Torah Archives - 10/40 Window Mission Network

Aaronic Benediction/ The Priestly Blessing

10-40 Admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 21:16:24 +0000

Nehemia Gordon speaks on the topic of the Priestly Blessing of Numbers 6:23-27 and about the of Mixed Seed in reference to the God’s people mixing worship of Him with false religions throughout history. Recorded May 16, 2011 at El Shaddai in Tacoma.

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Was the Bible correct that pork is truly an unclean meat?

10-40 Admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2023 19:30:16 +0000

The original article: https://naturalnews.com/043184_the_Bible_pork_unclean_meat.html

(NaturalNews) The Hebrew people have avoided pork and pig products as a dietary principle discussed in the Bible. Leviticus clearly states that pigs, because they do not chew their cud, are an unclean meat. Modern science has shown that pigs carry a very high toxic load making them unsafe for human consumption.

“And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you.” Leviticus 11:7.

The Bible warns the Hebrews about unclean foods and the rationale for the uncleanliness. Pigs are dirty animals that ruthlessly scavenge anything they come into contact with on the farm. Not only are they known to consume food scraps, insects and their own feces, but they will also cannibalistically eat their own dead carcasses. They have been known to kill and eat their young at times as well.

Due to their scavenger lifestyle, they harbor enormous amounts of viruses and parasites. Pigs are known to be primary carriers of the following pathogenic organisms, which can create very serious health problems:

Taenia solium tapeworm
PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome)
Nipah virus
Menangle virus
Hepatitis E virus (HEV)

A Consumer Reports investigation found that 69% of all raw pork samples tested were contaminated with high amounts of volatile microorganisms such as Yersinia enterocolitica. This bacteria causes fever and gastrointestinal stress and could potentially cause a fatal infection.

Why is pig meat so toxic:

Animals that “chew the cud” as it says in the Bible are called ruminants. These animals hardly chew their food when it is first swallowed. But they have four stomachs that digest and regurgitate food through a special process that allows complete digestion. The major ruminants are cows, sheep and goats.

The digestive system of a pig is unique in that it metabolizes food very quickly through one stomach in a process that takes about four hours. A cow takes 24 hours to digest what’s eaten, and it is able to get rid of excess toxins during the digestive process. The pig’s digestive system doesn’t allow for this, and the toxins are carried into the fat cells and organs of the pig itself.

Pigs also do not have sweat glands. Perspiration is a key method that the body uses for detoxification, and the pig is not designed to perspire. When we consume pig meat, we get all of these pathogenic microorganisms and environmental toxins into our system.

Pasture-fed pork products are much safer, but still, the animal is just not designed to eliminate toxins effectively. Many of these toxins are not neutralized even with high-heat cooking methods. High-heat cooking methods produce heterocyclic amine in the meat and damages much of the essential fats, which makes the pork, ham or bacon highly carcinogenic.

Was the Bible’s message to avoid consuming unclean meat necessary for reducing infection and chronic health problems? Based on the nature of pigs and the toxic load that they carry, it seems to be the best advice for optimal health.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.draxe.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

About the author:
Dr David Jockers is a Maximized Living doctor and owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia where he specializes in functional nutrition, functional medicine and corrective chiropractic care to get to the underlying cause of major health problems.

His website features great articles on natural health and incredible recipes. He is the author of the best-selling book SuperCharge Your Brain – the complete guide to radically improve your mood, memory and mindset. He has over 50,000 active followers on his social media and email newsletter and is a big influencer in the Primal Health movement.

Dr. Jockers is also available for long distance consultations and health coaching to help you beat disease and reach your health goals. For more information got to www.drjockers.com

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The Aaronic Blessing from a Hebrew Perspective

10-40 Admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 13:04:43 +0000

By Jeff A. Benner

Once we have a basic understanding of the Hebrew alphabet, vocabulary, language and philosophy, we can now begin to interpret the Bible from an Ancient Hebrew perspective rather than from a Western one.

Most people are familiar with the English translation of the Aaronic blessing.

The LORD bless you and keep you: The LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you: The LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26 RSV)

Notice that many of the words in this translation are abstract words, including; bless, keep, gracious, countenance and peace. Each of the Hebrew words behind the English in this passage, is filled with images that are lost when translated into the English language. When we examine each of these words from their original cultural and linguistic perspectives, the message in this passage comes alive.

Bless

Camels kneeling down

The Hebrew verb ברך (Barakh, Strong’s #1288) means to kneel as seen in Genesis 24:11. However, when written in the piel form, such as it is in Aaronic blessing, it means to show respect (usually translated as bless). However, as “respect” is an abstract word, we need to uncover its original concrete meaning, which we can do by examining other words related to this verb. One such related word is the noun ברך (berekh, Strong’s #1288) meaning “knee.” Another related Hebrew word is ברכה (berakhah, Strong’s #1293) meaning a gift or present. From this we can see the concrete meaning behind the piel form of the verb barak. It is to bring a gift to another while kneeling out of respect. The extended meaning of this word is to do or give something of value to another. Elohiym “respects” us by providing for our needs and we in turn “respect” Elohiym by giving him of ourselves as his servants.

Keep

Thorns

The Hebrews were a nomadic people raising livestock. It would not be uncommon for a shepherd to be out with his flock, away from the camp, over the night. In order to protect the flock, the shepherd would construct a corral of thorn bushes. The shepherd would then guard over the flock and the corral would be a hedge of protection around them. The Hebrew word for a thorn is שמיר (shamiyr, Strong’s #8068) and derived from the verb שמר (shamar, Strong’s #8104), which literally means to guard and protect and is the word used in the Aaronic blessing.

Face

Norman Rockwell’s painting of a girl’s expression

In the painting above you can “read” the faces of each of the people within the painting. The face reflects the many different moods, emotions, and thoughts of the person. The Hebrew word פנים (paniym, Strong’s #6440), means “face,” but is always written in the plural form (the ים suffix identifies this word as plural), reflecting this idea of multiple faces of each person. This word can also mean “presence” or the “wholeness of being” of an individual.

Shine

Light brings order to chaos

The word אור (or, Strong’s #215), as a noun means “light” and as a verb, as it is used here, means to “give light” or “shine” and is equated with bringing about order as light illuminates or reveals what has been dark.

Gracious

A nomadic camp

Most theologians will define “grace” as “unmerited favor,” but notice the abstractness of these words. The Hebrew verb translated as gracious in the Aaronic blessing is the verb חנן (hhanan, Strong’s #2603) and is often paralleled with other Hebrew words meaning healing, help, being lifted up, finding refuge, strength and rescue. From a concrete Hebraic perspective this verb means to “provide protection.” Where does one run to for protection? The camp, which in Hebrew is חנה (hanah, Strong’s #2583), a word related to חנן (hhanan).

Grant

A meal that is set and arranged

The Hebrew verb שים (siym, Strong’s #7760), literally means to “set down in a fixed and arranged place.”

Peace

A windmill that is “not complete.”

When we hear the word peace, we usually associate this to mean an absence of war or strife. However, the Hebrew word שלום (shalom, Strong’s #7965) has a very different meaning. The root of this word is שלם (shalam, Strong’s #7999) and is usually used in the context of making restitution. When a person has caused another to become deficient in some way, such as a loss of livestock, it is the responsibility of the person who created the deficiency to restore what has been taken, lost or stolen. The verb shalam literally means to make whole or complete. The noun shalom has the more literal meaning of being in a state of wholeness, or being without deficiency.

A Hebraic interpretation of the Aaronic Blessing

With the Hebraic understanding of each of these Hebrew words, we can better understand the true meaning of the Aaronic blessing as it was understood by the Ancient Hebrews.

YHWH will kneel before you^[1] presenting gifts and will guard you with a hedge of protection.

YHWH will illuminate the wholeness of his being toward you bringing order and he will give you comfort and sustenance.

YHWH will lift up his wholeness of being and look upon you and he will set in place all you need to be whole and complete.

1. Many people have contacted me concerned about the phrase “kneel before you” as they cannot perceive of God kneeling before us. We too often see God as the judge and ruler who sits high above us. But I see more of a familial type relationship with God, rather than a government type relationship. God is the father of us all, agreed? Well, if my young son came to me with a request, would I tower over him looking down upon him? Or would I get down on his level by “kneeling” down and getting eye to eye with him and say, “What is it my son, what can I do for you?” Let me add that this is not a literal kneeling down, but a figurative one; the common Hebrew way of expressing an abstract thought through concrete means.

Taken from: https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/studies-interpretation/aaronic-blessing-from-a-hebrew-perspective.htm

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Covenants from a Hebrew Perspective

10-40 Admin — Wed, 04 Jan 2023 19:43:12 +0000

By Jeff A. Benner

They said, “We see plainly that the Lord has been with you. So we said, let there be a sworn pact between us, between you and us, and let us make a covenant with you.” (Genesis 26:28, ESV)

We will begin this study with the Hebrew word for a “covenant,” which is ברית (b’riyt, Strong’s #1285). This noun is derived from the verb ברה (B.R.H, Strong’s #1262), which means “to select the best.”

He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.” (1 Samuel 17:8, ESV)

In this passage the Hebrew verb ברה is used for the choosing of the best man to fight Goliath. This word can also mean to eat, in the sense of selecting, such as we see in the following verse.

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” (2 Samuel 13:6, ESV)

The Hebrew language is a root-oriented language, meaning that every Hebrew word is derived from a root word and that root word is the foundation to other Hebrew words. Each word derived from one root will be closely related in meaning to all the other words derived from the same root. In the case of the word ברית (b’riyt) we found that it was derived from the root verb ברה (B.R.H), but also derived from this verbal root are the nouns ברות (barut, Strong’s #1267) meaning “choice meat” and בריה (bir’yah, Strong’s #1274) meaning “fattened.” Livestock that will be slaughtered are fed special grains to make them fat and thereby making the meat of the fattened livestock the choicest.

So how is fattened choice meat related to the word for “covenant?” The phrase “make a covenant,” such as we saw in the verse that began this study, appears eighty times in the Hebrew Bible and in every instance, it is the Hebrew phrase כרת ברית (karat b’riyt), which literally means “cut a covenant.”

A covenant was instituted by the two parties of the covenant who would take a fattened animal, the best of the flock or herd, and “cut” it into two pieces. Then the two parties of the covenant would pass through the pieces symbolizing their dedication to the covenant and by this action are saying, “If I do not hold to the agreements of this covenant, you can do to me what we did to this animal.” This methodology of “making” a covenant is clearly recorded in Jeremiah 34:18-20.

18 And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like[a] the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts— 19 the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. 20 And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. (ESV)

With this understanding of a covenant, we can better understand what is going on in Genesis chapter 15.

9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. (Genesis 15:9-10, ESV)

17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the LORD made (Hebrew – karat) a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates,” (Genesis 15:17-18, ESV)

Yahweh is cutting a covenant with Abram. However, Abram does not pass through the pieces, only the pot and torch, representations of Yahweh himself, pass through the pieces. Because Abram did not pass through the pieces, the actions of Abram, or his descendants, are not a condition of the covenant. The only person responsible for the fulfilling of this covenant is Yahweh and Yahweh alone.

Besides this covenant, Yahweh has made several other covenants with his people, such as the one he made with Noah and his descendants (Genesis 6:18, Genesis 9:9) and the one he made with the Israelites at Mount Sinai.

And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made (Hebrew – karat) with you in accordance with all these words.” (Exodus 24:8, ESV)

Unlike the unconditional covenants that Yahweh made with Noah and Abram, this covenant will be upheld only on the condition that Israel obeys the words of Yahweh.

14 But if you will not listen to me and will not do all these commandments, 15 if you spurn my statutes, and if your soul abhors my rules, so that you will not do all my commandments, but break my covenant, 16 then I will do this to you: I will visit you with panic, with wasting disease and fever that consume the eyes and make the heart ache. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. 17 I will set my face against you, and you shall be struck down before your enemies. Those who hate you shall rule over you, and you shall flee when none pursues you. 18 And if in spite of this you will not listen to me, then I will discipline you again sevenfold for your sins, 19 and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit. (Leviticus 26:14-20, ESV)

And in Deuteronomy 31 Yahweh foretells of the day when Israel will break this covenant by following after other gods.

For when I have brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey, which I swore to give to their fathers, and they have eaten and are full and grown fat, they will turn to other gods and serve them, and despise me and break my covenant. (Deuteronomy 31:20, ESV)

It is interesting to note that when Israel does break this covenant, Yahweh “cuts” Israel into “two” nations, Israel and Judah. But Yahweh promises that he will make a new covenant with the children of Israel and he will unite these two nations into one nation again.

And I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. And one king shall be king over them all, and they shall be no longer two nations, and no longer divided into two kingdoms. (Ezekiel 37:22, ESV)

31 Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, 32 not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. 33 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jereimaih 31:31-33, ESV)

Taken from: https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/studies-interpretation/covenants-from-a-hebrew-perspective.htm

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What’s so bad about pork now that we have health regulations?

10-40 Admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 20:11:36 +0000

What’s so bad about pork now that we have health regulations? Guest host Chaim Goldman and co-host Scott Laird answer the question “What’s so bad about pork now that we have health regulations?” on the March 14, 2014 episode of Shabbat Night Live.

00:00:17:02 – 00:00:27:05
Speaker 1
What’s so bad about pork? Now that we have modern health regulations, you know, is essentially he’s saying, does the Torah still stand now that things are different now?

00:00:27:06 – 00:00:47:09
Speaker 2
Well, you know, that question is very it’s complex, obviously, because people we have a couple of different things that people say about eating pork. First of all, we go back and say and in some Bible says, you know, you should has declared all foods clean and. Yes, and and we have Peter’s dream. And so theologically, people refer back to that.

00:00:47:16 – 00:01:08:06
Speaker 2
Then we move into this modern era where supposedly, you know, pork is now this other white meat, that it’s a clean meat. There are even some who are into natural health who claim claim like free range pigs, you know, as long as they’re not eating garbage, you know, they’re out there free range, free range pigs. And that pork can actually be a healthy meat.

00:01:08:06 – 00:01:20:16
Speaker 2
So. So I think we need to take this from two angles. One is theological and what does the Torah still stand? And the second is even this argument that if you even if you don’t believe in Torah, can we actually consider this to be clean? So which angle should we go?

00:01:21:16 – 00:01:24:05
Speaker 1
I’m interested to hear your angle on the Torah. First, let’s.

00:01:24:05 – 00:01:43:20
Speaker 2
Go there from the Torah. Yes, it’s. It stands ready to say anything else? Well, I said, is that eating pork? I mean, it’s it’s an important, by the way, pigs, very lovely animals. They were created for a purpose of course. In fact, they’re created to help clean up the world. They’re one of the garbage collectors of the world.

00:01:44:02 – 00:02:05:09
Speaker 2
And but we’re just not supposed to put them in our bodies. And in fact, it’s referred to eating a pig as an abomination with funny the same language is used to refer to homosexuality. And yet the Christians are all over the abomination of homosexuality. And then while they’re eating pork chops and spam and bacon and all kinds of other stuff.

00:02:05:09 – 00:02:20:24
Speaker 2
So we want to read the words. We want to put things on an equal footing, but also we go back and look. What about Peter’s dream? Well, we’ve talked about this on the program. It’s very clearly talking about men. You sure didn’t come to cleanse pigs. He came to clean men. The sheet came down three times. It was three men.

00:02:21:00 – 00:02:37:27
Speaker 2
Peter was wrestling. Lord, what can this mean? I’ve never eaten these animals 20, 30 years since Yeshua ascended. Never eaten these animals. He is going back and forth over it. Men show up at his house, he walks. He’s even wrestling with it all the way to the house. And right before he gets to the Gentiles house he goes, Aha.

00:02:37:27 – 00:02:54:28
Speaker 2
I’m clearly being shown that this dream was about men and not calling men unclean, because if they want to hear about your show and they want to come into the kingdom, they are welcome. And I’m not to judge any man Jew, gentile, nothing to do with food. Peter knew it had nothing to do with food. But then we move into, you know, the modern age, right?

00:02:54:28 – 00:03:02:21
Speaker 2
That’s really the heart of the question. What do we know about pork with all the antibiotics and everything? Is this the clean, the chicken noses, worms just go away?

00:03:02:21 – 00:03:09:21
Speaker 1
Is it even like like you imagine if you had a free range pig, which I don’t it seems like such a ridiculous term because a pig will eat anything, right?

00:03:09:22 – 00:03:20:21
Speaker 2
Actually, it would be safer to put a pig in a pan and control its food choices left to its own. Cows will not eat GMO corn, right? They will eat grass and other things. And so but when.

00:03:21:11 – 00:03:37:05
Speaker 1
You see some of this I get from my dad, my dad was he was involved in the food industry for 27 years. He told me no matter how clean a pig is, you’ve it’s always got worms. Every single pig has worms. He told me, don’t even gamble. I mean, it’s not even a question. And here’s some more information.

00:03:37:13 – 00:03:39:00
Speaker 2
Your father is not an Orthodox Jew.

00:03:39:04 – 00:03:40:06
Speaker 1
No, no, no.

00:03:41:18 – 00:03:43:19
Speaker 2
No bias of that coming. No. Okay.

00:03:43:24 – 00:03:58:04
Speaker 1
Now, this this information we have, here comes from national news.com, which we highly respect that that website, good stuff on there. They mentioned that the digestive system of a pig is unique and metabolizes food very quickly in about 4 hours because of that not ruminant.

00:03:58:04 – 00:03:58:16
Speaker 2
It doesn’t it’s.

00:03:58:16 – 00:04:07:27
Speaker 1
Not ruminant what’s right. And so the toxins are carried to the fat cells because it’s not fully digested.

00:04:08:08 – 00:04:11:16
Speaker 2
So it’s like in and right into the right, into the meat, right.

00:04:11:16 – 00:04:23:06
Speaker 1
And the toxins go right into the meat because it isn’t fully digested, doesn’t go through the digestive system. And so when we consume pigmeat, we get all of these pathogenic microorganisms into our system.

00:04:23:06 – 00:04:39:24
Speaker 2
Pigs don’t even sweat. Right? Right. They don’t even sweat. So they can’t even if we, you know, ever, ever get around someone who stinks, you know, that’s toxins going out through your sweat glands, right? The pigs don’t even have the ability. How efficient? I mean, it’s like when the garbage truck comes down the street, do you ever have where it leaves and it’s drip that smelly one?

00:04:39:24 – 00:04:45:02
Speaker 2
Yeah. We don’t want garbage trucks that have any leaks. The pigs are amazing. They have no way for the toxins.

00:04:45:03 – 00:05:05:08
Speaker 1
To get out. Here’s the here’s the interesting thing. People say, well, yeah, that’s fine. But if you cook the pig all the way through, then it’s fine. Well, really. Okay, get this. High heat. Cooking methods produce a chemical in the meat that damages much of the essential fat, which then become highly carcinogenic.

00:05:05:08 – 00:05:27:12
Speaker 2
Okay, so. So we have cooked carcinogens that are in there already and anything that might have been healthy in the pig turns into a carcinogen. Right. It’s a toxic animal. It was created to be so. But I want to bring these two worlds together right now, because people bring these two arguments together as one, you sure said or were allow God revealed that pigs are now clean to eat because of Yeshua somehow magical way.

00:05:27:18 – 00:05:44:26
Speaker 2
And in this modern age, pigs are clean. But here’s the thing. If you sure sanctify the pigs, wouldn’t they have been clean 2000 years ago? Very good. But there were no antibiotics, refrigeration and all those things 2000 years ago. So these arguments need to stay separate because when you combine them, they’re just a it’s a fallacy. They can’t work.

00:05:45:04 – 00:06:12:11
Speaker 2
He didn’t come to clean pigs and pig was not made clean. 12 years ago. And today, if you put enough antibiotics in a pig to kill all the bad stuff, let’s say you could if you want to eat that anyway, filled with antibiotic.

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Swearing by the Name of YHVH

10-40 Admin — Sun, 01 Jan 2023 02:42:12 +0000

By Ross K Nichols
This paper is a preliminary study of an ancient and long forgotten practice – swearing by the
name of YHVH. According to the Hebrew Bible, swearing by the name of YHVH was a
common practice in antiquity. Men and women, prophets and kings, swore in the name of
Israel’s God as commanded in the Torah of Moses (Deuteronomy 6:13, 10:20). After the close of
the biblical period, the practice fell into disuse, but Israel’s prophets, claiming authority from
God Himself, intimate that the practice will be restored leading to the redemption of Israel and
bringing blessings to all the families of the earth.

The Command
Two texts from the Torah’s final book declare that swearing in the name of YHVH is a
commandment.
“It is the LORD your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear.”
(Deuteronomy 6:13 ESV)

“You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name
you shall swear.” (Deuteronomy 10:20 ESV)

In these texts we see that swearing by the name is commanded, but the text is less clear as to how
one would do it. The Hebrew Bible does provide us with examples of the ancient practice
however, and these are instructive for the present study.
“And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the LORD lives, he shall not be put
to death.” (1 Samuel 19:6 ESV)

“But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes,
and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the LORD lives
and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” (1 Samuel 20:3 ESV)

“But Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you
for this thing.” (1 Samuel 28:10 ESV)

“Then King Zedekiah swore secretly to Jeremiah, “As the LORD lives, who made our souls, I
will not put you to death or deliver you into the hand of these men who seek your life.”
(Jeremiah 38:16 ESV)

In each of these examples we read that a biblical personality swore, and in the example from
First Samuel 28:10 we see that the oath is “by the LORD.” The oath itself is confirmed by the
phrase translated into English – “as the LORD lives.” The Hebrew phrase behind this translation
is י ו הה ח י . The meaning in its basic form affirms that the words of the oath are as sure as the fact
of existence of Israel’s God – YHVH lives!

The Oath of Kings, Prophets and Commoners
Israel’s kings employed this oath. Saul used it (I Samuel 14:39, 19:6, 28:10), David did as well (I
Samuel 20:3, 25:34, 26:10, 2 Samuel 4:9, 12:5, 14:11, 22:47; I Kings 1:29-30; Psalm 18:46);
Solomon uttered this oath (I Kings 2:24), as did Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38:16). Several of Israel’s
prophets (Elijah, Elisha, Jeremiah and Hosea) either swore by the name, or made reference to the
practice (I Kings 17:1, 18:10, 15, 22:14, 2 Kings 2:2, 4, 6, 3:14, 5:16, 20, Jeremiah 4:2, 5:2,
12:16, 16:14, 15, 23:8, Hosea 4:15, 2 Chronicles 18:13). The practice was not restricted to kings
and prophets. Gideon (Judges 8:19), Jonathon, the son of King Saul to David (I Samuel 20:21),
Abigail, the wife of the infamous Nabal swore by the name to David (I Samuel 25:26), Achish
did likewise (I Samuel 29:6), Ittai the Gittite (2 Samuel 15:21), the widow of Zarephath (I Kings
17:12), the Shunammite woman (2 Kings 4:30), and Boaz (Ruth 3:13) all swore by the name
YHVH.

Do Not Swear
After the close of the biblical period, perhaps due to various exiles of the people of Israel, the
practice fell into disuse. The phrase found so frequently in the Hebrew Bible disappeared from
the lips of the people of Israel. According to the “Jewish Encyclopedia,” Philo, the Hellenistic
Jewish philosopher (25 B.C.E. – 50 C.E.) is quoted as saying, “The bare word of a virtuous man
should be like an oath, steadfast, inviolable, and true. Should necessity absolutely require an oath
let a man swear by his father and mother instead of by the name of the highest and first Essence.”
Jesus and his brother James seemingly discouraged the taking of oaths as a general rule,
preferring a simple yes or no (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12). Were it not for a word from Israel’s
ancient prophets, one might relegate the swearing by the name of Israel’s God to the biblical
period as a matter of antiquated religion.

Learning and Teaching Others to Swear by the Name
In a passage that describes a future restoration of Israel, the prophet Jeremiah gives a prophecy
that indicates a resurgence of the practice of swearing by the name of YHVH.

“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said,
‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the
LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the
countries where he had driven them.’ For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to
their fathers.” (Jeremiah 16:14–15 ESV, compare Jeremiah 23:7-8)

Here, the oath is mentioned twice: the first time referring to the oath as it was known among the
ancients, and once as it will be declared among the latter-day children of Israel. In yet another
prophetic passage, Jeremiah warns Israel’s neighbors, who in past times taught Israel to swear by
their gods to “learn the ways of my people, to swear by my name – as YHVH lives,” or they will
be destroyed (Jeremiah 12:14-17)! It is also Jeremiah who gives perhaps the most significant
prophecy concerning the restoration of the ancient practice of swearing by the name YHVH.

“If you return, O Israel, declares the LORD, to me you should return. If you remove your
detestable things from my presence, and do not waver, and if you swear, ‘As the LORD lives,’ in
truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall
they glory.” (Jeremiah 4:1–2 ESV)

This remarkable word from the prophet Jeremiah ties the reinstatement of the ancient practice of
swearing by the name YHVH to the return of latter day Israel and promises that if the practice is
done in truth, justice and righteousness, that the nations of the world will bless themselves in
him, an obvious allusion to the promises of the Abrahamic plan (Genesis 12:3, 18:18, 26:4,
28:14).

Reference:
Jewish Encyclopedia. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11639-oath

REPOSTED FROM ACADEMIA.EDU Membership is free
https://www.academia.edu/41521919/Swearing_by_the_Name_of_YHVH

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Does Yehovah Mean Lord of Destruction?

10-40 Admin — Thu, 15 Dec 2022 00:41:07 +0000

original article: http://seekingtruth.info/blog/does-yehovah-mean-lord-of-destruction/

Some people are objecting to the pronunciation of Yehovah because they claim it means something like “Lord of Destruction”. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

This ignorant theory comes from two baseless assumptions. 1 – that “Yeh” or “Yah” means “Lord” or “God” and 2 – that “hovah” in Hebrew can only mean destruction.

Let’s first deal with assumption #1 – the meaning of “Yeh” or “Yah”

Yah (יהּ) appears in 43 verses in the Tanakh: 2 verses in Exodus, 3 verses in Isaiah, 37 verses in Psalms and 1 verse in Song of Solomon. References are listed at the end of this post. Yah (יהּ) is a contracted form of יהוה – just like John is a contracted form of Jonathan. When we read Yah, the writer intends us to think of יהוה – His personal Name. So Yah does not mean “god” it means יהוה.

Where names in Hebrew take the form “God of” they begin or end with “El”, for example Eliezer which means “God is help” or Israel which means “God prevails”. There are many examples to show that incorporating the term “God” into a name uses “El” and not “Yah”.

But what about “Lord”? Where the term Lord is incorporated into names it uses “Adon” as in Adoni-Bezek, “my lord is Besek” or Adoniyah, “my lord is Yehovah”. Here in Adoniyah we see a direct use of “Yah” referring to Yehovah and not to a title like God or Lord.

So clearly there is no linguistic or textual support for claiming that Yah means “lord” or “god”.

So what of the second assumption, that “hovah” means destruction and only destruction?

It is true that the NOUN hôvâh (הוה) means ruin or disaster, however hovah is also a VERB which means “is” as in present tense being.

When יהוה spoke to Moshe in Exodus 3; He prefaced the declaration of His Name with a very important concept – אהיה אשׁר אהיה – which literally means “I will be who I will be” or, for a more nuanced translation, “I am now and I will continue to be in the future”. He then declares His Name by which He is to be remembered/mentioned for all generations – יהוה. The root of יהוה is the verb היה Hayah/Ehyeh, which means “to be”. The past, present and future forms of hayah which make up the Father’s Name are Hayah, Hoveh & Yiheyeh, meaning “He was, He is, He will be”. Yehovah’s very name speaks to His eternal nature.

The root of “hovah” is הוה – which is a noun – a static thing, no action – and and does not have the same letters as the root for “hayah”. That there is a noun “hovah” has no relationship to the Father’s name when His Name is clearly based on the verb “Hayah/Ehyeh”.

Verses which use Yah, the poetic form of Yehovah, in the Tanakh (Young’s Literal Translation with J corrected to Y):

Exodus 15:2 My strength and song is Yah, And He is become my salvation: This [is] my God, and I glorify Him; God of my father, and I exalt Him.
Exodus 17:16 and saith, `Because a hand [is] on the throne of Yah, war [is] to Yehovah with Amalek from generation — generation.’

Isaiah 12:2 Lo, God [is] my salvation, I trust, and fear not, For my strength and song [is] Yah Yehovah, And He is to me for salvation.
Isaiah 26:4 Trust ye in Yehovah for ever, For in Yah Yehovah [is] a rock of ages
Isaiah 38:11 I said, I do not see Yah — Yah! In the land of the living, I do not behold man any more, With the inhabitants of the world.

Psalm 68:4 Sing ye to God — praise His name, Raise up a highway for Him who is riding in deserts, In Yah [is] His name, and exult before Him.
Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast taken captive captivity, Thou hast taken gifts for men, That even the refractory may rest, O Yah God.
Psalm 77:11 I mention the doings of Yah, For I remember of old Thy wonders,
Psalm 89:8 O Yehovah, God of Hosts, Who [is] like Thee — a strong Yah? And Thy faithfulness [is] round about Thee.
Psalm 94:7 And they say, `Yehovah doth not see, And the God of Jacob doth not consider.’
Psalm 94:12 O the happiness of the man Whom Thou instructest, O Yah, And out of Thy law teachest him,
Psalm 102:18 This is written for a later generation, And the people created do praise Yah.
Psalm 106:1 Praise ye Yah, give thanks to Yehovah, For good, for to the age, is His kindness.
Psalm 106:48 Blessed is Yehovah, God of Israel, From the age even unto the age. And all the people said, `Amen, praise Yah!’
Psalm 111:1 Praise ye Yah! I thank Yehovah with the whole heart, In the secret meeting of the upright, And of the company.
Psalm 112:1 Praise ye Yah! O the happiness of one fearing Yehovah, In His commands he hath delighted greatly.
Psalm 113:1 Praise ye Yah! Praise, ye servants of Yehovah. Praise the name of Yehovah.
Psalm 113:9 Causing the barren one of the house to sit, A joyful mother of sons; praise ye Yah!
Psalm 115:17 The dead praise not Yah, Nor any going down to silence.
Psalm 115:18 And we, we bless Yah, From henceforth, and unto the age. Praise ye Yah!
Psalm 116:19 In the courts of the house of Yehovah, In thy midst, O Jerusalem, praise ye Yah!
Psalm 117:2 For mighty to us hath been His kindness, And the truth of Yehovah is to the age. Praise ye Yah!
Psalm 118:5 From the straitness I called Yah, Yah answered me in a broad place.
Psalm 118:14 My strength and song [is] Yah, And He is to me for salvation.
Psalm 118:17 I do not die, but live, And recount the works of Yah,
Psalm 118:18 Yah hath sorely chastened me, And to death hath not given me up.
Psalm 118:19 Open the gates of righteousness for me; I will enter them and thank Yah.
Psalm 122:4 For thither have tribes gone up, Tribes of Yah, companies of Israel, To give thanks to the name of Yehovah.
Psalm 135:1 Praise ye Yah! Praise ye the name of Yehovah, Praise, ye servants of Yehovah,
Psalm 135:3 Praise ye Yah! for Yehovah [is] good, Sing praise to His name, for [it is] pleasant.
Psalm 135:4 For Jacob hath Yah chosen for Himself, Israel for His peculiar treasure.
Psalm 135:21 Blessed [is] Yehovah from Zion, Inhabiting Jerusalem — praise ye Yah!
Psalm 146:1 Praise ye Yah! Praise, O my soul, Yehovah.
Psalm 146:10 Yehovah doth reign to the age, Thy God, O Zion, to generation and generation, Praise ye Yah!
Psalm 147:1 Praise ye Yah! For it is good to praise our God, For pleasant–comely is praise.
Psalm 147:20 He hath not done so to any nation, As to judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye Yah!
Psalm 148:1 Praise ye Yah! Praise ye Yehovah from the heavens, Praise ye Him in high places.
Psalm 148:14 And He exalteth the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints, Of the sons of Israel, a people near Him. Praise ye Yah!
Psalm 149:1 Praise ye Yah! Sing ye to Yehovah a new song, His praise in an assembly of saints.
Psalm 149:9 To do among them the judgment written, An honour it is for all his saints. Praise ye Yah!
Psalm 150:1 Praise ye Yah! Praise ye God in His holy place, Praise Him in the expanse of His strength.
Psalm 150:6 All that doth breathe doth praise Yah! Praise ye Yah!

Song of Solomon 8:6 Set me as a seal on thy heart, as a seal on thine arm, For strong as death is love, Sharp as Sheol is jealousy, Its burnings [are] burnings of fire, a flame of Yah!

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Natives, Strangers, Immigrants and Foreigners

10-40 Admin — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 04:28:00 +0000

By Jeff A. Benner

In another article I discussed the different people groups of the New Testament, the Jews, Greeks, Nations and Proselytes. In the Old Testament we have four different people groups; the natives, strangers, immigrants and foreigners.

Attempting to differentiate between these different people groups can be very difficult if you are using a translation as it is not uncommon for a translation to use the same English word for different groups. For instance, the King James Version uses the word “stranger” for זור (Z.W.R, a stranger, see Leviticus 2:10), גר (ger, an immigrant, see Exodus 2:22) and נכרי (nakhriy, a foreigner, see Deuteronomy 17:15). This is why it is imperative that one use a Hebrew dictionary, such as Strong’s, when doing a study of Biblical words.

Native

The natives (sometimes translated as “home-born”) are those who are born to one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Hebrew word for a native is אזרח (ezrahh, Strong’s #249). This word comes from the verbal root זרח (Z.R.Hh, Strong’s #2224), which means to “come up” or “come out of.” So an ezrahh is one has “come out of” Israel.

All that are home-born shall do these things after this manner, in offering an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah. (Numbers 15:13, ASV)

Stranger

The Hebrew verb זור (Z.W.R, Strong’s #2114) means “to be separated out.” The participle form of this verb means a “stranger,” one who is separated out. This word is frequently used in the Torah for someone who is not from one’s own tribe.

to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no stranger, that is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to burn incense before Jehovah; that he be not as Korah, and as his company: as Jehovah spake unto him by Moses. (Numbers 16:40, ASV)

“If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside the family to a stranger; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. (Deuteronomy 25:5, RSV)

Immigrant

The Hebrew word for an immigrant (often translated as “stranger” or “sojourner”) is גר (ger, Strong’s #1616) and is derived from the verb גור (G.W.R, Strong’s #1481), which means to “dwell with” or “dwell among.” So an immigrant is one who is not a native born Israeli, but lives with the natives. According to the Torah, the immigrants are to live according to the same customs and laws as the natives.

One law shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger (גר) that sojourneth (גור) among you. (Exodus 12:49, ASV)

And they are to be treated the same way as a native because the Israelites were once immigrants.

And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt. (Exodus 22:21, ASV)

However, there are still some differences between a native and an immigrant, as is apparent in the following verse.

Ye shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself: thou mayest give it unto the sojourner that is within thy gates, that he may eat it; or thou mayest sell it unto a foreigner… (Deuteronomy 14:21, ASV)

Foreigner

A foreigner is one who was born in a foreign land, but unlike an immigrant, is not bound to the customs and laws of the native or immigrant.

Unto a foreigner thou mayest lend upon interest; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest. (Deuteronomy 23:20, ASV)

There are two Hebrew words for a foreigner; נכרי (nakhriy, Strong’s #5237) and נכר (nekhar, Strong’s #5236). Both of these words are derived from the root נכר (N.K.R, Strong’s #5234) meaning “to be recognizable,” probably because a foreigner is easily recognizable due to their very different culture and lifestyle.

Taken from: https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/studies-interpretation/natives-strangers-immigrants-and-foreigners.htm

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Honest discussion about tallits and tsitsits.

Regina Roundtree — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 23:00:37 +0000

Before we begin...

1) When referencing scripture we will first use resorces from Jeff Benner of Ancient Hebrew Research Center.** We love the way he takes us back to Hebrew culture. We truly appreciate(and have purchased ourselves) his material. We have recieved permission to repost his material on our website.

2) We will reference articles and/or videoes we think are helpful; however, that does NOT imply we agree with EVERYTHING they present on the site/channel. There are many great teachers from diffrent faith systems. We may not agree with ALL the pillars of their faith (in fact some of them don’t even agreee with the pillars of their faith) but the topic in the linked article is worth considering.

**We are also an affiliate partner with ARHC and recieve compensation for any items that you purchase. Any monies recieved go to further the work of 1040Window.club as it shares Torah-oriented (BUT non-religious & non-denominational) studies to people living in that part of the world.**

What does the Torah say about prayer shawls (Tallits) and fringes (tzitzit).

A Little bit of History

Typically, in the Christian community the consideration about prayer shawls (tallits) or fringes (tzitzit) may be an “Old Testament thing” or one that only belongs within Judaism. Many are recently coming to understand that the Old Testament was the only “Bible” that was read by Jesus/ Yeshua[1] (his name in Hebrew) and everyone who lived in that time. Many are also seeking to find out what of Judaism is relevant for those not in the direct bloodline of Abraham. Unfortunately, we may have been taught by our denominations and/or religious leaders that the Old Testament is only about a “chosen” people who are direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Maybe we have even done our own search and have become disheartened that we cannot find a place for us there – in the covenant blessing. We walk away thinking that YHWH has favorites. So we run back to the New Testament and take comfort there in a false doctrine that there has a been a replacement once Yehoshua came and now we are also chosen. The truth is, we have been ignorantly mislead, ALL humanity was always the plan – always[2].

Before Abraham, YHWH spoke with humans directly but had not yet identified a chosen people (at least not that we know). The term chosen people should not be taken out of context. As Genesis begins, ELOHIM/Creator made many attempts to give instructions, but humanity did not do well with following his intent Adam, Cain, society during Noah’s day. When ELOHIM finally meets Abram in Genesis 12, YHWH asks him to leave all that he knows for a new life in a new place that ELOHIM will show him on the way.

The Creator makes a promise that if Abram will serve HIM only, then the Creator will 1) bless him, 2) make him a great nation, 3) make his name great and 4) and thou “shalt be a blessing” Gen 12:1-4. It was always ELOHIM’s desire to bless the whole world. He just needed someone to commit to following His instructions so that everyone else would know how to live. Many promises and challenges happened along the way for Abraham and his seed.

As we get to Numbers 15, which is the focus of this article, they (the seed of Abraham, now known as the children of Israel because Jacob, the father of the 12 tribes had his name changed in Gen 32: 22-32) were then tasked with teaching the next generation how to walk with their Creator in a way that no other god had done with his followers.[3] Chosen was not meant to be to the exclusivity of everyone else. In many places we see a mixed multitude/ stranger/ foreigner/ sojourner who are allowed to participate with them. We also see that YHWH says there is one law for those of the bloodline (native) and those who are not. Once a foreigner came in and were a part of the group all the rules applied to the native as well as the foreigner. After this EVERYONE was called Israel. [4]

[1] Hebrew names God and Jesus

[2] Explain chosen

[3] Ross Nichols has an excellent video.

[4] Mixed multitude video

Again we are just setting a foundation that YHWH can be specific when he speaks to us. We don’t need to add or take away from His words.

We are going to start with the fringes first.

FRINGES – Hebrew צִיצִת (ṣîṣiṯ = tzitzit) [Strongs H6734]. If you have researched fringes, you may have seen there are many teachings from Judaism[1] about it. The word used is tzitzit. Few other religions have as many teachings about it although many cultures have fringes as a common garment design and some religions even wear fringes on sacred garments. If one were to research into each culture or religion, fringes may have a special meaning. In the Middle East you may notice that men wear garments with fringes and the women do not. Fringes could also have meaning within cultures as well as religion. Ever wonder why scarves have fringes? Where did we even get the design for a scarf? Could it have been a smaller simpler design of the tallits? Jewish store do sell the small tallits as well as the very big ones.

[1] There are many “denominations” of Jews in Judaism as with Muslims and Christianity. Good article .

Sample garments in different cultures

It’s amazing how many things we have in society that have been influenced by the Torah. And further how many cultures have traces of Torah influence in their society. What happens as time progresses is that religious traditions, people’s personal preferences and the influence of cultural around us impact how we walk out the commandments of Yehovah. As can been seen even in Torah, without constant discipline to be obedient, people will fall away from “their first love”. Traditions are only bad if it contradicts what Yehovah says not to do.- or if it applies his name falsely.[1]

Our first reference is Numbers 15: 37-41. To give some context to this passage. The children of Israel have been free from Egypt for about 2 months. In the previous chapters, the spies went to search out the promised land. 10 brought back a bad report which caused the people to murmur and complain. As a result of doubting Yehovah they just received judgement from ELOHIM that they will wander for 40 years in the desert – end of chapter 14. As a side note, this is an example of the children paying for the sins of the fathers for the third and fourth generation. Read our document about this topic here.[2] Chapter 15 contains some instructions including fringes.

	KJV	Sefaria.org
Num 15:37	And the LORD (YHWH) spake unto Moses, saying,	יהוה said to Moses as follows:
Num 15:38	Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments[Strongs H899] throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:	Speak to the Israelite people^{Israelite people* Heb. bene yisra’el; whether women are in view is uncertain}. and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner.
Num 15:39	And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD (YHWH), and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:	That shall be your fringe; look at it and recall all the commandments of יהוה and observe them, so that you do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge.
40	That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God (ELOHIM).	Thus you shall be reminded to observe all My commandments and to be holy to your God.
41	I am the LORD (YHWH) your God (ELOHIM), which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God(ELOHIM): I am the LORD(YHWH) your God (ELOHIM).	I יהוה am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I, your God יהוה.

	KJV	Sefaria.org
Deut 22:12	Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture [Strong H3682], wherewith thou coverest thyself.	You shall make tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.

In summary Numbers 15: 38-41 speaks of the fringes and he is specific with only these details.

Fringes on the borders of garment
To be done throughout the ages
Attach a cord of blue to the fringe at the corner
Look at them and remember His commandments

What it does not say

He doesn’t say it’s for men only.
He doesn’t define the material or color of the garment or fringes (Only that it needs a blue ribbon.)
Nothing on who has to make it.
No requirements about knots, twisting or what shade of blue

That is it. So YES, you need to wear fringes/tassels as they are a requirement – throughout your generations. Now there are certain laws/statutes where YHWH says “forever” or uses language like throughout your generations. We have made another article that looks at this in detail because we also will review the 613 commandments as identified by Jewish scholars[3]. But for now, let’s stay on the fringes. There is no end to this commandment.

[1] Teaching about using his name in vain. Coming Soon.

[2] Sour grapes and generational curses. Coming Soon

[3] Dissecting the 613 document. Coming Soon

We have to go deeper….much deeper and understand the culture better. Jeff Benner is a teacher and I have been studying his material- it is excellent. We will reference his writings frequently and have gained permission to repost on our site. This next explanation below is beautiful and gives so much more meaning. The complete document is here.

A tsiytsiyt

In Numbers 15:38 we read; Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, make tsiytsiyt on the corners of your garment. The Hebrew word ציצית (tsiytsiyt) is a noun derived from the word ציץ (tsiyts).

A Blossom

A ציץ (tsiyts) is the “blossom” of a tree, which in time will become a fruit. The tsiytsiyt then is a blossom, not in appearance, but in function. The function of the tsiytsiyt is to be a reminder to the wearer to produce fruit, fruit being the observance of the commands, as stated in verse 39, “remember the commandments,” the teachings of God, which according to Psalm 1:2,3, is like producing fruit.

Therefore, the word tsiytsiyt carries with it a cultural perspective which connects the blossoms of a tree with the performance of a commandment.

This “concrete” Hebrew language continued to function as the Jewish people’s native language until their removal from the land after the Bar Kockba revolt in 135 AD, at which time they were dispersed into many different nations. While the Jewish people continued to use the Hebrew language from then until now, it was relegated to their religious lives alone. The language of the people around them, quite often this was Greek or Aramaic, was adopted as the language for everyday use. At this point, the new adopted language becomes the influential language in their life and their perspectives of words and ideas are now determined by this dominant language.

The Hebrew word tsiytsiyt is now translated into their new language. In the case of the Greek language, it is translated into κρασπεδον (kraspedon), meaning “a decorative fringe or thread.” No longer is the tsiytsiyt attached to the idea of a “blossom,” but instead simply as a “fringe.” This same shift in perception occurred each time a new language was adopted, whether it was Spanish, German or English.

Declaration of the State of Israel in 1948

In 1948 Israel became a Jewish state and with that, Hebrew once again became the everyday language of the Jewish people. While the language had been resurrected, the original cultural perspective of Ancient Hebrew had disappeared long ago and the Western influence survived. Therefore, a tsiytsiyt, in the mind of modern Orthodox Jews, is still a decorative fringe and no longer functionally related to a blossom.

(back to 10/40 Window)

Let’s not make this about functionality and decoration. When we wear the fringes/blossoms, we should remember the process of growth and blossoming in YHWH.

The word for garment is Strongs H899 בִגְדֵיהֶם you will see this word is used 217 times in the KJV. A few examples

Tamar with Judah – Gen 38: 14, 19
Joseph’s garment when Potiphar’s wife tries to seduce him – Gen 39:12-19
Levitical garments – Exodus chapters 28, 29, 39, 40 (just to name a few)

Based on Deut 22:12 “wherewith thou coverest thyself.” we believe it is an outer garment. The point is you should be able to see it.

Something else to consider about who should see it. Because it seems to imply that everyone should be able to see it. The scripture says “you” and “ye” the singular or plural of the word you. This is a good article that talks about – thou, thee, ye, your.[1] And this one as well.[2]

And that makes sense – “and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:”. If I look at someone to lust and I see the fringes – yup, I’m gonna check myself. LOL. And if I go to sit down or stretch my hand to do something, I see the fringes I am going to remember. Wearing the fringes is so that others can also identify you as one who keeps the Torah.

KJV – number 15:39

“And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:”

If it is to be a reminder, then you should be able to see it. If it is an outer garment it is not needed for prayer in your home. In fact, you don’t need to wear it in your home, because YHWH has provided other ways for you to remember HIS commandments in your home (read Deut 6:1-9; we also wrote a document about it).[3]

As a quick reference it is law #84 that speaks about the garment in the 613 commandments. In short, the 613 were first mentioned in the Talmud but not listed. Most give credit to Maimonides (1135-1204 C.E.or BC) for creating the list. Are the commandments relevant today? Many are, but many are not. I will say this, Yehovah sees all eternity. He certainly knows the time He will return and how culture will change until He does. So when He says, “forever, through all ages, throughout all generations”. It means we are NEVER to stop doing those commandments. These are the moments when He doesn’t care what changes these “forever” commandments do not change. However, there are commandments He gave because this was a generation of people who had no established government or health laws to live by as they journeyed out of captivity. Being a gracious and loving Creator, he gave them instructions to establish and operate their new government.

Example of instructions that are constant and instructions that change depending on other factors:

Constant – Murder is illegal in every country.

Change – But the traffic laws or housing guidelines are different depending on where you live, and they will change from century to century. Most all the laws that humanity currently has – are based off the laws we see here in the Torah.

Another example of instructions changing with the current times: Lev 18 about safe sexual relations. As an example, we understand now that inter-familiar relationships can cause genetic problems in children. However before Torah was given, in order to populate the earth sex with siblings and cousin was needed.

And the same time there are commandments not necessary anymore

Law #128 – marry a brother’s widow and raise up a child Deut 25:5
Law #136 – wife accused of adultery Numbers 5:12-31
Law #37 – put to death anyone who tries to lead other to follow after idols. Deut 13:7-11

Back to our topic on fringes (tzitzit) and prayer shawls (tallit). Next is the prayer shawl. YHWH/ Yehovah does not give a commandment, law or statute about a prayer shawl. He does say to wear the fringes on the corners of a garment with a blue thread/ribbon. Is there anything wrong with a prayer shawl or tallit -No, nothing wrong at all, but it is not required.

Torah does not indicate size, type of material or the colors of the garment. He does say it must have a blue thread on the fringe. Torah does not say how many knots and loops it should have. Some Jewish traditions use numerical values that are represented by the knots. Torah does not give this requirement. Remember above we reminded you that Yehovah has no problem giving specifics when He wants specifics. Let’s just give Yehovah/YHWH what He wants. It will be less burdensome on us.

[1] Explains the sinhgular and plural Document

[2]Explains the singular and plural Another

[3] mezuzah -what to write on your posts? Coming Soon

This is a great place to refer to another book by Benner – The Living Words -Volume One** (which I own). He has a section starting on page 76. You are fortunate that you can also read this on his website here.

One of the most beautiful aspects of the Hebrew language is its clear connection between a word and its illustrative meaning. The Hebrew word ציצת tsiytsiyt ^[H:6734] is a good example of this relationship.

38 Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes (tsiytsiyt) in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe (tsiytsiyt) of the borders a ribband of blue: 39 And it shall be unto you for a fringe (tsiytsiyt), that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: 40 That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. Numbers 15:38-40 (KJV)

From the above passage we learn the ציצת tsiytsiyt ^[H:6734], translated as “fringe,” are worn on the four corners of the garments. The standard dress of the Hebrews was a rectangular piece of cloth with a hole in the center for the head and was worn similar to a modern poncho. A sash was then tied around the waist to secure the garment. The fringes were then tied to each corner, border in the KJV translation, of this garment as reminders of God’s commands for his people.

The image above is an example of a tsiytsiyt used today on the Tallit, four-cornered garment with the tsiytsiyt tied to each corner. This garment is worn today by Orthodox Jews in order to observe the command of Numbers chapter 15.

The word tsiytsiyt is derived from the noun ציץ tsiyts ^[H:6731] and the verb צוץ tsuts ^[H:6692], both of which can be found in the following passage.

And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed (tsuts) blossoms (tsiyts), and yielded almonds. Numbers 17:8 (KJV)

When I first began studying the word tsiytsiyt, I pondered the connection between tsiytsiyt, meaning fringe, and tsiyts, meaning blossom, and wondered if the fringe originally looked like a blossom. I then reminded myself I was concentrating on the physical appearance of these objects, a Greek way of thinking, and had forgotten the Hebrews were concerned with function. When I realized the function of a blossom was to produce fruit on a tree, I was amazed to discover this was the exact same function of the tsiytsiyt, to produce fruit within the man.

But his delight is in the teachings of Yahweh and in his teachings he meditates day and night, and he will be like a tree planted by streams of water which gives his fruit in its season Psalm 1:2,3

The function of the fringe, according to Numbers 15:38-40, is to remember the commandments, the teachings of God, which according to Psalm 1:2,3, is like producing fruit.

According to the book of Matthew, Yeshua also wore these fringes.

And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment. For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole. Matthew 9:20 (KJV)

The Septuagint uses the Greek word kraspedon ^[G:2899] for the Hebrew word ציצת tsiytsiyt ^[H:6734] in Numbers 15:38. In the passage from Matthew above, the Greek word for “hem” is the same word, kraspedon, and literally means “fringe.” The final evidence showing that Yeshua did in fact wear tsiytsiyt is found in the Shem Tov Hebrew text where we find the Hebrew word tsiytsiyt in Matthew 9:20.

The woman knew if she just touched his fringe she would be healed. Why? Because she knew of the prophecy in Malachi 4:2:

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings (KJV)

The Hebrew word meaning “wing” is כנף kanaph ^[H:3671] but it is also the word for a “corner,” as in the corners of a garment. The woman grabbed hold of his tsiytsiyt, which were tied to the “corners” of his garment because she knew that he had healing in his “corners.”

Another word in the Malachi verse I would like to address is, the word “sun.” Is this a reference to the worshipping of the sun god? I don’t think so. The Hebrew word for the sun is שמש shemesh ^[H:8121] and is closely related to the Aramaic word שמש shamash (While this word is not found in the Hebrew Bible or the Aramaic portions of it, its verbal root is used in Daniel 7:20 where it means “to serve”) meaning “servant.” Notice these two words are spelled identically. Only the vowel sounds are different. Could the author of the Malachi passage have intended the meaning “servant of righteousness” rather than “sun of righteousness”?

(Back to 10/40 Window)

As for the “Prayer” in the phrase prayer shawl. The verse does not say to be used for prayer only. It doesn’t say how to use it only that it should be worn. I would imagine (I am being subjective) that it is to be worn when you are outside your home. Inside your home you can read the Torah. In your home you have already been commanded to place it on the doorposts and gates (Deut 6:6-9). This item is often called a mezuzah.

A few questions…

Q: Is using the Jewish version of a prayer shawl (tallit) for prayer wrong or right?
A: No it is not wrong as a prayer shawl. The word “prayer” implies that you are using it at home or maybe in public for prayer. However, in regard to the garment in Num 15 & Deut 12, Torah say wear the garment with a fringes on the corners AND with a blue thread. Also, the point is to wear it when you go out as a reminder.

Q: I feel so different when I use a prayer shawl.. why?

A: Covering your head and face tends to block other things out and helps you to focus (if you have a hard time focusing). We also tend to add emotions to tasks.

Example: Husbands and wives should respect and honor one another in all things. Date nights, anniversary meals/gifts, flowers, “I love you” text in the middle of the day, Monday night football…. None of those things are required by Torah. Are they nice traditions? Do they make you feel special? Yes and Yes. But they are not required to have a strong marriage.

Q: Can I make my own garment with fringes? If, so what are the requirements according to Torah?.

A: On the corners, it needs to have fringes with a blue strand. Use any color material you want (don’t mix wool and linen see Deut 22:11. I am still studying this out and not sure if it is still relevant today). Different Jewish traditions have Hebrew writing on the top front edge and the corners, but Torah doesn’t require this. They also tie knots and wrap the fringes in a fashion that represents numbers. The Torah doesn’t require this. One last point, many tallits do not have the ribbon of blue on the fringe as required in Numbers 15. Can you still use it? Yes, but it doesn’t put you in compliance with Numbers 15:38-41/ Deut 22:12.

What I love about Yehovah is that He is so thoughtful about what people can afford. In Leviticus 15, we read that He gives instruction for a guilt offering. It starts with a lamb but then He says if they can’t afford a lamb then bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. If they can’t afford that then they could bring a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour. And yet when he wants a specific offering for a certain event (sacrifice for a feast), He makes it clear – King or peasant the offering is the same and he gives the exact amount.

That’s all we have to say about fringes. If /When you choose to be compliant with Numbers 15:38-41/ Deut 22:12 Read this document for ideas on how to get started.

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The Philosophy of the Hebrew Language

10-40 Admin — Wed, 14 Sep 2022 13:10:00 +0000

By Jeff A. Benner

East and West

Ancient philosophers, Plato (left) and Confucius (right)

Throughout the world, past and present, there are two major divisions of thought or philosophy; Western and Eastern. Western Philosophy has its beginnings in the sixth century B.C. in Greece with such philosophers as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Eastern Philosophy has its roots in the ancient past and was the philosophy of all ancient cultures of the Far East (including China and Japan), Middle East (Including India and Babylon) and Near East (including Egypt and Israel). As the Greek culture spread, so did Western philosophy to the point that Western philosophy has become the predominant philosophy throughout the world.

The Hebrews of the Bible wrote the Bible from the perspective of Eastern philosophy, but today’s readers are interpreting these writings with Western philosophy, the results being misinterpretations and mistranslations of the text. For this reason, it is essential that we learn the philosophy of the Ancient Hebrews in order to better understand the text we are reading.

The language of the Hebrews is a concrete language, meaning that it uses words that express something that can be seen, touched, smelled, tasted or heard and all five of the senses are used when speaking, hearing, writing and reading the Hebrew language. An example of this can be found in Psalms 1:3; “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither”.

In contrast to the Eastern philosophy of a concrete language, Western philosophy uses an abstract language to express itself. An abstract word is an expression that cannot be seen, touched, smelled, tasted or heard. Examples of Abstract thought can be found in Psalms 103:8; “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love”. The words compassion, grace, anger and love are all abstract words, ideas that cannot be experienced by the senses. Why do we find these abstract words in a passage of concrete thinking Hebrews? Actually, these are abstract English words used to translate the original Hebrew concrete words. The translators often translate this way because the original Hebrew makes no sense when literally translated for Western thinkers.

Concrete and Abstract Thought

While there are many differences between the Western and Eastern schools of thought, one of the major differences is the use of abstracts and concretes.
Concrete (left) and abstract (right) art

Just as artwork may be created in the concrete or the abstract, words can also be created in the concrete or the abstract. A concrete word, idea or concept is something that can be perceived by the five senses. It can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched. An abstract is something that cannot be perceived by the five senses.

As the Bible was written from an Eastern philosophical perspective, it is important that we recognize that we cannot interpret it through our own Western philosophy. To do so, would place a meaning and interpretation that may not be that of the original authors.

Thorleif Boman’s monumental work, Hebrew thought compared with Greek, states; “The thinking of the Old Testament is primitive and hence can be compared only with the thinking of other primitive peoples and not with thinking as advanced as Plato’s or Bergson’s.”

Victor H. Matthews explains how the culture of the Hebrews can be studied in his book, Manners and Customs of the Bible.” One of the joys of studying the Bible is attempting to reconstruct the manners and customs of the peoples of ancient times. The gulf of thousands of years can be bridged, at least in part, by insights into their everyday life. These can be garnered through the close examination of the biblical narratives and through the use of comparative written and physical remains from other ancient civilizations.”

In his books The Hebrew Genius as Exhibited in the Old Testament, George Adam Smith said; “…the Hebrews were mainly a doing and feeling people. Thus, their language has few abstract terms. Rather, “Hebrew may be called primarily a language of the senses. The words originally expressed concrete or material things and movements or actions which struck the senses or started the emotions. Only secondarily and in metaphor could they be used to denote abstract or metaphysical ideas.”

These same Concrete concepts of Eastern thought can also be found in Primitive cultures that exist today who have not been influenced by our Modern Western culture. The linguist Dan Everett, presented during his Endangered Languages and Lost Knowledge seminar, his discovery through his research that the primitive Pirahã tribe in the Amazon did not use abstract perspectives, but instead concrete ones. As an example, the Pirahã tribe call themselves the “straight heads” and outsiders are “crooked heads.” Interestingly, the Ancient Hebrew language uses this same style of speech. A literal translation of Proverbs 14:2 reads, “One who makes his walk straight will revere Yahweh, but the one who makes his path crooked is worthless.”

Everett also found that they had no concept of “left” and “right” (abstract terms of direction), but instead gave direction in relation to the surrounding topography, as in “toward the river,” or “toward the jungle.” Again, this is strikingly similar to the Ancient Hebrews’ perspectives of direction. Exodus 38:9-13 describes the direction of the court in relationship to the four sides of the Tabernacle. The Hebrew words used for these four directions are;

נגב (negev) – meaning “The desert region” (south)
צפון (tzafon) – meaning “The unknown region” (north)
ים (yam) – meaning “The Mediterranean Sea” (west)
קדם (qedem) – meaning “the region of the rising sun” (east)

Step Logic vs. Block Logic

While the Modern Western person thinks and arranges events chronologically (Step Logic), the Ancient Hebrews thought and arranged events according to action and purpose (Block Logic). Let me demonstrate with the following paragraph from a western step logic perspective.

“I got up and ate breakfast and read the newspaper. I then drove to work. While at work I read yesterday’s reports. At noon I walked across the street for lunch. While there I read a magazine. Back at work I read my emails. After work I drove home and had dinner.“

Now let me rearrange this paragraph in block form, the way the Hebrews would have conveyed this same story.

“I drove to work and walked across the street and I drove home. I ate breakfast and I ate lunch and I ate dinner. I read the newspaper and I read the reports and I read a magazine and I read my emails.“

To a person who is steeped in Western step logic, this paragraph would seem illogical as there is no way to make any chronological sense out of this narrative. However, this narrative would make much more sense to a person who is steeped in block logic as they can easily see my actions being grouped together. It is very important when reading the Bible to ignore the philosophy that has been ingrained in you and instead learn a completely new form of philosophy and logic.

Western readers of the Bible, who are reading the Bible from a linear perspective, read the creation account in Genesis as if it was written in chronological order, but this was not how the narrative was written; the different events of the creation account are recorded in blocks of related events.

The first three days of creation are related to separation.

Day 1 – Separating light from darkness
Day 2 – Separating the water from the sky
Day 3 – Separating the land from the water

The next three days of creation are related to the filling of the creation.

Day 4 – Filling the light with the sun and the dark with the moon
Day 5 – Filling the water fish and the sky with birds
Day 6 – Filling the land with animals and man

The record of events for the first six days of creation, are written in blocks of parallels, a form of Hebrew poetry, and can be written like this;

1 – Separating light from darkness

2 – Separating the water from the sky

3 – Separating the land from the water

4 – Filling the light with the sun and the dark with the moon

5 – Filling up the water with fish and the sky with birds

6 – Filling up the land with animals

Days 1 and 4 are paralleled with each other and are recording the same event as we can see from the following verses.

And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. (ESV, Genesis 1:4)

And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night … and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.” (ESV, Genesis 1:14a, 18b)

Verse 4 occurs on the first day and is describing the action of God separating light and darkness, but in verse 14, which is day four, we have God again separating light and darkness. There are only two possible explanations for this. Either the separation of light and darkness on the first day disappeared and had to be separated again on the fourth day, or the first and fourth days are recording the same event. In addition, days 2 and 5 are recording the same event, as are days 3 and 6.

Hebrew Descriptions

An oak tree and a ram

In our minds we would never relate an oak tree to a ram or view them as the same. The reason being is that we relate to features and appearances. However, the Hebrews relate to the function and in the case of the oak and the ram, they function in the same way. An oak tree is a very hard wood and the horns and skull of a ram are equally as hard. For this reason, the Hebrew word איל (ayil) is used for a ram (see Genesis 22:13) and an oak (see Isaiah 1:29).

This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. (Genesis 6:15)

From our Modern Western mindset, we assume that this passage is describing the “appearance” of the ark. But this is not so, the dimensions are not given to tell us what it “looked like,” but instead to tell us that it is very large as it is going to hold a large number of animals.

Another example of differing cultural perspectives is how different cultures perceive time. In our modern Western world, we view the past as behind us and the future as ahead of us. In Biblical Hebrew, the word for “yesterday” (the past) is תמול (temol), which comes from the root מול (mul) meaning “in front.” The Biblical Hebrew word for “tomorrow” (the future) is מחר (mahher), which comes from the root אחר (ahher) meaning “in back.” Therefore, from a Biblical Hebrew perspective, the past is in front and the future is behind. We see time from the perspective of passing through it. As we have walked through the past, we see it as behind us and the future, which we have not yet walked in, is in front of us. The Hebrews saw time from the perspective of observance. The past is known and therefore can be seen (in front of the observer), but the future is not known and therefore cannot be seen (behind the observer).

Another major difference between the modern Western view and the ancient Eastern one is how something is described. A westerner would describe a pencil in relationship to its appearance, such as long and yellow. An ancient easterner on the other hand, would describe it by its function, such as “you write with it.” Notice that the western description uses adjectives, but the eastern description uses verbs. Biblical Hebrew rarely uses adjectives; instead, it much more prefers to use verbs.

Static vs. Dynamic

In our Modern western language verbs express action (dynamic) while nouns express inanimate (static) objects. In Hebrew all things are in motion (dynamic) including verbs and nouns. In Hebrew sentences the verbs identify the action of an object while nouns identify an object of action. The verb מלך (malak) is “the reign of the king” while the noun מלך (melek) is the “the king who reigns”. A mountain top is not a static object but the “head lifting up out of the hill”. A good example of action in what appears to be a static passage is the command to “have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). In Hebrew thought this passage is saying “not to bring another one of power in front of my face”.

Hebrew Psychology

Different cultures view the same picture differently

If you were to ask a Westerner, such as from the Americas or Europe, what they see in the picture above, they would probably say “a deer.” However, if you were to ask an Easterner, such as from Japan or China, what they see, they will probably say “a grove.” The difference is that the Western thinker focuses in on one point, while the Eastern thinker looks at the whole of the image.

An experiment demonstrating the different between Western and Eastern thought

In an extensive study on these different forms of philosophy, a wide range of people from America, Canada and Europe were asked if they thought the boy in the middle of the picture on the left was happy or sad, they all said “happy.” They were then asked if they thought the boy in the middle of the picture on the right was happy or sad, they all said “happy.” Then a wide range of people from Asia, including Japan and China, were asked the same questions. When asked if the boy on the left was happy or sad, they all said “happy.” When they were asked if the boy on the right was happy or sad, they all said “sad.”

Again, Western thinkers focus on one point, the boy in the middle. Eastern thinkers on the other hand focus on the picture as a whole and because the majority of the children in the picture on the right were sad, their answer was “sad,” regardless of the smile on the boy in the middle.

The Psychology of the Ancient Hebrews is very different from our own and when we read the Bible, we must learn to read it from the Hebrew’s perspective rather than our own.

When we use a word like “name,” we focus in on how it is written and pronounced.

I will tell of thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation I will praise thee. (Psalm 22:23)

What does it mean to “tell someone about another’s name?” Does it mean to tell others how to write or pronounce the name? From a Western perspective yes, but from a Hebraic perspective a name is much more than its pronunciation; it is the character of the individual, his ethics, workmanship, attitude, dependability, resourcefulness, compassion, honor, etc. When the Bible teaches us to “tell others the name of Yahweh,” it isn’t telling us to teach others how to write or pronounce it correctly; it is telling us to teach Yahweh’s character.

Taken from : https://www.ancient-hebrew.org/language/philosophy-of-the-hebrew-language.htm

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