The “Drifter”

• Posted on MaypmSat, 14 May 2016 19:07:35 -05002016-05-14T19:07:35-05:0007 17, 2016
• in Bible, God, Hebrew, Kedoshim, Messiah, Study, Torah, Yeshua
• by Hallelujah Girl

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When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not complete your reaping to the corner of your field, and the gleaning of your harvest you shall not take. You shall not pick the undeveloped twigs of your vineyard; and the fallen fruit of your vineyard you shall not gather; for the poor and the proselyte shall you leave them–I am HaShem your G-d.  ~Leviticus 19:9-10

This week I was fortunate enough to share these verses with my youngest daughter. With delight I was able to explain that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not intend for us to just “give” to charity or to the poor and needy. He intended for them to come and reap for themselves. After explaining this in the manner in which you just read, into the salon walks a drifter. He introduced himself and began to explain his sad unfortunate story. He had been robbed of his possessions at gunpoint and all he had left was one small duffle bag. He explained how was trying to make his way to Louisiana. Someone had given him a ride to a town that is just off the interstate (about 15 miles away) and he walked the distance to Monett. I listened to his story with much sympathy. Gazing down at his bag I noticed on top of his minimal belongings was of all things, a bible. He had already been to our local “goodwill” and with no assistance offered to him, was now making his way through our downtown businesses. Any amount of money I could spare was his request.

The purpose of the instruction G-d gives here in Leviticus 19:9-10 is so that the poor and needy could collect for themselves. The Hebrew word poor, is ani ( עני) meaning afflicted, humble, lowly, needy, or poor. The first ani is used in scripture is Exodus 22:24, “If you lend money to any of My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act like a debt collector with him, and you are not to charge him interest.”  Also for the proselyte are the gleanings for. Proselyte is translated from the Hebrew word ger (gare), גר, meaning alien, sojourner, or immigrants. First located in Genesis 15:13, “Then He (the Holy One) said to Abram, “Know for certain that your seed will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved and oppressed 400 years.

The transition between verses 3 to 9 in Leviticus 19,  from ritual “laws” concerning Divine Service to social laws indicates an important lesson. There should be no contradiction between these sectors. When you reap, comes from the Hebrew root, qatsar (kaw-tsar), קצר, meaning cut down, much discouraged, grieve, harvestman, loathe, mourn, or reaper. We are to emulate G-d’s Holiness to whatever extent humanly possible, to the honor of our parents, His Shabbat,  the sacred offerings, and to His “partners”. G-d is merciful and charitable so it stands to reason that He command His people to set aside part of their crops for the poor. Organic unity which nourishes justice and love towards one’s fellow man. The Holy One reminds us time and time again that He is the One that led us out of Egypt (bondage). We’ve all been there and it was He Who set us free!

The phrase of your land is the Hebrew word eretz, ארץ. Eretz simply is defined as land, earth, or common. Genesis 1:1 tells, “In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth (eretz).” However we look at it, this land that we work, or think is ours because we bought it, it belongs to The Holy One. So by honoring the commandment not to complete the corners of the fields reminds us that the riches the land produces is not for us alone. The Holy One granted the poor and the stranger a right to them also. Assistance to those less fortunate is based on the Holy One’s directive.

The “drifter” who angered into my salon definitely fit the description of the poor and the sojourner, so it seemed. Technically I have no field of which I harvest. I assessed the need for a haircut, but that wasn’t needed. He did offer to work, but the only work I really needed done at the time would’ve taken a backhoe and I do not even own a shovel. Instead, I offered him prayer and a blessing. He accepted, received, and was on his way.

Normally that would be the end of the story when things like this happen. But nothing seems to be “normal” anymore. Mid morning the next day, the “drifter” returns. Bursting through the salon door, a huge smile on his face, and a new spirit about him. “I just wanted to stop and say ‘thank you'” were his words. It seemed as though he found opportunity to work and no longer felt the oppression he was feeling the previous day.  All thanks to Our Father in Heaven!

Be tenderly devoted to one another in brotherly love; out do one another in giving honor. Do not be lagging in zeal; be fervent in spirit. Keep serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, enduring in distress, persisting in prayer, contributing to the needs of the kedoshim, extending hospitality. Bless those who persecute you—bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be proud, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own eyes. Repay no one evil for evil; give thought to what is good in the eyes of all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live in shalom with all people. ~Romans 12:10‭-‬18

Shalom,

Hallelujah Girl

Tags: #ReadYourBible #ItsAllAboutYeshua #TorahIsTruth, Kedoshim