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5857 | Archived Newsletters | From The Heart

Joseph F. Dumond

Isa 6:9-12 And He said, Go, and tell this people, You hear indeed, but do not understand; and seeing you see, but do not know. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back, and be healed. Then I said, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until the cities are wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land laid waste, a desolation, and until Jehovah has moved men far away, and the desolation in the midst of the land is great.

COMMENTS: 1

Published: Mar 25, 2021

News Letter 5857-006
The 5th Year of the 4th Sabbatical Cycle
The 26th year of the 120th Jubilee Cycle
The 13th day of the 2nd month 5857 years after the creation of Adam
The 4th Sabbatical Cycle after the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Sword, Famines, and Pestilence
2001 Days until the Two Witnesses

March 27, 2021

Shabbat Zoom Meeting

There are many people in need of fellowship and who are sitting at home on Sabbath with no one to talk to or debate with. I want to encourage all of you to join us on Shabbat, and to invite others to come and join us as well. If the time is not convenient then you can listen to the teaching and the midrash after on our youtube channel.

We hope you can invite those who want to keep Torah to come and join us by hitting the link below. It is almost like a Torah teaching fellowship talk show with people from around the world taking part and sharing their insights and understandings.

We start off with some music and then some prayers and its as though you were sitting around the kitchen back in Newfoundland having a cup of coffee and all of us enjoying each other’s company. I hope you will grace us with your company someday.

This Sabbath is also the 21st day of counting the Omer and the 3rd Sabbath in that count.

Sabbath March 27, 2021, will be at 1PM Eastern for our afternoon service

We have between 60 and 100 groups joining us each week. In those groups are between one and six people listening and taking part with us. We have not done a census to know how many join. There is between 100 and 300 each week. We look forward to you joining our family and getting to know us as we get to know you.

Joseph Dumond is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Joseph Dumond’s Personal Meeting Room

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Septennial Torah Portion

If you go to Torah Portion at our archived section, you can then go to the 5th year which is the 5th year of the Sabbatical Cycle, the one we are in now, as we state at the top of every News Letter. There you can scroll down to March 11, 2021, and see that this Shabbat we could very well be midrashing about

Gen 29
1 Samuel 14-15
Psalm 63
Mark 6:33-7:23

If you missed last weeks exciting discoveries as we studied that section you can go and watch past Shabbats on our media section.

Update From Devorah’s Date Tree

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for all your messages after my last report! It was really nice to see how much you appreciated all our efforts and to hear your feedback and questions.

The main question I received, was whether to keep Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) this month or next month and could I at least share with you when I am planning on keeping the holidays.

Please understand that I have done my best to try and share with you what we saw in the fields and the verses I consider when deciding when to begin the New Year, but I don’t feel comfortable trying to predict for you, how developed the fields might be on Yom HaNafat HaOmer (The Day of the Wave Sheaf Offering).

I also don’t like to share when I will be keeping the holidays, as I have noticed that when I do, people tend to just do whatever I’m doing, instead of doing their own study and prayer, and I feel that each person should come to their own conclusion of when to begin the New Year, seeing as we don’t have a Priest.

I understand that this is not an easy situation to be in, but remember, I am in the same position you are in. We all wish we had a Priest that would declare the New Year for us, but we don’t have that, and so we are left having to try and figure this out for ourselves. For what it’s worth, I happen to believe that by each of us studying and praying and coming to a decision the best we can, we are showing Yehovah that we are serious about wanting to keep His Torah and calendar and then hopefully He will open our eyes to more understanding, and eventually one day we will once again have a Priest who will make such declarations for the people.

Bottom line, if you are not sure whether to keep Chag HaMatzot this month or next month, perhaps it would be best to keep it this month, and then based on what we find on our inspection after Yom HaNafat HaOmer, you can decide whether you want to keep it again next month.

As we shared with you last week, you can clearly see that the goal posts or the rules they once used are now being tossed aside. And because they have to toss those rules aside they leave those following them hanging in the air. The barley at the end of the month when they normally declare it Aviv was not to the stage of ripeness they have declared as a rule in the past. Nor were there fields of barley which is another hackinot or man made rules they have instituted.

And knowing full well that there are brethren keeping the month of Aviv last month they have now declared that month null and void because they could not find enough barley in the stage of ripeness by their standards. Yet Becca did find bushels of barley about to go to seed well before the 1st of the month was to begin. It was later dozed under by the construction crews. My question is why are Becca’s videos and reports not counted or valued by these other groups. Yet they will come and look in the very same fields.

And now with the fields in the same state as they were when she first looked, Devorah is now faced with a problem. She wants to keep the Feasts with the rest of Israel who use the Hillel Calendar. So she is now waiting until wave sheaf day April 4th and hoping that she can find some barley in the Ripe stage as per her definitions. Her conditions in year past are for the barley to be in almost going to reseed itself condition. This is too late to harvest barley and rough handle it.

I do not wish to criticize Devorah and the work she is doing. I am disappointed at her inconsistent methodology and the changing of the rules each year in order to be in sync with the rest of Judah. We are all human.

On the other hand. Becca Biderman has uploaded another video of the condition of the wheat. Please take note. We are with this Sabbath as the 4th Sabbath in our counting of the Omer. We will be starting our 5th week on Sunday March 28, 2021. Devorah’s 1st day of Unleavened Bread will be the next day Monday making her wave Sheaf Day April 4, 2021. The same day as Easter Sunday.

That will be the day after our 5th Sabbath in our Count. This means that two weeks after that will be our 49th day with Shavuot on April 17, 2021. The wheat harvest is to be ready or near ready to be harvested in just three weeks time from now. With all that in mind, please now do check the state of the wheat in Israel as shown to you by Becca. Note this video was made on March 23, 2021 and this Sabbath is 27, when I am sending out this newsletter.

Please stop following the herd. As Devorah herself has said in this report above;

I also don’t like to share when I will be keeping the holidays, as I have noticed that when I do, people tend to just do whatever I’m doing, instead of doing their own study and prayer, and I feel that each person should come to their own conclusion of when to begin the New Year, seeing as we don’t have a Priest.

Look at the evidence we provided to you to begin the year back in February. Look again at the evidence of the state of the wheat this week. Judge for yourself. I am 100% at ease with my decision to begin the month of Aviv last month. I have zero doubts at all. I hope you can say the same thing. And if you feel you need to change then it is as simple as repenting and praying to Yehovah. Then treat this Passover as the second one if you were traveling or had touched a dead person. Then keep Shavuot in 3 weeks time.

Tracking Time

I would like to recommend the following charts for all of you to begin to use as we are now into the new year. Pauline Readon-Benjes developed these charts a number of years ago and has offered them to you on our web site for you to download and use. You can record when the moon was sighted and then begin to count the days to each Holy Day.

You can also note significant events that take place and see if a pattern is developing.

Go to this link and click on the download button. That is the button to the right of the zoom 100% in the heading line. Download it to your computer and then you can print it off on your own printer. You will notice that Pauline already has this first page filled in for you below. You can also print this one off if you like.

And these sheets can be reused each month from year to year. May they be a blessing to you as you number your days.

Psa 90:12 So teach us to number our days, so that we may bring a heart of wisdom.

Counting the Omer

Someone is surely going to ask you or say it publicly, where are we commanded to count the omer?

When you are asked this then you will take them to Lev 23:15

“You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.

Here you are told that there are different methods of counting the 50 days. The first was to count 7 full weeks and the second was to count out the full 50 days.

Again in Deut 16:9 you are told to again COUNT. It is a commandment to count the days and or weeks. And you start from the time when the sickle is first put to the Barley grain which was done after sunset after the weekly Saturday Sabbath. This counting began with Wave Sheaf Day.

“You shall count seven weeks. Begin to count the seven weeks from the time the sickle is first put to the standing grain.

According to some the commandment ‘and you shall count for yourselves fifty days’ means to simply observe the 50th day as Shavuot while others actually declare out loud the number on each of the fifty days. A medieval Karaite Jewish practice combines two different methods of declaring the daily count. The first method is the counting of seven weeks. Each day, the number of the week and the number of the day in the week are declared. So for example, the first day is ‘first day of the first week’. The second counting method used is an overall number for each day. In this method Day one is ‘the first day’ and Day 25 is ‘the twenty-fifth day’. These two methods are used to satisfy the commandment to count seven weeks (Deuteronomy 16:9) as well as the commandment to count fifty days (Leviticus 23:16).

During each one of these days of Counting the Omer to Pentecost, Jewish tradition has developed around reading the Psalms on certain days. I find this to be very beneficial. It is customary that following the “Counting of the Omer,” one recites Psalm 67, for according to tradition, that Psalm has forty-nine words, which corresponds perfectly to the forty-nine days of the “Counting of the Omer.”

And as you meditate on and do these readings, which includes the Counting of the Omer command, keep in mind what this symbolizes. It is the counting of the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years and where we are in that cycle. We are in the twenty-sixth year in 2021, which corresponds to the twenty-sixth day of the “Counting of the Omer.”

Wave Sheaf day is so exciting to understand and so amazing to believe because it forebodes the time when we will be changed and raised up. If you want to call this the Rapture then I can except that if you are obeying Yehovah. If you’re not obeying Yehovah and you think the laws are done away with, then you will not be in this resurrection or raptured. You will be told to be gone you workers of lawlessness, I never knew you.

We will speak more about this as Pentecost draws closer. The Feast of Oaths, the 8th day and the Jubilee year.

When you count from the Wave offering of the barley to Pentecost it is called the counting of the Omer. You are to count each day up to the 50th day. This Sabbath, March 13, 2021, is day fourteen. We are to count the Omer.

As I said, this is the most special time of year for me and in years past I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why, other than it had something to do with Yehshua’s resurrection and waiting in anticipation for Shavuot. While I cannot put into words how my understanding of this has grown, all I can say is that “it clicked!” and “now I get it!”, at least more than before. Understanding follows obedience. So OBEY and learn. You learn by doing as we are told in James.

James 2:18 But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

All 50 days and each of the Psalms can be found at the back of our book Remembering the Sabbatical year of 2016

I have to point something out to you so that you do not miss it. Each year the counting of the Omer is also an annual reminder of exactly where we are in the Jubilee cycle. This year we are in the 26th year of the Jubilee Cycle. and I want to point out the reading that was to take place on the 26th day of counting the Omer.

Day Twenty-Six | The Creation of Yehovah | Psalm 19:1-7

Today is the fifth day of the fourth week of seven weeks. Today is the twenty-sixth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

1 Elohim does favor us and bless us. Cause His face to shine upon us. Selah. (Psalm 67:1)
2 For Your way to be known on earth, Your deliverance among all nations. (Psalm 67:2)
3 Let the peoples praise You, O Elohim, let all the peoples praise You. (Psalm 67:3)
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You judge the peoples uprightly, and lead the nations on earth. Selah. (Psalm 67:4)
5 Let the peoples praise You, O Elohim; let all the peoples praise You. (Psalm 67:5)
6 The earth shall give her increase; Elohim, our own Elohim, blesses us! (Psalm 67:6)
7 Elohim blesses us! And all the ends of the earth fear Him! (Psalm 67:7)

Psa 19:1  To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the expanse proclaims His handiwork.
Psa 19:2  Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge.
Psa 19:3  There is no speech nor are there words; their voice is not heard.
Psa 19:4  Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the un,
Psa 19:5  and he comes forth as a bridegroom from his canopy; he rejoices as a strong man to run a race,
Psa 19:6  going forth from the end of the heavens, and its course is to their ends. And there is nothing hid from its heat.
Psa 19:7  The Law of Jehovah is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making the simple wise.

It is talking about the Heavens Declaring the Glory of Yehovah each and every night. In my interviews with Mark Webb and Cyrus Harding we have been showing you these very things. In the interviews we have shown you, these men are showing what is going on in the heavens. I find it extraordinary that this is the Omer reading for this year 26th year.

I do hope you will go and watch these interviews we did this past year.

And here is the latest of Cyrus’s emails to me. We hope to have an interview again with Mark Webb soon so stay tuned.

Shalom Mishpakha,

This coming weekend, for many of us, will be a very special time as we observe Passover & Unleavened Bread. It is no strange thing for all believers in YHVH’s True Word that it will coincide with a full moon but I may have underestimated its effect upon the world as a whole, both geophysically and spiritually.

Please be in prayer for our nation, our leaders and the world as a whole as we go into Passover and Unleavened Bread. Keep all of our military services and, our family members currently in the military, in prayer because the world is moving in the direction of war. We have many of “our” young people in the military and I especially pray that they will be safe during this troublesome time and for those of you in the military and receiving this email, please know that we love you and will continue our prayers for you.

Like a master gamesman Russian President Putin has strategically placed key assets around the world to counter US/NATO deployments. This is to be expected, but the problem is that we are going into full moon period, March 27-29, and it takes a very small spark to cause a large fire. Almost anything could cause the spark.

Please be in prayer about the feasts. Please be vigilant.

Ahavah vberakhot,

Counting of the Omer

Week Four

Day Twenty-Eight | Longing For Yehovah | Psalm 63:1-8

Today is the seventh day of the fourth week of seven weeks. Today is the twenty-eighth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath. Today is Sabbath, the fourth Sabbath of seven Sabbaths. Today completes the fourth week of seven weeks.

1 Elohim does favor us and bless us. Cause His face to shine upon us. Selah. (Psalm 67:1)
2 For Your way to be known on earth, Your deliverance among all nations. (Psalm 67:2)
3 Let the peoples praise You, O Elohim, let all the peoples praise You. (Psalm 67:3)
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy! For You judge the peoples uprightly, and lead the nations on earth. Selah. (Psalm 67:4)
5 Let the peoples praise You, O Elohim; let all the peoples praise You. (Psalm 67:5)
6 The earth shall give her increase; Elohim, our own Elohim, blesses us! (Psalm 67:6)
7 Elohim blesses us! And all the ends of the earth fear Him! (Psalm 67:7)

Psa 63:1  A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; I will seek You earnestly; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You, as in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;
Psa 63:2  so I have seen You in the holy place, seeing Your power and Your glory.
Psa 63:3  Because Your loving-kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You.
Psa 63:4  So I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Psa 63:5  My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips,
Psa 63:6  when I remember You on my bed and think of You in the night watches.
Psa 63:7  Because You have been my help, therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
Psa 63:8  My soul follows hard after You; Your right hand upholds me.

WEEK FIVE

Day Twenty-Nine | A Song of Thanksgiving | Psalm 67:1-7

Today is the first day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the twenty-ninth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Day Thirty | Yehovah & His People (Part I) | Psalm 78:1-16

Today is the second day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirtieth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Psa 78:1  An instruction of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my law; bow down your ears to the words of my mouth.

Psa 78:2  I will open my mouth in a parable; I will speak dark sayings of old,

Psa 78:3  which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

Psa 78:4  We will not hide them from their sons, showing to the generations to come the praises of Jehovah, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He has done.

Psa 78:5  For He set up a testimony in Jacob, and ordered a Law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers, that they should teach them to their sons;

Psa 78:6  so that the generation to come might know; sons shall be born, and they shall arise and tell their sons,

Psa 78:7  so that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His Commandments;

Psa 78:8  and might not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set their heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful with God.

Psa 78:9  The sons of Ephraim, armed shooters of bows, turned back in the day of battle.

Psa 78:10  They did not keep the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His Law.

Psa 78:11  And they forgot His works and His wonders which He had shown them.

Psa 78:12  He did marvelous things in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

Psa 78:13  He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; and He made the waters to stand in a heap.

Psa 78:14  And in the daytime He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

Psa 78:15  He split the rocks in the wilderness, and let them drink, as from the great depths.

Psa 78:16  He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

Day Thirty-One | Yehovah & His People (Part II) | Psalm 78:17-31

Today is the third day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-first day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Psa 78:17  And they sinned still more against Him, by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.

Psa 78:18  And they tempted God in their heart by asking food for their lust.

Psa 78:19  And they spoke against God; they said, Can God set a table in the wilderness?

Psa 78:20  Behold! He struck the rock so that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He also give bread? Can He provide flesh for His people?

Psa 78:21  Therefore Jehovah heard, and was made furious; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel,

Psa 78:22  because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation;

Psa 78:23  though He had commanded the clouds from above, and had opened the doors of the heavens;

Psa 78:24  and had rained down manna on them to eat, and He gave them of the grain of the heavens.

Psa 78:25  Man ate the food of the mighty; He sent them meat to the full.

Psa 78:26  He caused an east wind to blow in the sky; and by His power He brought in the south wind.

Psa 78:27  and He also rained flesh on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea;

Psa 78:28  and He let them fall in the middle of their camp, all around their tents.

Psa 78:29  So they ate, and were filled to the full; for He gave them their own desire.

Psa 78:30  They were not turned away from their lust, but while their food was still in their mouths,

Psa 78:31  the wrath of God came on them and killed the fattest of them, and struck down the chosen of Israel.

Day Thirty-Two | Yehovah & His People (Part III) | Psalm 78:32-39

Today is the fourth day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-second day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Psa 78:32  For all this they still sinned, and did not believe because of His wonderful works.

Psa 78:33  Therefore He ended their days in vanity and their years in trouble.

Psa 78:34  When He killed them, then they looked for Him; and they turned back and sought after God.

Psa 78:35  And they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God was their redeemer.

Psa 78:36  But they flattered Him with their mouths, and they lied to Him with their tongues.

Psa 78:37  For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant.

Psa 78:38  But He, full of pity, forgave their iniquity, and did not destroy them; yea, many times He turned His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath.

Psa 78:39  For He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away and does not come again.

Day Thirty-Three | Yehovah & His People (Part IV) | Psalm 78:40-55

Today is the fifth day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-third day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Psa 78:40  How often they provoked Him in the wilderness, and grieved Him in the desert!

Psa 78:41  Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and pained the Holy One of Israel.

Psa 78:42  They did not remember His hand, the day when He delivered them from the enemy;

Psa 78:43  how He had set His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the fields of Zoan.

Psa 78:44  He turned their rivers into blood, and their floods, so that they could not drink.

Psa 78:45  He sent different kinds of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.

Psa 78:46  He also gave their crops to the stripping locust, and their labor to the locust.

Psa 78:47  He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with sleet.

Psa 78:48  He gave up their cattle to the hail, and their flocks to bolts of fire.

Psa 78:49  He sent on them the heat of His anger, wrath and fury and trouble, by sending evil angels.

Psa 78:50  He made a way to His anger; He did not save their soul from death, but gave their life over to the plague,

Psa 78:51  and struck all the first-born in Egypt, the first of the strong in the tents of Ham;

Psa 78:52  and led His people forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

Psa 78:53  And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear; but the sea flooded over their enemies.

Psa 78:54  And He brought them within His own holy border, this mountain, which His right hand had bought.

Psa 78:55  He also cast out the nations before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

Day Thirty-Four | Yehovah & His People (Part V) | Psalm 78:56-72

Today is the sixth day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-fourth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Psa 78:56  Yet they tempted and provoked the Most High God, and kept not His testimonies;

Psa 78:57  but they turned back, and acted unfaithfully like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceiving bow.

Psa 78:58  For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their carved images.

Psa 78:59  When God heard, He was angry, and turned away from Israel;

Psa 78:60  so that He left the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He placed among men,

Psa 78:61  and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy’s hands.

Psa 78:62  He also gave His people over to the sword, and was angry with His inheritance.

Psa 78:63  The fire burned up their young men; and their maidens were not given in marriage.

Psa 78:64  Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows were not able to weep.

Psa 78:65  Then the Lord awakened like one out of sleep, like a mighty man rejoicing with wine.

Psa 78:66  And He drove His enemies backward; He put them to a never-ending shame.

Psa 78:67  And He refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;

Psa 78:68  but chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which He loved.

Psa 78:69  And He built His holy place like high palaces, like the earth which He has founded forever.

Psa 78:70  He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

Psa 78:71  from following the ewes great with young He brought him to feed Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.

Psa 78:72  And he fed them according to the pureness of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

Day Thirty-Five | Yehovah, the King | Psalm 93:1-5

Today is the seventh day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-fifth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath. Today is Sabbath, the fifth Sabbath of seven Sabbaths. Today completes the fifth week of seven weeks.

Psa 93:1  Jehovah reigns, He is clothed with majesty; Jehovah is clothed with strength. He clothed Himself and the world is established; it shall not be shaken.

Psa 93:2  Your throne is established of old; You are from everlasting.

Psa 93:3  The floods have lifted up, O Jehovah, the floods have lifted up their voices; the floods lift up their waves.

Psa 93:4  Jehovah on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, than the mighty waves of the sea.

Psa 93:5  Your testimonies are very sure; holiness becomes Your house forever, O Jehovah.

We Are in Danger

In 1982 I bought my first house at an interest rate of 16.5%. My Brother-in-law bought his house later that summer at 22% interest. These rate hikes began in the early 1970’s.

The easy-money policies of the American central bank—designed to generate full employment by the early 1970s—also resulted in high inflation.4 5 The central bank (once under different leadership) would later reverse its policies, raising interest rates to some 20%—a number once considered usurious.6 For interest-sensitive industries, such as housing and cars, rising interest rates cause a calamity. With interest rates skyrocketing, many people are priced out of new cars and homes

This is the gruesome story of the great inflation of the 1970s, which began in late 1972 and didn’t end until the early 1980s.8 In his book, “Stocks for the Long Run: A Guide for Long-Term Growth” (1994), Wharton professor Jeremy Siegel, called it “the greatest failure of American macroeconomic policy in the postwar period.”

The great inflation was blamed on oil prices, currency speculators, greedy businessmen, and avaricious union leaders. However, it is clear that monetary policies, which financed massive budget deficits and were supported by political leaders, were the cause. This mess was proof of what Milton Friedman said in his book, Money Mischief: Episodes in Monetary History: Inflation is always “a monetary phenomenon.”10 The great inflation and the recession that followed wrecked many businesses and hurt countless individuals.11 5 Interestingly, John Connally, the Nixon-installed Treasury Secretary who did not have formal economics training, later declared personal bankruptcy.12

Yet these unusually bad economic times were preceded by a period in which the economy boomed, or appeared to boom. Many Americans were awed by the temporarily low unemployment and strong growth numbers of 1972.

We find ourselves looking out at the world with similar characteristics as we saw in the early 70’s. I was not paying too much attention then but I do remember those times and the struggles many went through. Yehovah was blessing me even then before I knew of His Torah. He gave me a good well paying job with which I paid off my first home in 5 years time.

Here we are 50 years later and I see things lining up as they were then. But I also now know the Torah and the Jubilee Cycles and that we are at the end of this age. And this week President Biden has said he seeks another 3 Trillion to help the economy get going by rebuilding the infrastructure of the USA. This is good if you are in construction, but……

500 Years of Interest Rates: The Lesson

Last week we hauled forth evidence that long-term interest rates have trended persistently downward 500 years running.

And the Himalayan rates of the mid-to-late 20th century?

These may be history’s great exception, a brief but violent spasm… like a fleeting burst of blood pressure… or a volley of cannons.

Here again, the graphic evidence:

Harvard economics professor Paul Schmelzing, in summary:

Despite temporary stabilizations such as the periods 1550–1640, 1820–1850 or in fact 1950–1980 — global real rates have shown a persistent downward trend over the past five centuries… since the major monetary upheavals of the late middle ages, a trend decline between 0.6–1.6 basis points per annum has prevailed… Against their long-term context, currently depressed sovereign real rates are in fact converging ‘back to historical trend’…

Furthermore: Rates have held this downward course “irrespective of particular monetary and fiscal responses.”

That is, despite the monkeyings of governments and their central banks.

Can you therefore expect the downward journey of interest rates to maintain present headings?

We have further ransacked the historical data… rooted around for clues… and plucked out worrisome findings.

Worrisome, that is, if you track your time in years and decades — not centuries.

Details to follow. Let us first examine another historical oddity, worrisome in its own way — the present stock market…

Tech Trounced

The Dow Jones surrendered 153 points last week; the S&P 58. But the Nasdaq seized the headlines…

The index absorbed a savage trouncing — down 409 blood-stained points.

Once again, rising Treasury yields wield the bludgeon.

Markets are sensing inflationary pressures, and the Federal Reserve’s willingness to let them build.

The 10-year yield jumped over 5% today, to 1.73%.

30-year Treasury yields scaled 2.5%… their loftiest since August 2019. CNBC, by way of explanation:

Technology shares led the U.S. stock market lower on Thursday as a spike in bond yields fueled concern about equity valuations and prompted investors to sell growth-focused high flyers.

But let us resume our study of time… and money.

For light, we once again resort to the good Professor Schmelzing.

The arc of interest rates bends lower with time, he has established. But as he has also established:

No line bends true across five centuries.

Even the long downturning arc has its squiggles and twists, its crooks and its kinks, each bent by the great forges of history.

“Real Rate Depression Cycles”

Across seven centuries, Schmelzing identifies nine “real rate depression cycles.”

These cycles feature a secular decline of real interest rates, followed by reversals — often sudden and violent reversals.

The first eight rate depression cycles tell scintillating and often murderous tales…

These cycles rotated upon such high dramas as the Black Death of the mid-14th century… the Thirty Years’ War of the 17th century… and the Second World War of the 20th century.

The world is presently ensnared within history’s ninth real rate depression cycle. This cycle began in the mid-1980s.

Schmelzing’s researches reveal the real rate for the entire 700-year span runs to an average 4.78%.

The real rate for the past 200 years — meantime — averages 2.6%.

It is here where our tale gathers pace… and acquires point…

A Thing of Historic Grandeur

Schmelzing’s research shovels up this revelation:

This present cycle is a thing of historical grandeur — in endurance — and intensity.

Of the 700 years, only one cycle experienced a greater endurance. That cycle was in the 15th century.

And only one previous cycle — also in that age — exceeded the current cycle’s intensity.

By almost any measure… today’s rate depression cycle is stupendous, a thing for the ages.

The sharp plunge to the right gives the flavor of it:

Beware “Reversion to Mean”

“Relative to both historical benchmarks,” concludes this fellow, “the current market environment thus remains severely depressed.”

That is, real rates remain severely depressed relative to historical benchmarks.

If the term “reversion to mean” has anything in it — we believe it does — the world is in for a hard jolt when the mean reverts.

When rates do regain their bounce… history shows… they bounce high.

Schmelzing:

The evidence from eight previous “real rate depressions” is that turnarounds from such environments, when they occur, have typically been both quick and sizeable… Most reversals… have been rapid, nonlinear and took place on average after 26 years…

Within 24 months after hitting their troughs in the rate depression cycle, rates gained on average 315 basis points [3.15%], with two reversals showing real rate appreciations of more than 600 basis points [6%] within two years.

If the magnitude of the bounceback approximates the magnitude of the cycle it ends… we can expect a fantastic trampolining of rates.

We must consider that rate appreciations of 6% are within reason.

The present rate depression cycle runs nigh on 40 years.

We must conclude — therefore — that the present rate cycle depression goes on loaned time.

What happens once the loan is called in?

Crushing Debt

The stock market and the economic “recovery” presently underway hinge upon ultra-low interest rates.

And so we recoil, horrified, at the prospect of a “rapid, nonlinear” rate reversal.

Consider alone its impact on America’s ability to finance its skyshooting debt…

A drastic rate increase means debt service becomes an impossible burden.

The virus has dynamited mighty holes in America’s finances. The nation has taken on $7 trillion of fresh debt within the past year alone.

How would America service a $28 trillion debt — a $28 trillion debt jumping by second, by minute, by hour, by day, by week, by month, by year?

Indeed… by decade?

Debt service already represents the fastest-growing government outlay.

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (no laughter!) estimates interest payments on this debt will total $300 billion this year.

Horrifying Arithmetic

But as the Committee further informs us, at present debt levels:

Each 1% rate increase inflates debt service by roughly $225 billion.

Should rates rise 1%… interest payments would balloon to $525 billion… exceeding all Medicaid costs.

What if rates jump 2% or — heaven forfend — higher? The Committee:

If rates were 2% higher, interest costs would total $750 billion, which is more than the federal governments spends on defense or Medicare. And at 3% higher, interest costs would total $975 billion — almost as much as is spent on Social Security benefits.

We do not expect such a violent lurch in rates within the year.

But assume the present rate depression cycle reverses spin next year or the year following.

Assume further that real rates leap to 6% within two years of the reversal.

Recall, rates streaked to 6% or higher after two previous rate reversals.

Debt levels — meantime — could well exceed $30 trillion within the next two years.

What is the cost to service a $30 trillion debt… at 6% the year?

We haven’t the stomach to run the arithmetic. But we hazard the figure is plenty handsome.

Debt service would nearly swamp the entire budget.

But what might bring down the curtain on the current cycle?

The Mischievous Gods

Most previous rate depression cycles swung with death, destruction, howls, shrieks and sobs.

Examples, again, include the Black Plague, the Thirty Years War and World War II.

Perhaps a similar calamity will reverse the present cycle. Or some other unforeseen blow.

The mischievous gods hold many tricks up their shirtsleeves.

Of course, we can find no reason in law or equity why the second-longest, second-most intense rate depression cycle in history… cannot become the longest, most intense real rate depression cycle in history.

The cycle could run years yet, we must allow. It could also reverse Sunday morning.

The Lord only knows — and He is silent.

Regards,
Brian Maher

If interest rates go up just a little and not a lot around the world, our taxes will go up and our social benefits will go down. If they go more than just a little, look out.

Your Oath To Yehovah

When a bride marries her husband part of the ceremony is that she walks around her husband 7 times. This custom comes from the Torah its self.

Joshua went around Jericho that first year they entered the land, 7 times.

We have the weekly Sabbath every 7th day.

We have the 7 annual Holy Days.

We have the 7 Days of Unleavened Bread

The 7 weeks of counting the Omer until Shavuot.

The Feasts in the 7th Month as well as the first month.

The 7 Days of Sukkot representing the Wedding Feast.

The 7th year Sabbatical year.

And the 7 Sabbatical year leading up to the 50th Year Jubilee.

And there are 7 Millennial Cycles of years leading up to the 8th Millennium.

As we keep each of these celebrations we are in fact oathing ourselves to Yehovah. We are sevening ourselves as it were, like the bride going around her husband on their wedding day. That wedding with Yehovah takes place at the end of the 7th Millennium as the 8th Millennium begins.

The Feast of Shavuot is also known as the Feast of Oaths. It culminates with the Torah being given on the 50th Day. We do all of this in order to show Yehovah by our walk, by our actions, that we are going to obey His Torah and be in fidelity with and to Him.

This Sabbath is the 28th Day of Counting the Omer. Just over half way to Shavuot. How are you doing?

I am not claiming that you will be saved because you got all your “T”s crossed and dots in the right places but…

Jas 2:14  My brothers, what profit is it if a man says he has faith and does not have works? Can faith save him?

Jas 2:15  If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,

Jas 2:16  and if one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, but you do not give them those things which are needful to the body, what good is it?

Jas 2:17  Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself.

Jas 2:18  But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works.

Jas 2:19  You believe that there is one God, you do well; even the demons believe and tremble.

Jas 2:20  But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Jas 2:21  Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Jas 2:22  Do you see how faith worked with his works, and from the works faith was made complete?

Jas 2:23  And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for righteousness, and he was called the friend of God.”

Jas 2:24  You see then how a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.

Jas 2:25  And in the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she had received the messengers and had sent them out another way?

Jas 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

As we are oathing ourselves, as we are sevening ourselves to our Husband and King Yehovah, are you keeping the Holy Days at the right time? Are you studying to show yourselves approved and doing so with fear and trembling?

2Ti 2:14  Put them in memory of these things, charging them before the Lord not to dispute about words to no profit, to the subverting of the hearers.

2Ti 2:15  Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

2Ti 2:16  But shun profane, vain babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

Psa 2:10 And now be wise, O kings; be instructed, O judges of the earth.

Psa 2:11 Serve Jehovah with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Now read all what we are told in Philippians;

Php 2:12  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, cultivate your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Php 2:13  For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings,

Php 2:15  so that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. Among these you shine as lights in the world,

Php 2:16  holding forth the Word of Life, so that I may rejoice with you in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain nor labored in vain.

Php 2:17  Yea, and if I am offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.

Php 2:18  And you also rejoice in the same, and rejoice with me.

Brethren last week you should have seen the events that took place in Australia. Let me show them to you now.

Remember Australia has gone through the worst drought in over 1000 years leading up to what then became the worst wildfire in history. Biblical sized wildfires. These wildfire no sooner ended then the world had COVID 19. And then during COVID 19 the USA had the worst wildfire season ever, in which the skies were darkened at noon and looked an eerily dark orange colour.

Now Australia just went through a plague of mice. Have a look. And you can find more videos at this link.

@guardianaustralia

🐁It sounds straight out of the #bible but #nsw residents are praying for a flood to kill the massive #mouseplague 📸Getty #sydney #LaNina #australia

♬ original sound – Guardian Australia

The mouse plague was then followed by flooding rains. People hoped the rains would kill the mice but it seems the rains fell east of where the mice were. But the rains did cause spiders to flee on mass from the floods along with snakes and other insects.

What you see in the next picture is everything brown are spiders.

I do not need to mention that all of this is taking place because people and nations, especially the descended nations of Israel are not now sevening themselves to Yehovah. And because of this Yehovah is sending more and more plagues. Europe and other nations are now entering into the third wave of COVID as the new variants spread faster than they are able to get the vaccines administered.

Again this is fulfilling the promise Yehovah made of having these plagues cling to us until we died.

Deu 28:20  Jehovah shall send on you cursing, vexation, and rebuke, in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed, and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings by which you have forsaken Me.

Deu 28:21  Jehovah shall make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from off the land where you go to possess it.

Deu 28:22  Jehovah shall strike you with lung disease and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew. And they shall pursue you until you perish.

Deu 28:23  And your heavens over your head shall be bronze, and the earth that is under you iron.

Deu 28:24  Jehovah shall make the rain of your land powder and dust. It shall come down from the heavens on you until you are destroyed.

No one is repenting. No nations are asking Yehovah for forgiveness. Many are blaming what they call natural disasters on Global Warming and mans CO2 carbon foot print. They do not credit Yehovah with sending these in His anger. Others claim some conspiratorial outlook for COVID-19 and again do not credit Yehovah with having sent it into the world.

The world temperatures are going to continue to increase until drought dries up the Nile and the Euphrates rivers. We believe that drought begins in just 5 years time from now. And yet many say the global temperatures are not increasing and that this is false information.

Since 2005 we have been telling you exactly how close we are to the end of the 6th Millennium. Look again in the purple column and the year 2044. That is just 23 years from now. But all these end time prophecies must be fulfilled before then.

We beleive Satan is to be locked away by Atonement 2033. This means that the tribulation must go 3 1/2 years before that, which is Passover 2030. The Two Witnesses must work for 3 1/2 years until they are killed at Passover in 2030. This then means they begin the 3 1/2 years drought in 2026 at the fall Feasts. And we are now in the year 2021. Do the math. We do not have much time. And during the remaininig 5 years the USA and UK will be brought down to as Daniel 9 says “as if they never existed”.

Yehovah has created all mankind and He selected Israel to teach the rest of the world.

Isa 49:1  Listen, O coastlands, to Me; and listen, lend your ear, peoples from afar; Jehovah has called Me from the womb; He has made mention of My name from My mother’s bowels.

Isa 49:2  And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand He has hidden Me, and made Me a polished shaft. He has hidden Me in His quiver,

Isa 49:3  and said to Me, You are My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

Isa 49:4  Then I said, I have labored in vain; I have spent My strength for nothing, and in vain; yet surely My judgment is with Jehovah, and My work with My God.

Isa 49:5  And now, says Jehovah who formed Me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel is not gathered, yet I shall be glorious in the eyes of Jehovah, and My God shall be My strength.

Isa 49:6  And He said, It is but a little thing that You should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You for a light to the nations, to be My salvation to the end of the earth.

Isa 49:7  So says Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation hates, the servant of rulers: Kings shall see and arise, rulers also shall worship, because of Jehovah who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose You.

It is through you Israel that Yehovah is going to reach the whole world. Whether you are natural born or grafted in, you are Israel and have a job to do.

Rom 11:11  I say then, Did they not stumble that they fall? Let it not be! But by their slipping away came salvation to the nations, to provoke them to jealousy.

Rom 11:12  But if their slipping away is the riches of theworld, and their default is the riches of the nations, how much more their fullness?

Rom 11:13  For I speak to you, the nations; since I am the apostle of the nations, I glorify my ministry;

Rom 11:14  if by any means I may provoke those who aremy flesh to jealousy, and might save some of them.

Rom 11:15  For if their casting away is the reconciling of the world, what is the reception except life from thedead?

Rom 11:16  For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, also the branches.

Rom 11:17  And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and became a sharer of the root and the fatness of the olive tree with them,

Rom 11:18  do not boast against the branches. But if you boast, it is not you that bears the root, but the root bears you.

Rom 11:19  You will say then, The branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.

Rom 11:20  Well, because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be high-minded, but fear.

Rom 11:21  For if God did not spare the natural branches, fear lest He also may not spare you either!

Rom 11:22  Behold then the kindness, and the severity of God; on those having fallen, severity; but on you, kindness, if you continue in the kindness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

Rom 11:23  And those also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in. For God is able to graft them in again.

Rom 11:24  For if you were cut out of the natural wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree; how much more these being according to nature will be grafted into their own olive-tree?

So I must ask you as you seven yourself, and as you see the world calamities, how are you being a light to the world? Are you a light hidden under a basket and no one see you? What are you doing to witness to the world? How are you doing that work so that your branch is not removed? What fruit are you producing? Where is your yield? Do you have a yield?

I am about to talk to you about the one subject that many don’t like to talk about. The subject many find all sorts of excuses not to do.

Num 18:1  And Jehovah said to Aaron, You and your sons, and your father’s house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary. And you and your sons with you shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

Num 18:2  And bring your brothers also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father with you, so that they may be joined to you and minister to you, you and your sons with you, before the tabernacle of witness.

Num 18:3  And they shall keep your charge and the charge of all the tabernacle. Only they shall not come near the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, so that neither they nor you also may die.

Num 18:4  And they shall be joined to you, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle. And a stranger shall not come near you.

Num 18:5  And you shall keep the charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the altar, so that there may be no wrath any more upon the sons of Israel.

Num 18:6  And I, behold, I have taken your brothers the Levites from among the sons of Israel. They are given to you as a gift by Jehovah, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Num 18:7  Therefore you and your sons with you shall keep your priests’ office for everything of the altar and inside the veil. And you shall serve. I have given your priest’s office as a service of gift. And the stranger that comes near shall be put to death.

Num 18:8  And Jehovah spoke to Aaron, Behold, I have also given you the charge of My heave offerings of all the holy things of the sons of Israel. I have given them to you for the anointing, and to your sons, by an ordinance forever.

Num 18:9  This shall be yours of the most holy things, reserved from the fire, every sacrifice of theirs, every food offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall give Me. These are most holy for you and for your sons.

Num 18:10  You shall eat it in the Holy of Holies. Every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.

Num 18:11  And this is yours, the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel. I have given them to you and to your sons and to your daughters with you, by a statute forever. Everyone that is clean in your house shall eat it.

Num 18:12  All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the first-fruits of them which they shall offer to Jehovah, I have given them to you.

Num 18:13  The first fruits of all that is in the land, which they shall bring to Jehovah, shall be yours. Everyone that is clean in your house shall eat of it.

Num 18:14  Everything devoted in Israel shall be yours.

Num 18:15  Everything that opens the womb in all flesh, which they bring to Jehovah, of men or animals, shall be yours. Nevertheless, the first-born of man you shall surely redeem, and the first-born of unclean animals you shall redeem.

Num 18:16  And those that are to be redeemed from a month old you shall redeem, according to your judgment for the silver of five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.

Num 18:17  But the first-born of a cow, or the first-born of a sheep, or the first-born of a goat, you shall not redeem. They are holy. You shall sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shall burn their fat, an offering made by fire, for a sweet savor to Jehovah.

Num 18:18  And their flesh shall be yours, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are yours.

Num 18:19  All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the sons of Israel offer to Jehovah, I have given you and your sons and your daughters with you, by a law forever. It is a covenant of salt forever before Jehovah to you and to your seed with you.

Num 18:20  And Jehovah said to Aaron, You shall have no inheritance in their land, neither shall you have any part among them. I am your part and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.

Num 18:21  And behold, I have given the sons of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Num 18:22  Neither must the sons of Israel come near the tabernacle of the congregation from now on, lest they bear sin and die.

Num 18:23  But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity, a statute forever throughout your generations, that among the sons of Israel they have no inheritance.

Num 18:24  But the tithes of the sons of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering to Jehovah, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore I have said to them, Among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance.

Num 18:25  And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,

Num 18:26  And you shall speak to the Levites, and you shall say to them, When you take tithes from the sons of Israel, which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then you shall offer up a heave offering of it for Jehovah, a tenth of the tithe.

Num 18:27  And your heave offering shall be credited to you as grain of the threshing-floor, and as the fullness of the winepress.

Num 18:28  So you also shall offer a heave offering to Jehovah of all your tithes which you receive from the sons of Israel. And you shall give from it Jehovah’s heave offering to Aaron the priest.

Num 18:29  Out of all your gifts you shall offer every heave offering of Jehovah, of all its fat, the holy part of it out of it.

Num 18:30  And you shall say to them, When you have lifted up its fat, then it shall be credited to the Levites as the increase of the threshing-floor, and as the increase of the winepress.

Num 18:31  And you shall eat it in every place, you and your households. For it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.

Num 18:32  And you shall bear no sin because of it, when you have lifted up the fat of it. Neither shall you defile the holy things of the sons of Israel, lest you die.

Israel was to tithe 10% of their increase to the Levitical tribe. And the Levitical tribe was to tithe 10% to the Kohen or tribe of Aaron.

Yes Melchezedeck gave 10% to Abraham. And Jacob gave a tithe of His offspring to Yehovah. Christianity says the old testament laws are dead but they keep this one law of tithing.

I want you to now read the research about tithing and let it sink in.

SIGNIFICANT STATISTICS ABOUT TITHING AND CHURCH GENEROSITY

There is not a lot of clarity about giving habits in the church. Pastors are often left wondering if what they experience in their own churches is unique to them. If you have ever looked at the giving in your church and wondered about the experiences in other churches—we have pulled together some significant tithing and generosity statistics to broaden your perspective.

Facts About Generational Giving

(The Next Generation of American Giving, 2013)

There is a lot of discussion around generational giving habits—particularly when it comes to Millennials. Some of the stories are more helpful and revealing than others. Here is what you need to know about the charitable habits of different generations in America.

The Greatest Generation

Born: Before 1945

Percent of the population: 11.8%

What percentage of this generation give: 88%

Percentage of total charitable giving: 26%

Average yearly gift: $1,367

Average number of charities supported: 6.2

Boomers

Born: 1946–1964

Percent of the population: 23.6%

What percentage of this generation give: 72%

Percentage of total charitable giving: 43%

Average yearly gift: $1,212

Average number of charities supported: 4.5

Generation X

Born: 1965–1980

Percent of the population: 20.4%

What percentage of this generation give: 59%

Percentage of total charitable giving: 20%

Average yearly gift: $732

Average number of charities supported: 3.9

Millennials

Born: 1981–1995

Percent of the population: 25.9%

What percentage of this generation give: 60%–87%*

Percentage of total charitable giving: 11%

Average yearly gift: $481

Average number of charities supported: 3.3

*The Millennial Impact Report of 2014 suggest a much higher percentage of Millennial givers.

It is important to note that charitable giving stats include all church giving. The highest percentage of charitable giving still goes to churches and religious institutions, but that is quickly changing.

Boomers make up the second largest percentage of the population but are responsible for nearly half of all giving in the U.S. Since the youngest Boomers are still in their mid-50s, it is likely that they will be carrying the most significant burden for a while.

But as we lose the Greatest Generation (and the Boomer population begins to drop), churches need to be giving some thought to how they will reach out and communicate with Generation X and Millennials. The good news is that Millennials are already proving themselves to be a compassionate and giving generation. As they grow in their earning power, we can expect to see them becoming an essential donor base.

If you are interested in getting better understanding of the differences in giving norms, check out our post: Understanding Generational Giving Habits.

Christians and Tithing

The word tithe has become a messy one. A tithe is a tenth. In the Old Testament the tithe was established to meet the financial needs of ancient Israel. For many Christians the word tithe has come to represent any regular giving to the church.

There is a lot of discussion about what we should expect from Christians when it comes to giving. We are not under the Old Testament law, so many believe that expecting people to give 10% of their income is legalistic.

Randy Alcorn addresses this issue in Money, Possessions, and Eternity:

“Being under grace does not mean living by lower standards than the law. Christ systematically addressed such issues as murder, adultery, and the taking of oaths and made it clear that his standards were much higher than those of the Pharisees (Matthew 5:17–48). He never lowered the bar. He always raised it. But he also empowers us by his grace to jump higher than the law demands.”

Alcorn’s point is that under the law, Israelites were expected to give a certain percentage of their income. Followers of Christ see themselves as stewards or managers of God’s resources—everything they own is ultimately His. This means that 10% is not to be seen as the end of Christian giving, but rather the beginning.

When you see the word tithe in the following statistics, it represents consistent, volitional giving of 10% (or more) of one’s income.

247 million U.S. citizens identify as Christian—only 1.5 million tithe.
(Sharefaith, 2015)

The truth about Old Testament giving is that the Mosaic covenant demanded much more than 10% of an Israelite’s income. Between the Levitical tithe (Leviticus 27:30–32; Numbers 18:21, 24), annual festival giving (Deuteronomy 14:22–27), and the tri-annual giving to the poor (Deuteronomy 14:28–29), Israelites gave upward of 23% of their earnings toward God’s work.

While the goal is not to promote legalism, American Christians are ripe for the challenge to dig deeper and give more sacrificially.

Only about 5% of churchgoers tithe.
(Church development, 2018)

It is easy to look at this statistic negatively, but we should not. The truth is that the church has been able to do a lot of good on the small amount that people are willing to give—and there is so much opportunity to encourage greater generosity!

There are many reasons people are not practicing generous giving. It is critical that pastors overcome the cultural anxieties that come with teaching on generosity and help congregants understand the joys and responsibilities of following Jesus.

Tithers are 40% less likely to owe significant debt.
(State of the Plate, 2013)

Consistent giving fosters a deeper understanding of stewardship. It encourages Christians to become intentional and thoughtful about their resources and ultimately impacts their financial health across the board.

When Christians decide to become serious about their giving, they often find that they are more responsible with 90% than they ever were with 100%. Statistics show that tithers are half as likely(20% vs. 40%) to be overdue on credit card payments and 28% of tithers are debt free.

If Christians tithed there would be an additional $165 billion available.
(RELEVANT)

Writer Mike Holmes addresses what would happen if Christians were to start giving a minimum of 10%. According to Holmes, the $165 billion that would become available could be used this way:

$25 billion could relieve global hunger and eliminate deaths from preventable diseases within five years
$15 billion could solve the world’s water and sanitation issues—specifically in places where a majority of people live on less than $1 a day
$12 billion could end illiteracy
$1 billion could fully fund all overseas mission work
$100–$110 billion would be left over for additional ministry expansion
That is obviously a pipe dream, but it is one worth having. The better we become at raising the awareness of the potential good that could be done when the church is committed to giving to God’s work, the more likely we will be at encouraging greater generosity.

The goal is not to motivate giving to maintain the status quo. We want to fuel more ministry and service. We want to reach more people with the good news of Jesus Christ and fuel morecompassionate assistance.

Christian Giving Habits

“Money never stays with me. It would burn me if it did. I throw it out of my hands as soon as possible, lest it should find its way into my heart.” —John Wesley

Wesley understood something about money that modern Christians tend to struggle with. Money worms its way into our hearts—its ultimate goal is our allegiance. Jesus said it this way: “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

People making $20,000 a year are 8 times more likely to give than someone making an annual income of $75,000.
(Sharefaith, 2015)

Everyone knows the odds of winning the lottery are terrible. But people still play because it allows them to daydream about winning—fantasy is the key to the lottery’s attraction. When people fantasize about what they would do with millions of dollars, they inevitably promise to give a large portion to the church or some charity.

But God does not really care about what we would do with the $100 we might get tomorrow. His concern is about the $5 in our pocket today. Understanding this principle is central to grasping stewardship. The truth is that those who have the least are typically the ones who give the most sacrificially. If someone is waiting to make more so that they can start giving more, it is probably not going to happen.

Here are a few reasons why:

People with lower incomes recognize need: One rule of wealth is that it isolates you from poverty. As our income improves, we make decisions that improve our experience. We move to better neighborhoods. We shop in different stores. Ken Stern said it this way in an article for The Atlantic: “Wealthy people who lived in homogeneously affluent areas—areas where more than 40% of households earned at least $200,000 a year—were less generous than comparably wealthy people who lived in more socioeconomically diverse surroundings. It seems that insulation from people in need may dampen the charitable impulse.”

As one’s income grows, the amount given has a bigger impact than the percentage: If someone makes $20,000, their tithe works out to about $38 a week. That does not feel like they are giving a lot—even though they are making a considerable sacrifice. If someone makes $1 million a year, 10% works out to nearly $2,000 a week. It is the same amount of sacrifice as the person tithing off of $20,000, but it feels like a lot. No matter how much money you have, there is still an emotional reaction to writing a check for a couple of thousand dollars. It is easy to justify giving a smaller percentage when you are giving so much more than everyone else—even when you are giving a smaller percentage of your actual income.

Wealthier people are just as likely to live beyond their income: It does not really matter how much you make. We live in a culture that encourages us to live at (or above) our income level. Which means that people making a lot of money are just as likely to feel like they are living hand-to-mouth as someone making considerably less.

Close to 20% of American families have reduced the amount they give to the local church.
(Health Research Funding)

When our understanding of stewardship is out of alignment, we will naturally look at church giving as the area of our finances with the most wiggle room. When things get tight or difficult, it is one of the first places changes are made. In fact 7% of churchgoers have reduced their giving by 20% or more.

Debt hamstrings one-third of American Christians
(Health Research Funding)

If you do a Google search for the words “tithe” and “debt” you will find thousands upon thousands of articles addressing whether people should prioritize debt or church giving. One of the top questions Christians ask is, “Should we keep tithing to our church while trying to pay off our debts?”

The big takeaway here is that the church needs to do a lot more to educate their congregations about the dangers of consumer debt. In a culture that is always pushing people to live above their means, debt quickly becomes a generosity inhibitor.

America is full of Christians who need to be liberated from the snare of debt. Churches need to take this problem seriously. This means providing financial classes and counseling. Churches that become strategic and intentional about empowering their parishioners to make wise financial decisions see growth in their giving.

If you do not have financial classes available in your church, you should seriously consider it. That could be as simple starting a Sunday school class that goes through some financial curriculum. It is also important to provide help for church members who want to create a budget.

Religious giving has fallen 50% since 1990.
(New York Times, 2016)

Of all charitable giving in the United States, most goes to churches and religious charities. But that amount has been falling for some time. This can be attributed to many factors, but the biggest reason has to be the growing number of people who do not identify as religious.

From 2007 to 2012, the religiously unaffiliated in the United States grew from around 15% to nearly 20%. Only about 7% of the unaffiliated identify as agnostic or atheist. Most have no beliefs in particular.

It is no coincidence that a drop in religious contributions corresponds to a falling interest in evangelism. ACFI research found that just 1 out of every 5 Christian adults (21%) felt any personal responsibility to share their religious beliefs with those who held opposing beliefs.

This helps contribute to the steady decline in church attendance.

A Religious News Service article discussed the decline of religion in America from 1952–2012. It is pretty alarming to see in graph form.

Obviously the goal of evangelism is not to increase the church’s income. But we do need to recognize the consequences of not prioritizing the Great Commission (Matthew 17:16–20). By not introducing people to Jesus (or not discipling those who decide to follow Jesus) we negatively impact the number of hands available to do the Lord’s work—and the resources available to accomplish it.

Jesus addresses this problem in Matthew’s gospel: “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37–38).

It is important to understand the implication of this statement. The harvest is people. The workers available to do today’s labor were yesterday’s harvest. If there are not enough people available to do today’s work, the yield will suffer. This guarantees that there will not be enough workers for the next harvest. We can see the effect in this graph. Over time the impact becomes dramatic.

This kind of consistent diminished giving in the church is not necessarily a sign of growing selfishness among Christians. It is also a clear indicator that we are not putting enough emphasis on evangelism and discipleship. These two activities ensure that there are workers and resources for tomorrow’s work.

We have our work cut out for us

It is easy to get discouraged by looking at these giving statistics—but we should not. These numbers represent a lot of opportunity for growth. By making some strategic and intentional decisions about how we mentor and teach generosity, we can experience a pretty quick jump in giving.

After reading this some of you might wonder what do the Jews do? They have no temple, so do they tithe?

Rabbi Prof. David Golinkin |10/03/2010

Responsa by David Golinkin

In memory of Bill Davidson z”l one of the greatest philanthropists of our generation on his first yahrzeit.

Question: What are the sources for giving Maasar Kesafim [a tithe] to tzedakah? Must all Maaser money be given to the poor or may it be used to support Jewish education, to buy ritual objects for a synagogue or for other mitzvot?

Answer: (This responsum is based on the Bibliography listed below and especially on Dr. Jay Rovner’s book on the subject).

I) Talmudic sources

Maasar Kesafim means that one gives one tenth of one’s income to charity. Rabbi Yair Hayyim Bacharach (1638-1702) already stressed in his Responsa (Havot Yair, end of No. 224, ed. Kutas, Jerusalem, 1997, p. 640) that “Maasar Kesafim is not mentioned in the Shass” (i.e. in the Babylonian Talmud).

The first mention of setting aside a certain percentage of one’s property for charity appears in the Jerusalem Talmud (Peah 1:1, fol. 15b = Ketubot 4:8, fol. 28d; cf. Pesikta Rabbati, Piska 25, fol. 126b; Ketubot 50a; and Rovner, p. 18):

…R. Shimon ben Lakish (ca. 250 c.e.) in the name of R. Yosi ben Hanina: they decided at Usha that a person should set aside one fifth of his income for Mitzvah...

The Mordekhai who lived in Ashkenaz in the late 13^th century (onBava Kama, parag. 192 and on Bava Batra, ed. Riva, parag. 652) sees in this passage of the Jerusalem Talmud an allusion toMaasar Kesafim. However, it is difficult to accept this explanation because none of the Amoraim in this passage mentioned a tenth as the correct amount of tzedakah. At any rate, this passage does contain the idea that every Jew must set aside a certain percentage of his/her income for “Mitzvah“, which meansTzedakah or charity in the Jerusalem Talmud. ( On the word mitzvah meaning tzedakah, see Rashi to Shabbat156a at bottom s.v. tzadkan bemitzvah; Jastrow’s dictionary, the second entry on mitzvah; Michael Sokoloff, A Dictionary of Jewish Palestinian Aramaic, Ramat Gan, 1990, p. 325; and Rovner, note 48).

The first to require something resembling Maasar Kesafim was R. Abba bar Kahana, a third generation Israeli Amora (ca. 300 c.e.). As we have learned in Pesikta d’Rav Kahana (Piska 10, ed. Mendelbaum, p. 172, and the parallels listed there):

“Asser te’asser – “Tithe you shall tithe” (Deut. 14:22) – so that you shall not be in want, tithe so that you become wealthy [as if it says asser te’asher]. Said the Holy One Blessed be He: Tithe that which is mine and I will make prosper that which is yours.
“all” (ibid.) – Said R. Abba bar Kahana: this is a hint to merchants and seafarers [who do not engage in agriculture] that they should give a tithe to those who labor in the Torah.

It is worth noting that R. Abba bar Kahana says to give “a tithe to those who labor in the Torah“, not for charity, and he bases this request on a verse dealing with tithes.

II) The First Sources which Clearly Mention Tithing

There is no mention of Maasar Kesafim in the Geonic period (ca 500-1000 c.e.). In early Ashkenazic sources, Maasar Kesafimreferred to a communal tax and not to a personal obligation orMitzvah. (See Rovner, pp. 25-28 and the literature cited there and Finkelstein. It seems that the Ashkenazim adopted this practice from the Christian world in which they lived – see Rovner, pp. 13-15 and note 27 where he thanks me for this insight). The first sources which mention Maasar Kesafim as a personal obligation were written in Germany and France between the years 1200-1350:

1) Sefer Hassidim, ed. Margaliot, No. 144:

“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse… and thus put Me to the test” (Malachi 3:10)… that tithe is the tithe for the poor, to give to the poor a tithe of everything a person earns from interest, from hiring himself out, and from everything a man profits from… and Oy to those who delay giving their tithes, for in the end, the only thing that will remain in their hands is the tithe, as it is written: “And each person shall retain his sacred donations” (Numbers 5:10).

Sefer Hassidim, which was written in Ashkenaz ca. 1200, is of the opinion that one has to give to the poor one tenth of all earnings. It does not base this ruling on Pesikta d’Rav Kahana but on Malachi 3:10.

2) R. Isaac ben Moses of Vienna (1180-1250; Or Zarua, part 1, No. 13, end of fol. 8b) quotes a derashah on the verse “Asser te’asser– “Tithe you shall tithe” (Deut. 14:22) from Ta’anit 9a and adds:

We have learned that it is a Mitzvah for a man to tithe his money, and the more he tithes the wealthier he becomes.If he gives to tzedakah more than the tithe, this is praiseworthy on condition that he does not spend more than a fifth…. (For other passages in the Or Zarua, see Rovner, p. 29, note 88).

Isaac ben Moses of Vienna speaks about the “tithing his money” as a “Mitzvah” and he considers it as tzedakah; he even connects this custom to the above-mentioned verse in Deuteronomy 14:22.

3) R. Asher ben Yehiel, the Rosh, was born in Ashkenaz ca. 1250 and moved to Toledo, Spain in 1303. In 1314, he wrote the following document which was quoted by his son Yehudah in his ethical will (I have translated from Israel Abrahams, ed., Hebrew Ethical Wills, Philadelphia, 1926, pp. 192-194):

My lord, my father of blessed memory, ordained in his city in Ashkenaz that every member of the congregation should pay a tithe of his entire income, and in the district of Toledo he likewise ordained that he and his children should do so. And after his death, I and all my brothers resolved to maintain the practice and to add to its terms. In Elul 1346, I wrote out the ordinance which was signed by my elder sons…

“Hear my son the instruction of your father and forsake not the teaching of your mother” (Proverbs 1:8). Seeing that in the country from which we migrated our fathers and our fathers’ fathers were accustomed to set aside one tenth to God fortzedakah for the sake of mitzvah from everything they earn in business as the Sages said on the verse and explained: ” ‘Asser te’asser’ – ‘Tithe you shall tithe from all the produce of your seed’ (Deut. 14:22) – from here [we learn] that seafarers [who do not engage in agriculture] should set aside a tithe to those who labor in the Torah.” Therefore, we have continued in the footsteps of our fathers, and have taken on ourselves the obligation to set aside a tithe of all our profits in business, in interest and in trade. Three-fourths of that tithe we will deposit in a chest, controlled by two treasurers, by whose authorization all grants shall be made to all those in need. And this undertaking we have assumed upon ourselves and our offspring to observe, to do and to maintain it. The treasurers whom we have selected are two brothers who are R. Jacob and R. Judah, may God preserve them, and what we have accepted upon ourselves we have signed on the 9^th day of Marheshvan in the year 1314.

Asher ben Rabbi Yehiel z”l
Shlomo ben Rabbi Asher, may God protect him
Yaakov ben Rabbi Asher, may God preserve him
Yehudah ben Rabbi Asher, man of valor
Elyakim ben Rabbi Asher, may God protect him.

This important source teaches us that the Rosh enacted aMaaser for everyone in his community in Ashkenaz, but in Toledo, he only included himself and his sons in the enactment. On the other hand, the maaser is described here as a “custom” intended “for God for tzedakah for the sake of mitzvah“.

4) Tosafot to Taanit 9a, s.v. Tithe you shall tithe:

Thus it is in Sifre: “Tithe you shall tithe all the produce of your seed which is brought forth from the field every year” (Deut. 14:22) – we have only the produce of the seed which is liable to tithing. Whence do we learn that we are obliged to tithe interest, trade and all other profits? Scripture states “all”, for it could have said “your produce”. What then is the meaning of “all”? This includes interest, trade and everything which he profits by.

The midrash quoted here does not appear in our version of Sifreand Prof. Louis Finkelstein maintained that “according to the style of this passage, it is clear that it was created in the Middle Ages in Ashkenaz or in France (Sifre Devarim, ed. Finkelstein, end of parag. 105, pp. 165-166, in the notes). In any case, according to Prof. E.E. Urbach, the Tosafot to Ta’anit were probably edited in France ca. 1350. (E. E. Urbach, Ba’alei Hatosafot, fourth edition, Jerusalem, 1980, pp. 615-616). The editor apparently knew a midrashresembling the one in Pesikta d’Rav Kahana cited above.

Until now we have seen that the personal Maaser appears in Ashkenaz/France between the years 1200 and 1350 and that it moved to Spain with the Rosh and his sons in the beginning of the 14^th century. It is described alternatively as a “mitzvah” [a commandment], a “minhag” [a custom] and a “takanah” [an enactment] based on Deuteronomy 14 or on Malachi 3. The money is designated for “the poor” (Sefer Hassidim), for tzedakah (OrZarua), or “for God for tzedakah for the sake of mitzvah” (Rosh).

III) Is it Permissible to Use the Maaser Money for OtherMitzvot?

Strict Rulings
1) Rabbi Meir (the Maharam) of Rothenburg (Ashkenaz, d. 1293) dealt with Maasar Kesafim in several places in his writings. InResponsa of the Maharam, ed. Prague, No. 74, he ruled:

It would seem that the coins of maaser after he put them aside to give to the poor, they cannot be changed for another mitzvah, because it is like stealing from the poor, because even though it is not in the Torah but rather a custom… But the poor have already acquired the coins ofMaasar Kesafim through the custom, for this is the custom in the entire Diaspora, and one cannot change the purpose from the poor for another mitzvah which the poor do not need. As we have learned in the second chapter of Shekalim (mishnah 5): “The excess of the poor goes to the poor”. (Cf. ibid., No. 75 and Tashbatz, No. 405 where he allows giving the tithe to one’s relatives and cf. Rovner, pp. 31-32).

2a) Rabbi Yaakov Mollin (Austria, d. 1427) as reported by his disciple Rabbi Zalman, Minhagei Maharil, Hilkhot Rosh Hashanah, ed. Spitzer, p. 273:

Those who give their Maaser to make candles to light during the time of prayers do not act according to the law, because the Maaser belongs to the poor.

2b) Rabbi Yaakov Mollin, Responsa Maharil, No. 56, parag. 7: The Maharil rules that it is forbidden to use the Maaser to pay forMatanot La’evyonim [presents for the needy] on Purimbecause the Matanot La’evyonim were enacted by the Sages (seeMegillah 7a at the bottom) and therefore he is deriving benefit from the maaser if uses it to fulfill another mitzvah.

3) Rabbi Moshe Isserles (the Rema, Cracow, 1525-1572) on YorehDe’ah 249:1 ruled according to Minhagei Maharil:

One cannot use his Maaser for a mitzvah like buying candles for the synagogue or for any other mitzvah; he must only give it to the poor.

4) Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe (1535-1612), Levush Malkhut to YorehDe’ah 249, gave a similar ruling:

A person may not use his maaser for a mitzvah such as buying candles for the synagogue and the like, because once he has set it aside, it is no longer his; he can only give it to the poor.

Lenient Rulings
1) R. Menachem Ha’me’ili (of Meerseberg, early 15^th century), No. 459, quoted in the Drisha on Yoreh De’ah end of parag. 249 (and cf. Rovner, p. 34):

About your question whether you can buy books from [money which you have set aside] for Maaser, this is what I usually rule when people ask: Any mitzvah which he has the opportunity to do such as being a Ba’al Brit [a sandek at a circumcision] or bringing a groom and bride to the huppah, and the like, as well as to buy books in order to study from them and to lend them to others to learn from them – if he does not have the means and he would not do that mitzvah, he can use the Maaser.

2) R. Yisrael Isserlein (Austria, 1390-1460) as reported by his disciple Reb Yozl (Leket Yosher, part 2, p. 76) ruled that “it is permissible to teach his son Talmud [by using money] from hisMaaser“. He adds that in the beginning, “when he begins to giveMaaser, he has to make a condition that he will use the Maaser for every mitzvah, but in any case he may not use it to buy a tallit ortefillin or an etrog… because his children will enjoy these things as an inheritance, but he can use the Maaser for buying a fancieretrog, or candles for the synagogue, even the candle for YomKippur“. In other words, his position regarding using maaser for the candles in the synagogue is exactly the opposite of the Maharil’s. R. Isserlein also permits a person to use his maaser to support his father (ibid., p. 37).

3) The Shakh (R. Shabtai Hakohen, 1621-1660) on Yoreh De’ah249: 1, quotes R. Menahem Ha’me’ili’s responsum (No. 1 above) from the Maharshal and the Drisha, and from this it appears that he agrees with it.

4) The Taz (R. David Halevi, 1586-1667) ibid., allows using theMaaser “to buy mitzvot in the synagogue” i.e. to pay for aliyot and the like, on condition that he intends to do this at the time he buys the mitzvah.

5) Be’er Hagolah (R. Moshe Rivkas, 1600-1671), ibid., agrees with the Rema cited above that one should not use his maaser to fulfill a mitzvah that he is obligated to do [such as matanot laevyonim on Purim] “but if he wants to do with it a mitzvah that he is not already obligated to do, he is allowed to do so”.

6) Rabbi Jacob Reischer (1670-1733, Responsa Shevut Yaakov, Part 2, No. 85), reports that “the custom has already spread that the bride and groom pay the musicians and the waiters from themaaser coins” and he justifies this custom.

7) R. Eleazar Fleckeles (1754-1826, Responsa Teshuvah Mei’ahava, No. 87, ed. Koshoy, 1912, fol. 52d), ruled that when there is no clear local custom, it is permissible to use the money from Maasar Kesafim for every mitzvah. (For a summary of many lenient and strict rulings, see Felder, pp. 105-108).

IV) Summary and Conclusions

1) Maasar Kesafim is hinted at for the first time by R. Abba bar Kahana in Pesikta d’Rav Kahana on the basis of Deuteronomy 14. In his opinion, the money should be set aside for those who labor in the Torah, not to the poor.

2) In early Ashkenazic sources, they only spoke about MaasarKesafim in connection with a communal tax.

3) Maasar Kesafim as a personal obligation to give tzedakahdeveloped in Ashkenaz at the end of the 12^th century. Six important authorities stressed that this is a custom and not a biblical or rabbinic law, (See Responsa Maharam Meirotenberg, ed. Prague, No. 74;Bach on Yoreh Deah 331 s.v. av uveno at the end; R. Yair Hayyim Bachrach, Responsa Havot Yair, end of No. 224, ed. Kutas, Jerusalem, 1997, p. 640; Responsa Pnei Yehoshua, No. 2;Responsa Shevut Yaakov, Part 2, No. 85; R. Eleazar Fleckeles,Responsa Teshuvah Mei’ahava, No. 87). even though various authorities brought support from some of the verses and Midrashim quoted above.

4) There is a controversy among the halakhic authorities as to whether one is allowed to use Maasar Kesafim for other mitzvot. The Maharam, Maharil, Rema and the Levush ruled strictly. R. Menahem Ha’me’ili, R. Yisrael Isserlein, Shakh, Taz, Be’erHagolah, Shevut Yaakov, and Teshuvah Mei’ahava were more lenient, each according to his own reasoning.

5) Whoever wants to be strict about using maaser for other mitzvothas on whom to rely. Whoever wants to be lenient can rely on Pesikta D’Rav Kahana who speaks about giving a tithe to “those who labor in the Torah” and not about tzedakah, on the fact that this is a custom which began in the 12^th century, on the language of the Rosh and on the lenient rulings cited above.

6) In any case, it would be wonderful if modern Jews would adopt this beautiful custom in order to ensure giving a fixed amount oftzedakah on a regular basis. We can draw inspiration for this practice from the Pinkas Maasar Kesafim [Tithe Ledger] of Mordechai Ze’ev Ehrenpreis of Lvov which was published recently by Dr. Jay Rovner. In it, the author recorded all of his maasercontributions between the years 1837-1849. May it serve as an inspiration to modern Jews who wish to adopt this beautiful custom.

David Golinkin
Jerusalem
17 Adar 5770

What Are You Going To Do?

You have desired to walk out each of the Sabbaths and Holy Days and Sabbatical years. This is awesome. You are sevening yourselves to Yehovah.

We do not have a temple and we do not have Levitical priest that we know of with any surety. But you do have people doing a work. You do have people teaching you about the Jubilee Cycles and the prophecies they reveal. Those same people teach you about the Calendar and how to know which one to follow.

I am not aware of any ministry teaching you about the Sabbatical and Jubilee Cycles along with the Barley and Crescent Moon calendar. So who are you supporting with your tithes and offerings?

The Obligations of the Covenant

Neh 10:28  And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple-slaves, and all those who had separated from the people of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters (everyone who had knowledge, and who had understanding),

Neh 10:29  were holding fast to their brothers, their honored ones. And they entered into a curse and into an oath, to walk in God’s Law which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to be careful to do all the commandments of Jehovah our Lord, and His judgments and His statutes.

Neh 10:30  And we swore that we would not give our daughters to the people of the land nor take their daughters for our sons.

Neh 10:31  And if the people of the land should bring goods or any food on the Sabbath day to sell it, that we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath or on the holy day, and that we would leave the seventh year, and the interest of every debt.

Neh 10:32  Also we put commands upon ourselves, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God,

Neh 10:33  for the showbread, and for the continual meal offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

Neh 10:34  And we cast the lots among the priests, and the Levites, and the people, for the wood offering, to bring into the house of our God, according to the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year, to burn upon the altar of Jehovah our God, as it is written in the Law

Neh 10:35  and to bring the firstfruits of our ground, and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, to the house of Jehovah;

Neh 10:36  and to bring the first-born of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the Law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, to the priests who minister in the house of our God;

Neh 10:37  and that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all kinds of trees, of wine and of oil, to the priests, to the rooms of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground to the Levites, and they, the Levites, might have the tithes in all the cities we farmed.

Neh 10:38  And the priest, the son of Aaron, shall be with the Levites, when the Levites take tithes, and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes to the house of our God, to the rooms, into the treasure house.

Neh 10:39  For the sons of Israel and the sons of Levi shall bring the offering of the grain, of the new wine, and the oil, to the rooms where the vessels of the sanctuary are, and the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. And we will not forsake the house of our God.

Just as it was in the days of Nehemia, the people said they would obey Yehovah and keep His covenant, the same can be said of people today who are now discovering the Torah and then the calendar issues and then the Sabbatical years and the prophecies they reveal. They all start out with good intentions and then drop away.

Neh 13:10  And I saw that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them; for the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each one to his field.

Neh 13:11  And I contended with the rulers and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

Neh 13:12  And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil into the treasuries.

And just as in the days of Nehemia those teaching are forced to get jobs to feed their children and pay their mortgages.

You do understand that in order for your light to shine you need to buy the hydro to turn on the switch. You like the 5 wise virgins need to buy the oil so that you have it when the Messiah comes. You need that oil for your lamps and you will not give it to those who do not invest the time to acquire that oil.

But someone has to pick the olives and then squeeze out the oil and bottle it in order for you to have it and it does not come without a price.

The Parable of the Talents

Mat 25:14  For it is as if a man going abroad called his own servants and gave them his goods.

Mat 25:15  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his ability. And he went abroad at once.

Mat 25:16  And going he who had received the five talents traded with them, and made another five talents.

Mat 25:17  And likewise he who had received two, he also gained another two.

Mat 25:18  But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s silver.

Mat 25:19  After a long time the lord of those servants came and took account with them.

Mat 25:20  And so he who had received five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered five talents to me. Behold, I have gained five talents above them.

Mat 25:21  His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things; I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

Mat 25:22  He also who had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered two talents to me. Behold, I have gained two other talents above them.

Mat 25:23  His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.

Mat 25:24  And he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew that you were a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.

Mat 25:25  And I was afraid and went and hid your talent in the earth. Lo, you have yours.

Mat 25:26  His lord answered and said to him, Evil and slothful servant! You knew that I reaped where I did not sow, and gathered where I did not scatter,

Mat 25:27  then you should have put my money to the exchangers, and coming I would have received my own with interest.

Mat 25:28  Therefore take the talent from him and give it to him who has ten talents.

Mat 25:29  For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will abound. But from him who has not, even that which he has shall be taken away from him.

Mat 25:30  And throw the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Let me now tell you about the work we have done and are doing here at Sightedmoon.com. A work that some have been helping to do and a work you also can be a part of.

We began this work in 2005 teaching about the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. We quickly learned that many did not understand the calendars so we began to teach on that as well. And at the same time we were trying to explain about the curses for not keeping the Sabbatical years and the coming destruction of Israel for not keeping the Torah and the Jubilee Cycles revealed when this was to take place.

We began this in 2005 and we are still doing it now in 2021. We have since about 2013 began to pick up people who came along side of us and began to help us write our books and do our videos and to create our web site which Jame has just done again.

Those books and videos cost us tens of thousands to produce and distribute. I dug ditches for a living and had no clue how to run a ministry. So I spoke to people like I would at work. Many did not like this and other saw it as refreshing.

James has been with me since 2015 and has done all the work on the web site over the years by himself. He introduced me to Telesphore in 2015 who had just read our book and began to teach it to all his Pastors in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and Kenya. James then went to Burundi 4 times and I went one time to encourage and teach them the basics of Torah. Each time cost about $10,000 when all is said and done.

We have continued to send Telesphore money to help him do this work over there since that time. Telesphore does not write too often and is not online because of the lack of internet connections. He just goes from country to country teaching his pastors and encouraging them. He recently fled with his family to Canada and has now returned to East Africa and is continuing to teach where there is Ebola and civil wars going on as well as Muslim influence and fighting.

Telesphore is known everywhere he goes and is greeted by all the people on the street who know him. He is known and was an Ambassador to the USA for Burundi for the last President and he is also known and friends with the new president of Burundi.

He never asks for money. He just prays to Yehovah for his needs and does the work.

Out of this work another man came forward from Kenya, Henry Mate who wanted to do this work after reading our material. He too never asks for funding and is currently building a new School center there to teach from. We are funding this with him.

At the same time James was off to Burundi I was off to the Philippines where I met Aike Masias with whom I hit it off. We both wanted to teach Torah and led me all over the place doing just that. We have also been helping Aike build a Torah School on his family farm where he now teaches from during COVID.

We met Leo Palacio in this trip in the North of Philippines and he is now collecting Pastors for a conference to be conducted in the near future.

In 2018 I returned to the Philippines and Aike took me to the island of Mindanao where we met at one of my speaking engagements Dennis Parajes who has taken this message of the Jubilee cycles and the end of this age is racing with it. He is right now planning Torah conferences across the Philippines and has asked us to be a part of it.

National Meeting with core leaders of the Torah Meet Up Seminar with Rev. Dennis Parajes as our Chairman with the coordinators Rev. Joel Bautista, Chesed Emet , SetApart Aiza, Erwin Chavez Pestaño and officers Ptr. Michael Paul Matibag , Jane Dapitan. The fire must contiue and it will be in Rizal, Quezon, Mindoro, Ilocos, Pampanga and Surigao. Glory to Elohim! The Next Place is yours!

Something big is about to happen as the Lord continues to expand and enlarge our ministry in delivering His Kingdom message!
This is not just a new thing, but what is happening is only a part of His great will towards His chosen people.
Be informed that Torah Meet up will never cease to touch lives and reach people for a new generation in fulfilling the Great Commission.
Be ready and be watchful, for the NEXT PLACE IS YOURS!
I am doing something new; it’s springing up — can’t you see it?
I am making a road in the desert, rivers in the wasteland.
Isaiah 43:19

Do you see what they are beginning to do. And note the target audience.

This year in 2020-2021 while we have all been in shut down due to COVID we have developed an online Shabbat meeting place and a team of people to help in various areas of Sightedmoon.com as well as form two corporation named Acubene PBC in the USA for profit and Acubene Helping Hands in Canada for our charitable outreach.

In all of our work since we began in 2005 we have never had enough funding for the many projects we have attempted to do and have done. We advertise on many Christian sites and have had little results that we are aware of. Our associate ministries that we are working with need help and we are doing the best we can to help them when we can.

We have never asked for tithes. We have accepted donations to do this work. We have used our revenue from our book and DVD sales to finance each project.

We are now in the final run to the end of this age. We have associate ministries we are working with and we could really use your help to get this work done. You made a covenant with Yehovah to obey Him in these last days and to keep His Torah. He has charge you with doing HIs work. You are helping us to help others do this work and warn the world and by doing this you are applying the talents Yehovah has given you. Some of you are hiding them in a safe place for some future event.

Our weakness in Africa is that we cannot keep Pastors fulltime in doing this work. Our weakness in the Philippines is that we cannot hire full time pastors to do this work. We are paying for translation into Urdu in Pakistan. Once that is done we hope to find someone to teach Torah and to then support them. And there are other countries we hope to get to but Torah says we will do that through the Filipino people. We are paying to have our books narrated so you can listen to them while you drive or as you walk.

Whether you help us or not does not matter to me. I will continue to do what I can with what I have. It is my hope that when He asks for His return on His investment in me, that I can produce or will have produced more than double what He has given to me. Will you be able to say the same thing. Or will you be found out to be that servant who did nothing and hid Yehovah’s investment in you. I am speaking about both my growth in understanding of His Torah for me and for you, as well as helping others to come to know Torah. His investment in you is not just for your sake, but for all those you could be reaching also around the world.

You do not have to reinvent the wheel. You can join with us and work with us and reap and share our reward with us as we strive to finish this work in these very last days. I hope you will see the things we are doing and the things we are trying to do and that you too will join us. We do not claim to be Levites, but we are asking you to help us teach Torah to the nations. Please join us.

Mal 3:1  Behold, I will send My messenger, and He will clear the way before Me. And Jehovah, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Angel of the Covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He comes, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Mal 3:2  But who can endure the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap.

Mal 3:3  And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. And He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may be offerers of a food offering in righteousness to Jehovah.

Mal 3:4  Then the food offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be pleasing to Jehovah, as in the days of old and as in former years.

Mal 3:5  And I will come near you to judgment. And I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those who extort from the hired laborer’s wages, and turning away the widow, and the orphan, the alien, and not fearing Me, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Robbing God
Mal 3:6  For I am Jehovah, I change not. Because of this you sons of Jacob are not destroyed.

Mal 3:7  From the days of your fathers, you have turned aside from My statutes, and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you, says Jehovah of Hosts. But you say. In what way shall we return?

Mal 3:8  Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me. But you say, In what have we robbed You? In the tithe and the offering!

Mal 3:9  You are cursed with a curse; for you are robbing Me, the nation, all of it.

Mal 3:10  Bring all the tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house. And test Me now with this, says Jehovah of Hosts, to see if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you, and pour out a blessing for you, until there is not enough room.

Mal 3:11  And I will rebuke your devourer, and he shall not decay the fruit of your ground against you; nor shall your vine miscarry against you in the field, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Mal 3:12  And all nations shall call you blessed; for you shall be a delightful land, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Mal 3:13  Your words have been strong against Me, says Jehovah. Yet you say, What have we spoken against You?

Mal 3:14  You have said, It is vain to serve God; and, What profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked as mourners before Jehovah of Hosts?

Mal 3:15  And now we are calling the arrogant blessed. Not only are the doers of wickedness built up, they also test God, and escape.

The Book of Remembrance
Mal 3:16  Then those fearing Jehovah spoke together, each man to his neighbor. And Jehovah listened and heard. And a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who feared Jehovah, and for those esteeming His name.

Mal 3:17  And they shall be Mine, says Jehovah of Hosts, for the day that I will make up My treasure. And I will pity them as a man has pity on his son who serves him.

Mal 3:18  Then you shall again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God, and him who does not serve Him.

The Great Day of the Lord

Mal 4:1  For behold, the day is coming, burning like a fire pot; and all the proud, and every doer of wickedness, shall be chaff. And the coming day will set them ablaze, says Jehovah of Hosts, which will not leave root or branches to them.

Mal 4:2  But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and healing will be on His wings. And you shall go out and frisk like calves of the stall.

Mal 4:3  And you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day which I am preparing, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Mal 4:4  Remember the Law of Moses My servant, which I commanded to him in Horeb for all Israel, the statutes and judgments.

Mal 4:5  Behold, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Jehovah.

Mal 4:6  And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, that I not come and strike the earth with utter destruction.

Please watch in closing the work we are doing and helping to do. Please join us in finishing the race.

1 Comment

cosmos1947 on 26/03/2021 at 10:44 pm

You, J.D., opine: “And because of this Yehovah is sending more and more plagues. Europe and other nations are now entering into the third wave of COVID as the new variants spread faster than they are able to get the vaccines administered.”
“Others claim some conspiratorial outlook for COVID-19 and again do not credit Yehovah with having sent it into the world.”

Without diminishing the newsletter’s main message:-
Just to be crystal clear re the recurring J.D. medical tangent quoted above: an article [not referenced herein due to sightedmoon blog protocols, but privately forwarded to J.D.]. It succinctly encapsulates the dreaded/despised/ridiculed/de-platformed by BigTech. and also you, J.D., the so-called “Medical Conspiracy Theories” and “Social Media Misinformation”.
You have regularly warning your readership against extra-curricula research for years now, but without even-once citing the encouragement for “wise men” to weigh contentious alternatives with rational maturity [1Cor. 6:1-5]. Given my Administrative, Educational, and Torah-compliant background since the 1960s, if I’m not yet a ‘wise man’ there is no hope of nowadays suddenly becoming one. From your lofty perspective does that mean I’m locked into (as you’ve termed it): “stinkin’-thinkin’ ”?
All things considered, can the readership safely assume you personally have already, or will asap, get the Covid jab (and the inevitable new CoVid-variants’ jabs)? What other option do you have, given your published stance in favour of Mainstream Media’s [imo, grossly statistically-skewed] narratives and your implied hatred of any alternatives to that govt.-sanctioned global propaganda.
But will you openly announce that Covid-vaccinated-J.D. status to us? I doubt it!
J.D.: as a quick review of the too-many patiently-pedantic emails I’ve personally sent to you without you responding, they will show that I, and any other Scripture scholar, would always “credit YHVH” with ultimate control (habitually utilising ‘Nephilim’-style tyrannical humans and diabolical satanic agencies throughout our 120 Jubilees of bedevilled history). That Heavenly-control axiomatically including real or exaggerated fear-mongering plagues and general chaos [as per Levit 26:36,37]. YHVH is the great ‘I AM’: the same yesterday, today and tomorrow!

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Joseph F. Dumond

March 27, 2021

Shabbat Zoom Meeting

Septennial Torah Portion

Update From Devorah’s Date Tree

Tracking Time

Counting the Omer

Day Twenty-Six | The Creation of Yehovah | Psalm 19:1-7

Today is the fifth day of the fourth week of seven weeks. Today is the twenty-sixth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Counting of the Omer

Week Four

Day Twenty-Eight | Longing For Yehovah | Psalm 63:1-8

Today is the seventh day of the fourth week of seven weeks. Today is the twenty-eighth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath. Today is Sabbath, the fourth Sabbath of seven Sabbaths. Today completes the fourth week of seven weeks.

WEEK FIVE

Day Twenty-Nine | A Song of Thanksgiving | Psalm 67:1-7

Today is the first day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the twenty-ninth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Day Thirty | Yehovah & His People (Part I) | Psalm 78:1-16

Today is the second day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirtieth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Day Thirty-One | Yehovah & His People (Part II) | Psalm 78:17-31

Today is the third day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-first day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Day Thirty-Two | Yehovah & His People (Part III) | Psalm 78:32-39

Today is the fourth day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-second day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Day Thirty-Three | Yehovah & His People (Part IV) | Psalm 78:40-55

Today is the fifth day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-third day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Day Thirty-Four | Yehovah & His People (Part V) | Psalm 78:56-72

Today is the sixth day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-fourth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath.

Today is the seventh day of the fifth week of seven weeks. Today is the thirty-fifth day of the counting of fifty days from the day of the waving of the Omer on the morrow after the Sabbath. Today is Sabbath, the fifth Sabbath of seven Sabbaths. Today completes the fifth week of seven weeks.

We Are in Danger

500 Years of Interest Rates: The Lesson

Tech Trounced

“Real Rate Depression Cycles”

A Thing of Historic Grandeur

Crushing Debt

Horrifying Arithmetic

The Mischievous Gods

Your Oath To Yehovah

SIGNIFICANT STATISTICS ABOUT TITHING AND CHURCH GENEROSITY

Facts About Generational Giving

The Greatest Generation

Boomers

Generation X

Millennials

Christians and Tithing

247 million U.S. citizens identify as Christian—only 1.5 million tithe. (Sharefaith, 2015)

Only about 5% of churchgoers tithe. (Church development, 2018)

Tithers are 40% less likely to owe significant debt. (State of the Plate, 2013)

If Christians tithed there would be an additional $165 billion available. (RELEVANT)

Christian Giving Habits

People making $20,000 a year are 8 times more likely to give than someone making an annual income of $75,000. (Sharefaith, 2015)

Close to 20% of American families have reduced the amount they give to the local church. (Health Research Funding)

Debt hamstrings one-third of American Christians (Health Research Funding)

Religious giving has fallen 50% since 1990. (New York Times, 2016)

We have our work cut out for us

What Are You Going To Do?

The Obligations of the Covenant

The Parable of the Talents

The Great Day of the Lord

1 Comment

You were not leaving your cart just like that, right?

247 million U.S. citizens identify as Christian—only 1.5 million tithe.
(Sharefaith, 2015)

Only about 5% of churchgoers tithe.
(Church development, 2018)

Tithers are 40% less likely to owe significant debt.
(State of the Plate, 2013)

If Christians tithed there would be an additional $165 billion available.
(RELEVANT)

People making $20,000 a year are 8 times more likely to give than someone making an annual income of $75,000.
(Sharefaith, 2015)

Close to 20% of American families have reduced the amount they give to the local church.
(Health Research Funding)

Debt hamstrings one-third of American Christians
(Health Research Funding)

Religious giving has fallen 50% since 1990.
(New York Times, 2016)