Centering in on this caveat in Proverbs 21:30: "There is no 'wisdom' and no 'understanding' and no 'counsel' against the Lord" –– making sure we fulfill the "Shema" (hear/obey) by making sure we ask – and then wait for a clear answer. "You do not have because you do not ask." vs. "Ask, and you shall receive, seek, and you shall find." King David's model after the raid on Ziklag, making sure he asked God for God's counsel before doing what seemed the natural choice. (1Sam. 30:8)

This week's Haftarah, starting with a group of lepers thinking through their situation for maximum benefit, takes us into ways our minds work on the human and spiritual levels. We explore reason, faith, and courage/boldness applied in the real world - especially when we are facing an "impossible" situation – which is often, merely a bad forecast coming to us first out of the gate.

The sources of authentic joy and, identifying and avoiding its placebos. How to recover lost joy and how to avoid the traps of false comforts.

The 2nd Sermon in 2021 by Rabbi Bruce L. Cohen via "Zoom" at Congregation Beit Ariel of Cape Town, South Africa. There are 7000 Jewish people remaining in Western Cape – and they have inherited the false idea in Passover that "afikomen" is a Hebrew word for "dessert" – when it is actually a Greek word meaning "I arrived." So – WHO ARRIVED - AND WHEN? And WHY do we remember that arrival EVERY Passover? What is THE TRUTH? And how can all our Jewish people scattered across the earth be moved to face it, and embrace it?

"Returning" is the heart and soul of the historical moment in which we all live. From the time of Deuteronomy until now, God has been speaking about our exiles and our returns – from Himself, from our Land – from our very selves. This sermon is a mediation on the Haftarah's question this week "How shall we return?"

How to be "spiritual" when the situation you face makes you feel inadequate, "on empty," and bankrupt of sufficiency. Where the "sufficiency" comes from ... and how.

How genuine interaction with God, and cooperation with his rightful place as Ruler of The Universe ("Adon Olam") translates into rescue – salvation – "Yeshua" – in this life and the next.

The difference between your active connection to God radiating and changing people – and – merely being religious, with no God-connection radiating anything. Core idea from this week's parasha, when Moses descended from Mt. Sinai after being in God's Presence - and his face beamed.

A heartfelt outpouring via "Zoom" from our Rabbi in New York City, who, from 1986 to the year 2000, as an official "shaliakh" (envoy) of the MJAA - Messianic Jewish Alliance of America's "International Outreach Committee to Israel, South Africa, and Russia, became a vigorous participant the founding of, and life of, this synagogue of Two-Testament Judaism at one of "the ends of the earth." (See Deuteronomy 30:1-6)