God does everything specifically for me . We say in the morning blessings: "She'asah li kol tzarki" (Who has provided for me all my needs). God provides exactly what I need, directly to me. This is also the core message of Yetziat Mitzrayim (the Exodus): "Ba'avur zeh asah Hashem li" (Because of this, Hashem did for me when I left Egypt). God deals with us individually. Hashem speaks in the singular form: "Asher hotzeiticha" (I took you [singular] out of Egypt). The rasha (wicked person) in the Haggadah is a kofer b'ikar (denier of the foundation) because he rejects this concept. He says, "What is this service to you ?"—excluding himself. Therefore, we tell him: "Li v'lo lo" (For me, and not for him). You are not part of this mindset because you don't understand the li . The Connection Between Pesach and Tisha B'Av It is a well-known calendar fact that the first night of Pesach always falls out on the exact same night of the week as Tisha B'Av. This is one of the reasons we place a roasted egg on the Seder plate—it symbolizes mourning, connecting the joy of the Seder to the solemnity of Tisha B'Av. While the simple connection is that we lost on Tisha B'Av what we originally gained at Yetziat Mitzrayim, we can suggest a deeper connection based on yesterday's discussion: The spiritual struggle between Yaakov and Eisav's ministering angel took place on the night of Tisha B'Av. Furthermore, the commentaries point out that when Yaakov Avinu slept at Beit El and had his powerful dream of the ladder, that night was also Tisha B'Av. The Torah says he took twelve stones and placed them around his head, and they miraculously fused into one single rock because the stones quarreled, each wanting the tzaddik to rest his head on them. On Tisha B'Av, there is a custom to sleep with a stone under one's head instead of a pillow. Yaakov Avinu initiated this tikun (rectification). By bringing the separate stones representing the separate tribes together into one, he rectified the spiritual root of Tisha B'Av. Yaakov takes Tisha B'Av—the day associated with the vulnerability to Eisav—and elevates it back to a day of "Ba'avur zeh asah Hashem li." Conclusion To sum up our theme: The negative energy of the month of Tammuz is thinking like Eisav, Haman, and the snake—the mindset of constant lack and dissatisfaction. The counter-force to this is the approach of Yaakov Avinu. It is the understanding that we truly have everything, that God has graced us completely, and that we can "chew our cud," remain whole, and recognize that everything we have is exactly what we need.

The Theme of Tammuz: Haman's Mindset Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are going to continue exploring a theme we spoke about previously: that the core theme of the month of Tammuz is "Vechol zeh einennu shoveh li" —"Yet all this is worth nothing to me." This famous quote from Haman reveals a dangerous mindset: despite having absolutely everything, because he was missing just one thing, he felt he had nothing. The Root of the Snake This attitude traces all the way back to the primordial snake. The Sages note that the source for Haman in the Torah is hinted at in the verse, "Hamin ha'etz" (from the tree), which sounds like "Haman ha'etz " (Haman on the tree). But the Rabbis also explain that Haman is spiritually rooted in the snake. In Bereishit 3:1, the snake asks Chavah: "Af ki amar Elokim lo tochlu mikol etz hagan…" "Did God really say you cannot eat from any tree of the garden?" Chavah replies that they can eat from the fruit of the trees, except for the one in the middle of the garden, which God commanded them not to touch. The snake's strategy was to shift her focus to the one restriction, essentially saying, "If you can't have this, you have nothing." Esav and the Snake Theme Haman descended from Amalek, who descended from Esav. Not surprisingly, Esav continues this exact same "snake" theme. We see a very interesting concept regarding this in Bereishit 25:27: "Vayigdlu hana'arim…" "And the lads grew up; and Esav was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Yaakov was a wholesome man, dwelling in tents." The Targum translates the words "Esav ish yode'a tzayid" (Esav was a hunter) as "Vehavah Esav gevar nachshirchan." He was a nachshirchan man. What does nachshirchan mean? Many commentaries read it as two words: nachash yarchan , which means "snake thighs." Some explain this simply to mean that when Esav was hunting, he would lie flat on his stomach and slither like a snake to catch his prey. However, the Shelah HaKadosh quotes a book called the Tziyuni , which offers a deeper insight: Esav actually had a literal image of a snake etched onto his thigh. He had a tattoo of a snake. The Wrestling Match This sheds new light on the wrestling match between Yaakov and Esav's guardian angel. The Torah states that the angel wanted to touch "kaf yerech Yaakov" —the socket of Yaakov's thigh. He wanted to infect the children of Yaakov with this snake-like approach to life. But concerning that encounter, we say, "Velo yachol lo" —he could not overcome him. Why not? As Bilam later declares: "Ki lo nachash b'Yaakov" "There is no sorcery in Yaakov." Homiletically, this can be read as: "There are no snakes in Yaakov." We do not subscribe to that snake-like perspective. Instead, Yaakov Avinu embodies the opposite approach: whatever Hashem gives me is good, and I am happy. (Parenthetically, we will see later that the wrestling match between Yaakov and the angel actually occurred on Tisha B'Av, meaning Tisha B'Av has a deep connection to this concept. Additionally, the Sefer Ahavat Shalom on Parshat Toldot notes that Yaakov was the one who rectified the sin of Adam HaRishon. As the Talmud in Bava Metzia states, Yaakov Avinu possessed the identical beauty of Adam HaRishon. Yaakov's face is engraved on the Kiseh HaKavod [Throne of Glory], representing the ultimate human paradigm. Therefore, he is the ultimate spiritual counterforce to Esav, who represents the snake.) Two Approaches to Life: Yesh Li Rav vs. Yesh Li Kol Where else do we see Esav embodying the mindset of the snake? In Bereishit 33:9, when Esav receives a massive gift from Yaakov, he initially declines it, saying, "Yesh li rav" —"I have a lot. Keep what is yours, my brother." But Yaakov insists, saying, "Veyesh li kol" — "I have everything." The Chofetz Chaim explains that these represent two fundamental approaches to life: Esav's approach ( Yesh li rav ): "I have a lot, but I could always use more." Yaakov's approach ( Yesh li kol ): "I have everything." How can a person claim to have everything ? The answer is that when you recognize that HaKadosh Baruch Hu provides exact hashgacha pratit (divine providence) tailored to your specific needs, you realize you already possess everything you require. We reference this every single day in Birkat HaMazon: "Harachaman hu yivarech otanu... kmo sheinitbarchu avoteinu, Avraham, Yitzchak, v'Yaakov—bakol, mikol, kol." What do these three words mean? Regarding Avraham , the verse says, "V'Hashem berach et Avraham bakol " (with everything). Regarding Yitzchak , it says he ate " mikol " (from everything). The ultimate culmination is Yaakov , who proclaimed, "Yesh li kol " (I have everything). We ask Hashem to bless us collectively with that exact same blessing of kol . Lavan's Attack on Kol We see this theme pop up again in the Haggadah on Pesach: "Tzei u'lmad mah bikeish Lavan haArami la'asot l'Yaakov Avinu..." While Pharaoh only decreed against the male children, Lavan "bikeish la'akor et hakol" —he sought to uproot everything. Chassidic masters (brought down by Rabbi Shor in his commentary on Pesach, Lekach V'Libuv ) explain this deeply: Lavan didn't just want to destroy Yaakov's physical property; he wanted to uproot the very concept of kol from Yaakov. He wanted to destroy Yaakov's peaceful, content approach to life. This is a major, fundamental debate on how to live. The Ultimate Synthesis: She'asah Li Kol Tzorki Listen to this unbelievable explanation that ties it all together. Every single morning, we recite one of our most important morning blessings: "She'asah li kol tzorki" —"Who has provided me with all my needs." This means that whether physically or spiritually, God has already given me every single tool necessary to fulfill my unique mission in life. Look closely at the wording: She'asah li ... kol tzorki. Li (for me) and kol (everything) are the two magical words. Now look back at Haman. What did he say? "Ve chol zeh einennu shoveh li ." Haman is the exact antithesis of kol and li . He rejects the blessing of She'asahi li kol tzorki . He looks at his life and says, "No, I do not have everything I need. I am missing that one thing (Mordechai bowing), so it's all worthless." That is the negative energy of Tammuz. That is the destructive force that led to the churban (destruction of the Temple). And that is exactly what we are trying to undo during this month: rebuilding our perspective to match Yaakov's, knowing that God has given us everything we need. As we wind down the month of Tammuz, put a little extra focus and intention into the blessing of She'asah li kol tzorki . The Final Clincher To wrap this all up: there are only two days a year when we do not recite the blessing of She'asah li kol tzorki , and they happen to be the two days we do not wash our hands fully in the morning: Tisha B'Av and Yom Kippur . The Kabbalists explain: On Tisha B'Av , the spiritual impurity ( tumah ) is so potent we cannot fully remove it. On Yom Kippur , the holiness ( kedusha ) is so intense we don't even need to remove it. Tisha B'Av is the day of Esav. On that day, Esav's energy temporarily takes over, so we omit She'asah li kol tzorki . But on Yom Kippur—the day of Yaakov Avinu—we cast the sa'ir (the goat representing Esav, the ish sa'ir ) off the cliff, and the Kohen Gadol enters the Holy of Holies. On that day, the reality of She'asah li kol tzorki is so utterly apparent and deeply felt that we don't even need to vocalize it. We have covered a massive theme with a lot of moving parts. Review these concepts, and hopefully, we will all merit to live on that elevated spiritual level of kol .

Exodus 17 reminds us that God's people never outgrow their need for Him. As Israel battles Amalek, victory is tied not merely to Joshua's courage in the valley but to Moses' uplifted hands on the mountain. The passage exposes our instinct toward self-reliance and shows that true strength is found in dependence on God and in the support of His people. Ultimately, it points to Jesus, the true and better Moses, who continually intercedes for us and has declared war on sin, Satan, and death. Join us as we discover why dependence is not weakness but the pathway to lasting victory.

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We are on our special Erev Shabbat series, but we are going to connect it to the month of Tammuz, as we have been doing this week. We have been talking about the different letter combinations that connect the 12 months of the year. There is another fascinating combination here, and to fully understand it, we need a little bit of mathematical background. If we take four distinct letters—let's say A, B, C, and D—and organize them into groups based on which letter comes first, each of the four letters gets a turn in the front. Then, the remaining letters are shuffled into every possible order behind it. You get six combinations per letter. For example: ABCD, ABDC, ACBD, ACDB, ADBC, and ADCB. Please don't try to repeat that too fast! If you do that for B, C, and D as well, it comes out to a total of 24 combinations. Four starting choices with six variations each equals a total of 24 different combinations. That is why when you have a combination lock with four unique numbers, you have to go through 24 different variations to figure it out, assuming you are using all four. But what happens when you have a duplicate letter, like AABC? In that case, to fix the double counting, we simply divide our baseline total by two. So, 24 total paths divided by the two identical letters equals 12 unique combinations. With that in mind, Hashem's holy name is spelled with a Yud, a Hei, a Vav, and a Hei. There are four letters, but there is a duplicate letter—the Hei. Therefore, there are exactly 12 possible combinations of Hashem's name. I won't go through them all here, although I will attach a complete chart to the transcript document. Instead, we will focus on just two of them: the combinations for Nissan and Tammuz. The Month of Nissan: A Straight Lens Each one of these 12 combinations has a corresponding pasuk (verse) where the first or last letters of the words spell out that specific order. The combination for Nissan is Yud, Hei, Vav, Hei—Hashem's name in its proper, direct order. For this, we have the pasuk from Divrei HaYamim Aleph 16:31: Yismechu hashamayim v'tagel ha'aretz ( י שמחו ה שמים ו תגל ה ארץ ), meaning "The heavens are happy and the land is joyful." The continuation of that verse reads: V'yomru vagoyim Hashem melech ( ויאמרו בגויים ה' מלך ), meaning "And they will say among the nations that Hashem is king." This represents the month of Nissan, a time of miracles where the entire world openly recognizes God as King. The Month of Tammuz: The Haman Outlook Tammuz is the exact opposite. Its letter combination is Hei, Vav, Hei, Yud, which is Hashem's name completely backwards. If Nissan is all about recognizing God openly in creation, Tammuz represents the ultimate concealment. The four words of the pasuk that spell out this backward combination do not come from the beginning of the words, but rather from the end of the words Haman says in Megillat Esther (5:3): V'chol zeh einenu shoveh li ( וכל ז ה איננ ו שו ה ל י ). The word zeh ends with a Hei, einenu ends with a Vav, shoveh ends with a Hei, and li ends with a Yud. This translates to: "All of this is worthless to me." Haman says this right after walking out of the palace. On that day, he is happy and has a glad heart ( sameach v'tov lev ). He has everything a person could physically desire. Rabbi Yehuda Adas notes that normally, a person needs highly refined middot (character traits) to experience true, lasting joy. But for an egoist like Haman to feel happy, he requires absolutely everything in the world to go his way. He must be the second-in-command to the king and have the entire world bowing down to him just to feel validated. But how long does his happiness last? The text says, U'chrot Haman et Mordechai b'sha'ar hamelech ( וכראות המן את מרדכי בשער המלך )—when Haman sees Mordechai at the king's gate and Mordechai refuses to bow or even move, Haman is ready to explode with rage. He controls himself, goes home to his family, and boasts to them about his vast wealth, his many children, and how the king elevated him above all the other nobles. He is literally listing his assets to rehabilitate his ego after the blow of one individual not bowing to him. He even boasts that he was the only guest invited to join the king and queen for a private party, and that he is invited again tomorrow. But then he drops the punchline: V'chol zeh einenu shoveh li —"Yet all of this is worthless to me every time I see Mordechai the Jew sitting at the king's gate." That toxic outlook can take a person who has the entire world and make them feel like they have absolutely nothing. The Root of the Snake Masechet Chullin 139b asks a famous question: Haman min haTorah m'nayyin? ("Where is Haman hinted at in the Torah?") The Gemara points to the verse after the first sin in Bereishit: Hamin ha'etz asher tzivitiha... ("Did you eat from the tree which I commanded you not to eat?"). The word Hamin (from the) is spelled identically to Haman. The rabbis explain that there is a deep spiritual connection between Haman and eating from the Etz HaDa'at (the Tree of Knowledge). Haman represents the primordial snake, the force of ultimate negativity. In fact, Haman stems from the nation of Amalek. The numerical value (gematria) of Amalek is 240, which is the exact same value as the Hebrew words ram (arrogant) and tzefa (a python or poisonous snake). Think about what the snake did in the Garden of Eden. The snake approached Chavah and asked, "Is it true that God said you cannot eat from any tree in the garden?" Chavah corrected him: "No, of course we can eat from all the trees, there is just one specific tree in the center of the garden that we cannot eat from." But to the snake—and to Haman—if you cannot have that one thing, then everything else you do have becomes completely meaningless. If you are restricted from one single tree, it is as if you can't eat anything at all. If one single man doesn't bow down to you, your entire empire is worth zero. That is the Haman outlook. It forces a person to focus entirely on what they lack, blinding them to the blessings they possess. That is the negative spiritual energy present in the month of Tammuz: the temptation to view our lives through this destructive lens. Shabbat: The Ultimate Alignment The ultimate antidote to this negative energy is Shabbat. This explains a beautiful custom we have in our Friday night Kiddush. Although they are two separate verses in the Torah, we connect the end of the creation story directly to the declaration of Shabbat: Vayhi erev vayhi voker yom hashishi and Vaychulu hashamayim v'ha'aretz . Why do we link them together? The Arizal explains that the first letters of these four consecutive words— Y om H ashishi V aychulu H ashamayim—spell out Hashem's holy name in its straight, proper order (Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei). Shabbat brings us back into alignment and corrects the spiritual damage caused by the snake. Shabbat is a day where we step away from the urge to control and instead view the world through the lens of "Hashem is King." It restores us to the perspective of Yismechu hashamayim v'tagel ha'aretz . That is the true lens of Shabbat. We see this same concept beautifully illustrated in Mizmor Shir L'Yom HaShabbat (Psalm 92), the song of the Sabbath day. It begins, Tov l'hodot l'Hashem —"It is good to praise Hashem." It then maps out the rhythm of faith: L'haggid baboker chasdecha —in the morning, when life is bright and clear, we easily see Hashem's kindness. V'emunatecha balaylot —but in the dark, difficult nights of life, we lean into pure faith. David HaMelech looks at creation and notes that it is profoundly deep, adding that a foolish person cannot understand what is truly happening. What does the fool miss? The fool sees the wicked temporarily prospering like grass and assumes they are winning. But as the psalm progresses, the perspective shifts: Tzaddik katamar yifrach —"The righteous will blossom like a palm tree." The psalm concludes that after the grand design becomes clear, the wicked are shattered and the righteous flourish, L'haggid ki yashar Hashem —"To declare that Hashem is upright." But the words Yashar Hashem can also be read literally as "Hashem's name is straight." When clarity arrives, we are finally looking at the world through the proper lens where His name is no longer scrambled or hidden in backward permutations. It is revealed in its perfect, straight order: Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei. We realize that even through the most confusing and difficult years, His plan was always inherently straight. Tzuri v'lo avlata bo —"He is my rock, and there is no injustice in Him." We pray to appreciate that all months are deeply rooted in this exact clarity. Straightening the Name Through Tzedakah Beyond Shabbat, another profound way to straighten Hashem's name in daily life is brought down by the Chida in his sefer Avodat HaKodesh ( Moreh B'Etzba , siman aleph, letter yud-bet). He teaches that when you give tzedakah (charity), you should mindfully intend to align the four letters Yud, Hei, Vav, Hei. How does the act of giving mirror the Name? The small coin that you pick up represents the small letter Yud . The five fingers of your hand grasping the coin represent the letter Hei (which has a numerical value of five). Stretching out your long arm to extend the charity represents the straight line of the letter Vav . Finally, when the poor man opens his hand to receive the money, his five fingers forming a container represent the final letter, Hei . Based on this, the Chida, in his sefer Nachal Kedumim (Parshat Shemot), offers a deeper explanation of Rashi's commentary on the words V'yikchu li terumah ("Take for Me an offering"). Rashi notes that li ("for Me") means lishmi ("for My name's sake"), which traditionally implies doing the mitzvah with pure, unselfish intentions ( lishma ). However, the Chida reveals a profound mystical layer: li lishmi indicates that when you give tzedakah, you should intentionally contemplate that you are actively rectifying Hashem's name and restoring the letters to their proper, harmonious order. He adds a fascinating insight regarding this process, explaining that this beautiful spiritual alignment only works seamlessly if the giver initiates the flow. This means you must start the sequence yourself by actively seeking out the poor person, picking up the coin, and leading with the Yud, which represents the coin itself. If, instead, the poor person must stick out his hand first, followed by his arm, before the giver finally reaches out with his fingers to hand over the coin, the entire structural order is flipped backward. This is why the highest form of tzedakah occurs when you proactively seek out opportunities to give, rather than waiting for someone to come looking for you. When we initiate giving, we keep the proper spiritual order perfectly aligned, whereas doing it the opposite way turns the intended order completely upside down.

The crouching stance of the lion in Bilaam's prophecy demonstrates that even when subjected to the physical constraints of exile, the Jewish people maintain an untamed, independent spiritual nature that is periodically reinforced by unmistakable, nature-shattering miracles. The deceptive spiritual authority claimed by the negative forces of Bilaam and Amalek is completely neutralized when a person internalizes a parallel matrix of active awe and love of Hashem. The psychological argument from Laban that one must temporarily disconnect from G-d and compromise spiritual values to achieve material career success is defeated by implementing a spiritual guardrail, which transforms mundane daily work into a holy ascent rooted in the absolute surrender of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Balak in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 2.

We continue with the second and final Shiur for Parshat Chukat- We learn about AMalke attacking after the clouds left and wars with giants and the fear of Moshe, Enjoy

You're listening to the Greater Hope Church podcast, rooted in the gospel, growing in community, and shining among people. This sermon from Exodus 17 explores Jehovah Nissi — "the Lord is my banner" — recounting Israel's battle with Amalek and how God's presence secured victory. Pastor Stan McMahan explains the three enemies Christians face (the world, the flesh, and the devil), calls believers to rely on spiritual armor and one another, and points to Christ's cross and crown as the banner of our ultimate hope and triumph. Exodus 17:8-16 A young lawyer witnessed a battle in 1814 . . . A Call to Arms Why must God's people be prepared for conflict? A Staff in the Hand How do God's people prevail in conflict? A Banner over the People What is our encouragement in conflict?

Amalek: a nation of desert robbers who attacked the weakest of Israel's people as Moses led them across the desert, and against whom God made an especially severe judgment. That judgment was not carried out until the rule of Saul, some 400 years later, by which time Amalek had become even worse, destroying and depopulating whole towns in Judah and Philistia.So God commanded Saul, as the captain of his armies on earth, to carry out that terrible judgment, and Saul did it in part. That is, he did the part that he wanted to do. He did not hesitate to destroy what was weak and worthless, but he saved the best, and even Amalek's wicked and ruthless king, Agag. That was the reason why God finally made the firm and definite decision to reject Saul as king. It was also the reason why Amalek continued to trouble the southern part of Israel for long after.

The U.S. House just voted 215-208 to invoke the War Powers Act and force an end to America's illegal war for Israel in Iran. Four Republicans — Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett, and Warren Davidson — joined every Democrat and told the White House the slaughter needs to stop.

Ikar hateshuva — shyishma bizyono yidom v'yishtok. Hear your humiliation. Be still. That is the way back. Shiur 2 in the weekly Torah series on the Lost Princess of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, at the Sephardic Center on Avenue P in Brooklyn. With R' Nachman Fried. This shiur picks up right where Shiur 1 left off — and walks through the spiritual lull between Shavuos and Rosh Hashana, the moment the words slipped from the King's mouth, and the moment the viceroy stood up uninvited and asked, give me a servant, give me a horse, give me money for the journey. The Rebbe is teaching us, in every detail, who the tzaddik is — and who we are. What we cover: The Rebbe is for everyone — vos art es mir az einer bentcht zich b'kavana un nisht visen az es iz fun mir. What does it bother me if someone bentches with kavana and doesn't know it's from me? The Rebbe never cared if you became his chassid. He cared if you connected to Hashem. The post-Shavuos void — why the Torah deliberately leaves us with no Yom Tov between Shavuos and Rosh Hashana. The trigger we're trying to distract from is underneath the boredom — and Hashem put it there on purpose. The three beliefs — Hashem, the tzaddik, and (the one the yetzer hara works hardest to break) YOU. The ladybug-in-the-pool story. You are relevant. You can't make peace with terrorists — my father olav hashalom, the yetzer hara's real address (not Ibiza — your head), and why the doubt about your own relevance is the yesod of Amalek. Ego = Edging G-d Out — how every time we let our strength protect our weakness, we lay down another iron layer between us and the chelek Eloka mima'al inside. The avoda — yishma bizyono, yidom v'yishtok. Hear your humiliation. Stay quiet. Stay present. That is the kli the light is waiting to fill. The story moves — the broiges, the words that slipped from the King's mouth (vnishtguter zol dir nemen), the lost princess vanishing, and the moment the viceroy stood up without being asked. That uninvited amad is the tzaddik. That uninvited amad is the tzaddik in you. Compassion needs Da'as — feeling someone's pain is rachmanus. Acting on it is l'rachem. The bridge between them is da'as — and da'as is what lets you see the godliness inside the table, the chair, the meshulach at your door. Why he asked for a servant, a horse, and money — chavruta + nefesh habahamis (to ride, not to be ridden) + parnassa for the road. We were the viceroy. We agreed to come down here. We said yes. The action plan — bli neder, one moment of humiliation this week. With your wife if you're married. With a partner. In business. One time. Hear it. Stay. Don't run. That's how the chomah stays standing and the Lost Princess can be heard again. —

Amalek's Endgame: The Greater Israel Project, Secret Maps, and America's 30-Year Blood Debt! Today we're going full conspiracy time—raw, unfiltered, truth bombs on the Gaza slaughter, the Oct 7 “allowed to happen” setup, Amalek code words, tribunal theater, and the real endgame: Greater Israel's kingdom rising on Palestinian graves and American tax dollars. Folks, we've covered AIPAC's iron grip on DC in the last episode—how they own primaries, bury critics, and turn Congress into a blank check for Tel Aviv. Today we tie it straight to Smotrich and Netanyahu's maps, the Yinon Plan, the Clean Break blueprint, and why every US war in the Middle East for 30 years smells like Greater Israel prep work.  Web Site: www.DontTreadonMerica.com https://linktr.ee/DontTreadonMerica Email the show: Donq@donttreadonmerica.com DTOM Store (Promo code DTOM for 10% off) Sponsors: www.makersmark.com www.NordVPN.com  Promo Code: DTOM www.alppouch.com/DTOM www.dubby.gg Promo code: DTOM Social Media:   Don't Tread on Merica TV   DTOM on Facebook   DTOM on X    DTOM on TikTok    DontTreadonMericaTV   DTOM on Instagram    DTOM on YouTube

"The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:16.)Israel begins to face giants... and so do we.

“The Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.” (Exodus 17:16.)The battles with giants begin.

Historien om Amalek er en af de mest voldsomme tekster i Bibelen og den har haft uhyggelige konsekvenser for folk helt op til i dag. Lauge og Kristian prøver at forstå, hvorfor denne tekst bliver citeret og brugt i nutidig politik. Tilrettelagt af Kristian Leth og Lauge Hendriksen. Klippet af Nina Vadsholt. Speak: Karen Straarup. Redaktør: Hanne Budtz-Jørgensen. Produceret for DR af Munck Studios København.

The Rebbe discusses the unique hatred and spiritual threat that Amalek poses to the Jewish people compared to Moav. While Moav feared Israel physically, Amalek's opposition stems from a deep-seated spiritual enmity, requiring a different response and understanding. https://www.torahrecordings.com/likutei-sichos/002/008_001

Daily Dose of Hope May 19, 2026   Name of God:  Jehovah Nissi – The Lord Is My Banner Scripture:  Exodus 17:8-16, Isaiah 11:10-12, Psalm 20:5-7, John 12:32   Prayer:  Holy God, I come before You today acknowledging You as Jehovah Nissi, the Lord my Banner. When the battles of life surround me and the enemy's tactics seem overwhelming, I do not have to fight in my own strength. I look to You as my defender and my source of strength.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently in a study on the names of God in the Old Testament.  As we have mentioned, in the ancient world, names held a great deal of significance, indicating aspects of someone's character and purpose.  Certainly, it is the same with God.  God has many different names, all of which demonstrate one aspect of His character.  Today, we are focusing on Jehovah Nissi.   Jehovah Nissi (or more accurately YHWH Nissi) means the Lord is my Banner.  Nissi comes from the Hebrew word Nes (nês), meaning something lifted up as a standard or banner.  A standard is a flag or rallying point during battle, while a banner was usually set on top of a mountain to show people where to assemble and it flew over the warriors as they fought.   In Exodus 17:8-16, we find an excellent portrayal of Jehovah Nissi fighting for His people; it's also the only place in Scripture specifically referencing the name Jehovah Nissi. The Amalekites, an enemy of Israel, came to fight at Rephidim. Joshua gathered some men while Moses stood on top of the hill with the Lord's staff along with his brother, Aaron, and friend, Hur. Moses held the staff over the men fighting below. "While Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand down, Amalek prevailed."  So Aaron and Hur helped by supporting Moses' arms so the staff wouldn't lower, and Joshua and his men defeated the Amalekites.   In Exodus 17:15-16, Scripture reads, "And Moses built an altar and named it, The Lord Is My Banner." He said, "Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward the Lord's throne." Moses knew that God was the one who ensured their victory and he wanted to make sure everyone else did too. Jehovah Nissi was the source of this victory, while using Moses, Joshua, Aaron, Hur and the staff. Elsewhere in the Bible His "banner" is an illustration of His protection and salvation.  Just as banners and flags today identify nations and groups and those who belong to them, God's banner identifies those who belong to Him.  Here are a few illustrations: Psalm 60:4, "You have raised a banner to . . . save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered." Psalm 20:5 "We will rejoice in your salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners!" Isaiah 11:10,12, Speaking of the Messiah who was to come, Isaiah prophesied, "In that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a banner to the people...He will set up a banner for the nations."   What significance does this divine name, Jehovah Nissi, have for Christ-followers?  First, it points to how God does not leave us to fight our battles in our own strength.  I'm often praying to God to fight my battles for me, because so often, we simply have no control.  But God does.  Second, I think we learn to remember and celebrate the way God has led us and the victories He has provided. Moses built an altar.  I don't think we need to build something physical but we do need to remember what God has done for us.  Remembering God's faithfulness in the past builds our own faith and trust in the present. Take a moment and pray to Jehovah Nissi.  What battles do you need God to fight for you right now?  What battles has He fought for you the past?  Have you celebrated those victories? Blessings, Pastor Vicki      

Pastor Davis tackled one of the Bible's hardest passages, 1 Samuel 15:1-3, where God commands Saul to judge the Amalekites. Rather than avoiding the tension, he leaned directly into the difficult question: “How can a loving God command violence?” His central argument was that this passage is not about ethnic cleansing, but “ethic cleansing” rooted in God's justice against persistent evil.  The sermon emphasized three truths about God's judgment: it is patient, perfect, and paradoxical. Pastor Davis explained that God waited centuries before judging Amalek, showing extraordinary mercy and desire for repentance.  He stressed that God's justice protects the vulnerable and is never based on ethnicity, but on the condition of the heart.  The paradox of God's character was highlighted, in that He is: fully just, yet deeply compassionate. Even while judging sin, God “sighs deeply” over sinners with mercy and grief.  The sermon ultimately pointed to Jesus as the better King who bore God's judgment on behalf of sinners through the cross. 

Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by return-guest, Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, for a wide-ranging debate about truth, propaganda, evidence, starvation and the Israel-Gaza war. The conversation focuses on John Mearsheimer's claims about October 7, whether public intellectuals should lose credibility when they make unsupported accusations, disputed casualty reporting in Gaza and the role political bias plays in shaping what people choose to believe. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is a general, trauma, and critical care surgeon in California. He is also a humanitarian surgeon, having worked most extensively in Palestine, but also in Ukraine, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. He has written and spoken extensively about surgical humanitarian work, the United States' role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the political consequences of medical relief work. Twitter/X @FerozeSidhwa Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Twitter fights 08:14 Mearsheimer, October 7, and “good faith” arguments 15:25 Trump, Epstein, and blackmail claims 22:01 The Israel Lobby and the Iraq War debate 34:05 Germany comparisons and collective punishment 37:09 Netanyahu, “Amalek,” and genocide accusations 46:15 Dead children, crossfire, and moral responsibility 47:43 Gaza aid shootings and casualty reporting 50:02 The Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion controversy 55:11 Rashid Khalidi, sources, and historical credibility

Noam Dworman and Periel Aschenbrand are joined by return-guest, Dr. Feroze Sidhwa, for a wide-ranging debate about truth, propaganda, evidence, starvation and the Israel-Gaza war. The conversation focuses on John Mearsheimer's claims about October 7, whether public intellectuals should lose credibility when they make unsupported accusations, disputed casualty reporting in Gaza and the role political bias plays in shaping what people choose to believe. Dr. Feroze Sidhwa is a general, trauma, and critical care surgeon in California. He is also a humanitarian surgeon, having worked most extensively in Palestine, but also in Ukraine, Haiti, Zimbabwe, and Burkina Faso. He has written and spoken extensively about surgical humanitarian work, the United States' role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the political consequences of medical relief work. Twitter/X @FerozeSidhwa Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Twitter fights 08:14 Mearsheimer, October 7, and “good faith” arguments 15:25 Trump, Epstein, and blackmail claims 22:01 The Israel Lobby and the Iraq War debate 34:05 Germany comparisons and collective punishment 37:09 Netanyahu, “Amalek,” and genocide accusations 46:15 Dead children, crossfire, and moral responsibility 47:43 Gaza aid shootings and casualty reporting 50:02 The Al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion controversy 55:11 Rashid Khalidi, sources, and historical credibility

Missions Trips Info: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://orbisministries.org/ministry-trips/Sign Up for Prayer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Orbis Prayer Ministry Network – Receive prayer for healing, prophecy, inner healing and deliverance⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Donate: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Give - Orbis Ministries⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠In this episode of God Is Not a Theory, Ken Fish is joined by Joanna McKay (“Jo”) live from the Middle East following their recent expedition through Saudi Arabia and Cairo. The conversation centers on one of the most debated topics in biblical archaeology:Could the real Mount Sinai actually be in Saudi Arabia?Drawing from Scripture, archaeology, geography, ancient petroglyphs, and firsthand exploration, Ken and Jo unpack the growing evidence suggesting that the biblical Mount Sinai—also called Mount Horeb—may be located east of the Gulf of Aqaba in ancient Arabia rather than on the traditional Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. From the altar of the golden calf…to boundary markers described in Exodus…to the split rock at Horeb…to petroglyphs depicting Moses with raised hands during the battle with Amalek…this episode explores how modern discoveries appear to align remarkably with the biblical narrative. The episode also highlights:The hospitality they experienced in Saudi ArabiaThe role of Scripture in guiding archaeological inquiryWhy Paul's statement in Galatians 4:25 mattersThe spiritual significance of rediscovering biblical placesAnd how these discoveries reinforce confidence in the reliability of God's WordThe central message:The Bible is not mythology detached from history—God's Word stands up to examination, geography, and time.How to Engage with Orbis:- Check out Ken's book,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ On the Road with the Holy Spirit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Partner with Orbis Financially⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-⁠⁠⁠⁠ Are you interested in learning about Holy Spirit-led ministry? Visit Orbis School of Ministry at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://orbissm.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or email our Registrar, Jo McKay, at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠jo@orbisminstries.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠-⁠⁠⁠⁠ Upcoming Orbis Ministries overseas ministry trips are posted on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠orbisministries.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ under the Train tab-Join an International Ministry Trip link behind the registration/login portal.- Do you want to join Ken's private Facebook discussion group, "God is not a Theory?" Please send a Facebook Direct Message to Bryan Orbis and a friend request to be added to it.

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, Erika and Veronica explore the powerful Hebrew name YHWH Nissi — “The Lord is My Banner,” first declared by Moses in Book of Exodus 17 after Israel's battle with Amalek. They unpack how a “banner” in the ancient world was more than a flag—it was a rallying point, a source of identity, and a symbol of victory. Through the story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, listeners see that Israel's victory didn't come from strength or strategy, but from dependence on God. The episode also traces how the idea of a “banner” runs throughout Scripture and ultimately points to Jesus, who was lifted up as our source of salvation and victory. This conversation invites listeners to consider what they are standing under and challenges them to live fully under God's authority, identity, and victory.Our website is The Context and Color of the BibleWe are on Facebook - The Context and Color of the Bible | FacebookWe are on Instagram - @contextandcolorofthebibleWe are on YouTube - The Context and Color of the Bible - YouTubeMusic: Tabuk by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4453-tabukLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Veronica and Erika will be at the Hands On Fair in Lansing, MI May 14 from 11-3. 

The family isn't just a social unit — it's the foundation God built society upon. In this episode, Dr. John works through Deuteronomy 25:5–19, examining four laws designed to protect family life in ancient Israel: caring for widows through levirate marriage, safeguarding future generations, ensuring honest dealings in business, and remembering the ruthless attack of Amalek on Israel's most vulnerable. Ancient laws with a timeless message about why family still matters.The Law and Holy Living: The laws of ancient Israel can feel distant and irrelevant to modern readers — but look closer, and you'll find they reveal something timeless about the character of God. In this series on Deuteronomy 18–26, Dr. John works through the detailed national laws given to Israel, uncovering what they teach us about justice, worship, and holy living — and pointing us to the one who came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it.

Parshat Beshalach - Faith, Amalek, and the Cost of Incomplete Obedience

"But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality." - Revelation 2:14Solomon Friedman, a rabbi, owns Pornhub and a bunch of other porn sites.Leonid Radvinski owned OnlyFans and was largest donor to AIPACRabbi Shmuley in NYC sells sex toys with his daughter.Epstein's files revealed not one Jewish girl was trafficked. It was targeted at non-Jews.Sexual immorality (abortion, homosexuality, adultery, porn) brings divine judgement (Lev 18:27-28, 1 Cor 10:8, Jude 1:7), and the Edomites are encouraging it in order to bring judgement on the Christian West.Meanwhile, Israel--with a birth rate of 2.92--is the only Western country not facing a fertility crisis.The Great Replacement is Esau seeking to, as he always has, wipe out Jacob and steal back the birthright.They lay crafty plans against your people;they consult together against your treasured ones.They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”For they conspire with one accord;against you they make a covenant⁠—the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,Moab and the Hagrites,Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;Asshur also has joined them;they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah— Psalm 83:3-8SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY:Text the word "Give" to 386-753-7337 or hit the "Thanks" button here on YouTube. Thank you so much for your generosity and for partnering in the Gospel of Jesus Christ with us!ORMOND CHURCHCome worship Jesus with us: https://ormondchurch.netMY INFO:Website: https://richtidwell.comLinktree: https://linktr.ee/richtidwellTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@richtidwellInstagram: http://bit.ly/GLoR5KTwitter: http://bit.ly/19bNH50Email: rich@richtidwell.com

Matthew Week 132   Matthew 23:23-24 ESV   23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!       Deuteronomy 14:22-23 ESV   22 "You shall tithe all the yield of your seed that comes from the field year by year. 23 And before the Lord your God, in the place that he will choose, to make his name dwell there, you shall eat the tithe of your grain, of your wine, and of your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and flock, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always.       Matthew 9:13 ESV   13 Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."       Micah 6:6-8 ESV   6 "With what shall I come before the Lord,   and bow myself before God on high?   Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,   with calves a year old?   7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,   with ten thousands of rivers of oil?   Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,   the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?"   8 He has told you, O man, what is good;   and what does the Lord require of you   but to do justice, and to love kindness,   and to walk humbly with your God?       1 Samuel 15:3 ESV   3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"       1 Samuel 15:10-11 ESV   10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 "I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments." And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.       1 Samuel 15:22 ESV   22 Samuel said,   "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,   as in obeying the voice of the Lord?   Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,   and to listen than the fat of rams.     Matthew 7:21-23 ESV   21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.22 On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.'  

You've seen the Hollywood version of the Red Sea parting, but do you know the spiritual reason God led Israel into a dead end? Sometimes the "wrong direction" in the eyes of the world is the only way to see the "salvation of the Lord." Summary: In this deep dive into Exodus 14–18, we follow Israel out of Egypt and into the refining fires of the wilderness. We explore how Jehovah transforms a group of former slaves into a covenant people through trials of hunger, thirst, and war. The Red Sea Crossing: We analyze why God told Israel to "stand still" and see His power, and how the cloud that gave light to Israel was darkness to the Egyptians. The Wilderness of Sin: We address the "murmuring" of Israel and the miracle of Manna. We learn that God provides "daily bread" to teach us daily dependence on Him. Water from the Rock: We look at the symbolism of the smitten rock at Rephidim and how it points directly to the Living Water offered by Jesus Christ. Sustaining the Prophet: We study the battle with Amalek and the vital role of Aaron and Hur in holding up Moses' hands. We discuss how "sustaining" our leaders is an active, physical labor. The Wisdom of Jethro: We conclude with the organizational breakthrough in Exodus 18. Jethro teaches Moses (and us) that "this thing is too heavy for thee," showing the power of delegation and shared responsibility in the kingdom of God. Call-to-Action: Are you currently facing a "Red Sea" with Pharaoh's army behind you and nowhere to go? How has the Lord provided "manna" for you during a lean season of your life? Share your experiences in the comments! To keep your faith "Unshaken" as we approach the foot of Mount Sinai, please like, subscribe, and share this video. Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 6:38 Entangled in Sin 16:45 Faith or Fear 22:19 Stand Still or Move Forward 27:50 Impossible Commands 38:03 Parting the Waters 52:30 Swallowed Up in the Sea 58:15 The Sea of Faith 1:04:42 The Song of Moses 1:21:52 Murmuring at Marah 1:32:25 Manna from Heaven 1:59:14 Memorializing the Manna 2:06:49 More Murmuring 2:18:01 Sustaining the Prophet 2:42:11 Jethro, Moses, & the Blessings of Extended Family 2:52:22 What the Lord Has Done 2:56:49 Learning to Lead: Doing For or Doing To 3:12:34 Teach Correct Principles and Let Them Govern Themselves 3:46:06 Learning to Delegate

Stew exposes the raw truth: Israel blew up the US-Iran ceasefire before the ink was dry because they still have kids to slaughter and land to steal in Lebanon, Gaza, and beyond. Trump bragged about a 10-point Iranian peace plan, then immediately backpedaled like the puppet he is once Netanyahu snapped his fingers.   Ohio gubernatorial candidate Casey Putsch joins Stew to tear apart higher education consolidation scams, data centers bulldozing Ohio farmland for corporate profits, NRA leadership selling out gun rights, and why real America First puts Ohio workers and families first—not imported political parasites and out-of-state elites. Peymon Mottahedeh from Freedom Law School drops the bomb: There is NO constitutional law requiring Americans to file or pay federal income taxes. It's a 100+ year voluntary shakedown that's funding Israel's wars, war crimes, and Greater Israel agenda while turning Americans into tax slaves and Amalek.   This April only: $3 off your first month on Locals ✝️ A reminder of the 3rd day and the power of resurrection. Join here:

→ Watch on YouTube → Detailed Show Notes → Timestamps: (00:00) A brief overview of these chapters.(02:16) The children of Israel murmur and complain in the wilderness. As a comparison, Nephi's trust in God blesses his wilderness experience.(08:42) The Book of Mormon gives added insight as to why murmuring is such a problem. The key to happiness is to remember the greatness of God in both pain and prosperity.(19:07) A possible location of Sinai is discussed as evidence of historicity in the book of Exodus. Revelation came to Moses “when he was on the move.”(23:26) The night crossing of the Red Sea can represent Jesus conquering chaos in our lives. Psalm 74 also addresses these themes.(29:00) The children of Israel sing the Song of the Sea and rejoice in their deliverance.(36:40) The beginning and end of the Exodus story has women standing as witnesses to the miraculous. Miriam is there at Moses' birth and at the Song of the Sea.(42:46) Some approaches to Biblical scholarship may be helpful in understanding why the Bible has some traditions that cast Miriam in a bad light.(46:58) Miriam dies at Kadesh and the water dries up. Miriam as a symbol of the women in the New Testament named Mary who witnessed Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection.(51:07) The bitter water is sweetened with a tree. The Savior heals us too.(54:59) The Lord rains manna from heaven and sends quail for meat to feed the children of Israel for 40 years. God will take care of us in the deserts of our lives.(1:02:07) Moses smites a rock and water gushes forth. Jewish theologians over the years had a tradition that the rock at the beginning and at the end of Exodus was the same rock. Paul worked this tradition into his discussion of Christ, and so to him, the rock was Jesus.(1:07:27) Amalek battles with the Israelites and Moses' hands are held up so that Israel may be victorious. We sustain the prophet and our local leaders, and by so doing, we hold up their hands that hang down.(1:10:22) An invitation to remember what God has done for us.(1:13:23) Jethro counsels Moses to delegate certain tasks. Delegation gives opportunities for growth. → For more of Bryce Dunford’s podcast classes, click here. → Enroll in Institute → YouTube → Apple Podcasts → Spotify → Amazon Music → Facebook The post Ep 367 | Exodus 14-18, Come Follow Me 2026 (April 13-19) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.

Trump spoke with clarity, calling out the Islamic regime for decades of terror against America. It's time for Netanyahu to speak just as clearly about the enemies Israel is facing, the jihadi enemies who self-identify as “Palestinians”, modern Amalek, without hesitation and without ambiguity.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/

There have been some disturbing things happening in the world lately, and some of the people most heavily involved in those things are invoking even more disturbing parts of the Bible as a rallying call. When world leaders remind us of biblical genocide when they go to war, you know we're in trouble. So this week, we're discussing Amalek, and the Israelite encounters with the people who bear his name. There is no love lost between the Amalekites and the Israelites. As a matter of fact, Jewish people to this day vow to remember and NOT remember Amalek. So what was so awful about the Amalekites that they stand out as worse than the myriad other enemies of ancient Israel? And what did they do to deserve the total destruction that was ordered by God? Then we're covering some spurious apologetic ground. If you've ever listened to a Christian apologist for more than a few minutes, you've likely heard the idea that "No one would die for a lie." This idea is either preceded or followed by descriptions of the horrific deaths endured by the disciples of Jesus. The problem is that most of those deaths aren't recorded in any books in the Bible. So what are the stories of the deaths of the apostles, and where do they come from? ---- For early access to an ad-free version of every episode of Data Over Dogma, exclusive content, and the opportunity to support our work, please consider becoming a monthly patron at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/DataOverDogma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠      Follow us on the various social media places: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/DataOverDogmaPod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.twitter.com/data_over_dogma⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Have you ordered Dan McClellan's New York Times bestselling book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Bible Says So⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ yet??? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Church on the Move Roswell message continues a series on spiritual warfare, emphasizing that after putting on the armor of God believers must pray with consistency and persistence. Using Israel's battles as spiritual examples, Pastor Troy Smothermon teaches that some battles end while others return, urging endurance and refusal to quit. He recounts praying for his son's recurring ear infections and stresses that victory requires both spiritual intercession and practical action, and that isolation weakens while community support strengthens. In Exodus 17, Moses lifting the rod and being supported by Aaron and Hur illustrates lifting up Jesus, relying on the Rock, and needing others to hold up weary hands. Amalek is described as attacking the weak and stragglers, connected to broader themes involving Saul's disobedience, Esther's story, Persia/Iran, and Daniel's “Prince of Persia,” leading to a call for fasting, prayer, and filling spiritual voids with the Holy Spirit.

In this episode we look at the first battle and the first enemy that the children of Israel faced after their exodus from Egypt. We look at the brutality and cruelty of the Amalekites and how they did a surprise attack from behind against them. We look at what we can learn from this for our spiritual warfare today and how we find in God's unique commands to Moses and Joshua the way to overcome the enemy today in our battles. God has given us the way to get the victory if we would only follow His lead!

The spiritual "offering" (Korban) is the process of drawing near to G-d by harnessing and dedicating one's animalistic drive—the "animal soul"—to holiness, which elicits a light far higher than the godly soul can reach alone. Throughout history, the enemy Amalek uses two tactics—direct coldness toward spiritual passion and a deceptive "Canaanite" disguise that encourages Jews to secularize their mundane lives. This class, taught by Rabbi Shais Taub, is based on Parshas Vayikra in Likkutei Sichos Vol. 1.

While Israel's Iron Dome crumbles under sustained Iranian barrages and Netanyahu brags about destroying Amalek worldwide, our treasonous “leaders” are prepping the draft to send your sons to die so Bibi can build his Third Temple empire on mountains of goyim corpses. Jeff Berwick blasts through to unmask the Zionist Satanic overlords behind Epstein's hits on Tzla inventors, phony Iran escalations, and chemtrail mass murder plots while burying plasma healing tech that's nuking vax injuries and arming us against their globalist nightmare.

The simple interpretation of the phrase "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba Mebarach" – which we respond to Kaddish – is "May the Great Name be blessed." Meaning, we declare that "Shemeh Rabba" – G-d's great Name – shall be blessed and glorified. Tosafot (Berachot 3a) cite this interpretation in the name of Rabbenu Yishak. However, Tosafot also bring a different interpretation of this phrase, in the name of the Mahzor Vitri, according to which this phrase actually consists of two separate proclamations. First, we declare that "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba" – that G-d's Name shall be great, or complete, and we then add that it should be blessed forever ("Mebarach Le'alam…"). The concept underlying this second explanation is that G-d's Name is "incomplete" in our nation's state of exile. G-d's complete Name consists of four letters – Yod, Heh, Vav and Heh – but when the Jewish People are in exile, His Name is compromised, consisting of only Yod and Heh. This is indicated by G-d's pronouncement after Beneh Yisrael's first battle against Amalek: "Ki Yad Al Kes Y-ah" (Shemot 17:16). As long as Amalek exists, Hashem's Name is only "Y-ah," missing the final two letters, Vav and Heh. For the same reason, G-d refers in this verse to His throne with the word "Kes," a shortened version of the word "Kiseh," indicating the incompletion of His reign, so-to-speak, due to the presence of evil in the world. The Maharsha (Rav Shmuel Eidels, 1555-1631) explains on this basis the verse in Tehillim (132:13) which we recite each morning, "KI Bahar Hashem Be'Sion, Iva Le'moshab Lo" (literally, "For G-d has chosen Zion, desiring it as His abode"). This means that when Hashem will choose to return to Zion, with the rebuilding of the Bet Ha'mikdash, then "Iva" – the letters Alef, Vav and Heh – will be restored to their rightful place ("Le'moshab"). The missing Alef of the word "Kiseh," and the Vav and Heh missing from Hashem's Name, will finally return. Similarly, we recite each morning after Shema, "Hu Kayam U'shemo Kayam Ve'chis'o Nachon" – "He exists, His Name exists, and His throne is firmly set in place." Rav Shlomo Amar explains this to mean that when "Hu Kayam" – the letters Heh and Vav will come back, then "Shemo Kayam" – Hashem's Name will again be complete, and "Ve'chis'o Nachon" – His throne will be complete, as well. This notion is alluded to also in the prayer added by Ashkenazim to Birkat Ha'mazon: "Ha'Rahaman Hu Yishlah Lanu Et Eliyahu Ha'nabi" – "The Compassionate One – He will send us Eliyahu the prophet." When Eliyahu comes, "Hu" – the letters Heh and Vav – will be restored. Another allusion to this concept appears in the final verse in Tehillim: "Kol Ha'neshama Tehalel Ya-ah" – "Every soul shall praise Y-ah." The word "He'neshama" ("the soul") can be punctuated differently such that it means "the desolation." This verse thus implies that in the current state of "desolation," in the absence of the Bet Ha'mikdash, we can praise only "Y-ah," as Hashem's Name remains incomplete. According to this second interpretation of "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba Mebarach," we are praying that "Shemeh" – a contraction of the words "Shem" and "Y-ah," referring to the incomplete Name – shall be made "Rabba," complete, and, additionally, His Name should be blessed ("Mebarach"). Incidentally, the word "Yitgadal" consists of five letters, and the word "Ve'yitkadash" consists of six letters. These two words thus represent the letters Heh and Vav, which, respectively, equal in Gematria 5 and 6. We pray through the recitation of these words that G-d's Name should be glorified through the restoration of the missing Vav and Heh. According to this second opinion, when reciting "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba Mebarach," one should pause slightly between the words "Shemeh" and "Rabba," as this is a prayer that the Name ("Shemeh") should become great ("Rabba"), and the word "Rabba" is thus not describing the word "Shemeh." The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) cites the Arizal as concurring with this view of the Mahzor Vitri. However, as Hacham Ovadia Yosef cites, Tosafot challenged this reading in light of the Gemara's comment (there in Berachot) that speaks of Jews proclaiming in the synagogue, "Yeheh Shemeh Ha'gadol Meborach" ("May His great Name be blessed") – which clearly indicates that we are declaring that the great Name shall be blessed, as Rabbenu Yishak explained. Moreover, Rav Yisrael Bitan notes that the Ben Ish Hai elsewhere brings Rabbenu Yishak's understanding, and ruled that one should therefore not pause between the words "Shemeh" and "Rabba." This is, indeed, the correct practice to follow. Summary: The accepted interpretation of "Yeheh Shemeh Rabba Mebarach" is "May the Great Name be blessed." One should recite these words without any pause in between the words "Shemeh" and "Rabba."

Please take 5 minutes to fill out Ark Media's LISTENER SURVEY ____ Rachel Goldberg-Polin joins Dan for a Purim special to explain why this is possibly the most misunderstood holiday in Jewish tradition. Rather than simply a fun masquerade for kids, Purim presents a profound meditation on hiddenness, courage, and stepping into one's moment. Rachel walks Dan through the Book of Esther, unpacks its drama and philosophical depth, and explores why a story where God is never mentioned may be the most relevant text for a confusing, fractured age. In this episode: - The world of Persia and the backstory to Purim - Vashti, Esther, and the making of a queen - Haman, Amalek, and the logic of antisemitism - “For such a time as this” and the Esther moment - Where is God in a story without God? - Masks, hiddenness, and the illusion of randomness - Unity, generosity, and the mitzvot of Purim - Discovering your purpose when no one summons you More Ark Media: Subscribe to Inside Call me Back Explore Israel Votes Listen to For Heaven's Sake Listen to What's Your Number? Watch Call me Back on YouTube Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal Instagram | Ark Media | Dan X | Dan Dan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of Israel Get in touch Credits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo 

Prophetic Insights into the Spirit of Haman | KIB 519 Kingdom Intelligence Briefing Description In this week's Kingdom Intelligence Briefing (Episode 519), Dr. Michael and Mary Lou Lake turn toward the biblical season of Purim and the prophetic lessons embedded in the book of Esther. As hidden things continue to be revealed in our day, Purim reminds us that God is not absent—He is orchestrating reversals, positioning His people, and bringing justice in His timing. Dr. Lake explores a powerful character study of Esther's three central figures—Esther, Mordecai, and Haman—and shows how Haman's identity as "the Agagite" connects the narrative to the ancient war with Amalek. You'll see how Saul's incomplete obedience created consequences that surfaced generations later—and how God raised up Mordecai and Esther to finish what Saul failed to do. This episode also examines the psychological and spiritual profile of Haman: pride, entitlement, obsession with honor, rage at dissent, manipulation of law and finances, and genocidal hatred. The discussion highlights how these traits mirror the "Amalekite/Haman spirit" at work through systems, propaganda, and bureaucratic power—then and now. Finally, we look at the hope of Purim: divine reversal—the trap of the wicked becoming their own downfall—and the call for the remnant to cultivate spiritual "mnemonic triggers" that keep us anchored in covenant faithfulness, humility, and the Word of God. Key themes: Purim, Esther, Mordecai, Haman, Amalek, covenant warfare, generational consequences, divine reversal, remnant preparation, end-times spiritual conflict.