JS Articles

Torah – Aiming for Life

Jochanan Löwenstein — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 08:47:58 +0000

Torah - Aiming for Life

When you hear the word Torah (תורה), what comes to mind? For many, the translation “law” may flash before their eyes, thinking of all the laws laid out in the five books of Moses. But what if I told you that Torah doesn’t primarily mean “law” at all? Instead, it’s about instruction, guidance designed to help us hit the target of life in abundance.

The root of the Hebrew word Torah is yod-resh-yod (י-ר-י), which means throw, or shoot, like an archer directing an arrow to its mark. Imagine the care, precision, and intent of a bowman. That’s the essence of Torah. It’s about helping us aim true. A teacher (Moreh, מורה) does the same, guiding toward understanding and success. God, as the ultimate teacher, offers us His Torah not to burden us but to guide us to life. Think of Proverbs 6:23: “For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life.” The imagery here is not of heavy chains but of illumination—a path lit leading to life.

The Psalmist had a different view of God’s law than we often do. In Psalm 19:7-8, we read, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” Notice the joy, the revival, the wisdom! It’s a lifeline.

One of the most beautiful aspects of God’s Torah is that it’s relational. God doesn’t drop His instructions from a celestial helicopter and wish us luck. He’s with us, walking alongside, teaching, encouraging, and correcting. As God said in Deuteronomy 30:12 “It is not in the sky” and see the beautiful description of the psalmist in Psalm 73:23-24: “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory.” This is not the image of a harsh taskmaster but of a caring guide holding our hand as he guides us towards him. This is also reflected in the heart of the Torah. Deuteronomy 6:5 calls us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Far from dry legalism, this is a relationship that engages the deepest parts of our being. It’s no wonder Yeshua highlights this commandment as the greatest (Matthew 22:37-38).

So, next time you think about God’s Torah, remember the archer. Think of a loving teacher guiding you, not just to avoid pitfalls but to aim for a life full of purpose, love, and joy in God. God’s instructions are not arbitrary hoops to jump through. They are a way to life—a flourishing life, with Him by your side every step of the way. Psalm 1:2-3 sums it up beautifully: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” Delight in God’s Torah. Embrace his instruction as your guide, not your burden. Aim true. And may your life—like that well-aimed arrow—hit the mark.

Snow and Redemption: A Powerful Hebrew Word Study on Yeshua’s Birth

Jochanan Löwenstein — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 12:19:49 +0000

Snow and Redemption: A Powerful Hebrew Word Study on Yeshua’s Birth

Did you know it snows in Israel? If you follow Jerusalem Seminary, you probably do. But you also probably heard of tourists coming to visit Israel in the winter, hoping to get a break from the cold and enjoy the warmth of the sun, only to find shorts and t-shirts will not be enough.

Snow may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Israel or the story of Yeshua’s birth, but it’s an element woven into the fabric of the Bible and even into the landscape of Israel itself.

Yes, it does snow in Israel! Not much, mind you, and not everywhere, but nearly every year, the hills of Jerusalem or the peaks of Mount Hermon get a fresh blanket of white.This natural wonder offers us an opportunity to reflect on the themes of purity, sacrifice, and redemption—all beautifully tied to the birth of the Messiah.

While we picture Israel as a land of deserts and olive trees, snow has its place in the climate and geography. Jerusalem occasionally wakes up to snow-covered streets, much to the delight of its residents. The sight of snow in the land of the Bible reminds us of God’s control over all creation, from the lush valleys to the icy heights. Snow’s rarity in Israel makes it feel special—almost miraculous—much like the events surrounding the birth of Yeshua.

In the Bible, שֶׁלֶג sheleg (snow) symbolizes purity and spiritual renewal. Isaiah 1:18 proclaims: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” This image contrasts the deep stain of sin with the spotless purity that God’s forgiveness provides. King David, in Psalm 51:7, pleads for this very cleansing: “Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” There’s something universally calming and beautiful about freshly fallen snow, unmarked and pristine, that echoes the promise of a clean slate.

This symbolic purity of snow provides a stark contrast to the bloody rituals of the sacrificial system described in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). Sin’s gravity required atonement, and atonement was anything but tidy. Altars ran red with the blood of sacrifices—a visceral reminder of sin’s cost. And yet, out of this chaos, God promised a greater hope: a Messiah who would be the ultimate, spotless Lamb.

Enter Yeshua (Jesus). Born not in a royal palace but in a humble manger, His arrival was far from “picture-perfect” by human standards. And yet, in that simplicity lay profound purity. The baby born in Bethlehem would grow to fulfill every requirement of the law, offering Himself as the ultimate sacrifice to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. His purity—untainted by sin—was the key to transforming the messy, bloody reality of sin into the spotless, snow-white promise of redemption.

As the birth of Yeshua is celebrated in this season around the world, we often picture scenes of snow-draped landscapes, even if Yeshua might have been born on another date and Bethlehem’s winter nights were more likely chilly than snowy. Perhaps this imagery isn’t so far off, though. Snow reminds us of the purity and peace that Yeshua brings into our lives. It also points us to the incredible transformation that He offers—from the scarlet stain of sin to the brilliant white of His righteousness.

So, the next time you see snow (or even pictures of it!), let it remind you of God’s power to create beauty from ashes, His promise to cleanse us, and His love in sending His Son. And if you happen to be in Israel and it snows? Don’t just stand there—make a snowman, take a selfie, and thank God for His wonders!

May this season fill you with joy, hope, and the pure peace that only Yeshua, our Messiah, can bring. Merry Christmas and blessings from the land where snow occasionally falls and salvation was born!

Hosannah: Ancient Worship in this Season of Resurrection and Exodus

Brittany Löwenstein — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 14:33:03 +0000

Hosannah: Ancient Worship in this Season of Resurrection and Exodus

“Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“Hosanna to the Son of David;
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord;
Hosanna in the highest!” – Matthew 21:9

The above verse is repeated in some form through most ancient and modern Palm Sunday liturgies. It is even common in contemporary worship songs written for this season. This is for good reason: this Scriptural account in Matthew 21 of the triumphal entry, which is re-enacted on Palm Sunday one week before Easter, is the origin of this tradition.

A key detail we often miss is that these verses originate in the Book of Psalms — a source of worship material that the Jews of Jesus’ time would have known well. The exclamations from this passage do not appear for the first time in Matthew, but rather the people were shouting well known verses from Psalm 118. Psalm 118 is a key psalm for Passover worship, and researchers believe it was already established in this capacity at the time of Jesus ¹. In fact it was an important psalm of worship in all three of the Jewish pilgrim feasts: the Feast of Booths, Passover, and the Feast of Weeks.

In verses 25 and 26 of the psalm we read:

“Please oh Lord, do save us; please oh Lord, do send prosperity!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord…”

Though the reference in Matthew 21:9 — “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord” — is not easily missed, the connection between Hosanna and “Save us!,” is not so clear in our English translations. Hosannah is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word “Hoshiana,” in English, “Save us!” This is exactly the Hebrew word found in Psalm 118: 25. At least five of our prominent English translations use “Hosanna” in the Matthew passage, yet translate the same word to some form of “Save us” in Psalm 118:25. The root word is the same in both cases!

Something of note is the change in use of “Hoshiana” with its original meaning of “Save us” in Hebrew and Jewish prayers, to the use of “Hosanna” by Christ followers as an exclamation of praise. This exact passage in Matthew played a huge role in this transition historically ².

Tracing the roots of these verses in Matthew to Psalm 118 allows us to ponder a few more possible connections between Jewish and Christian worship.

Scholars recognize the celebration of Resurrection Sunday aligns with the New Testament account of the Passover sacrifice just days before. In addition, the triumphal entry, or Palm Sunday, occurred one week prior to this Jewish feast. But what of the palm branches? Many are quick to point out the influence of Roman culture at the time, and the symbolism of palms in that culture for royalty ³. We love to draw the connections to the kingship of our Messiah as He entered Jerusalem on a donkey shortly before His death and resurrection.

It may be that a more Jewish connection could have influenced the shouts of the people in Matthew 21. Some researchers note that the ancient Jewish custom of storing palm leaves from the celebration of the Feast of Booths in the fall, to which they are essential, for the burning of leaven one week before Passover may have already been in place ⁴. These dried leaves are used to start the fire used to burn and dispose of household leaven the week before Passover, and even possibly historically, to ignite the sacrificial Passover altar in the Jewish Temple ⁵. Even if this purpose for the leaves was not yet in place by the 1st century, it is worth noting that when Psalm 118 is sung in Jewish tradition during the Feast of Booths, it is exactly during verses 25 and 26 that the bundle with palm leaves is shaken.

Perhaps it was natural for the Jews of the first century to shout these exact verses of supplication and invitation as they laid palms in the way of their Messiah and Saviour at the hour of His great saving sacrifice? We can’t know exactly what influences stirred the hearts of this crowd to exclaim this excerpt from Psalm 118. Despite this, we believe their hearts were captured by the hope of the saving power of the Messiah. Maybe also with revelation during a season of memory of salvation by exodus and, in the greatest miracle of freedom from slavery, our Saviour’s imminent resurrection.

¹ Schonfield, Jeremy. “Psalms 113–118: Qualified Praise?” European Judaism: A Journal for the New Europe 50, no. 2 (2017): 147–57. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48561439.
² Werner, Eric. “‘Hosanna’ in the Gospels.” Journal of Biblical Literature 65, no. 2 (1946): 97–122. https://doi.org/10.2307/3262608.
³ Sokobin, Alan Mayor. “Parallelomania and Palms.” International Social Science Review 66, no. 2 (1991): 64–70. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41881982.
⁴ Sokobin, Alan Mayor. “Parallelomania and Palms.”
⁵ Sokobin, Alan Mayor. “Parallelomania and Palms.”

The Feast of Purim: Its meaning in Hebrew and Why it’s Relevant in 2024

Gabriele Monacis — Thu, 21 Mar 2024 07:37:56 +0000

The Feast of Purim: Its meaning in Hebrew and Why it’s Relevant in 2024

The Jewish feast of Purim is especially relevant in 2024. The book of Esther sheds light on the circumstances that brought the Jews to celebrate this feast in the Persian empire for the first time almost 2500 years ago. Today, when Purim comes, people of all ages don costumes and go out to the streets. Originally Purim costumes were characters from the Bible account, but today anything goes. The atmosphere is very joyful, sometimes even a bit extreme in its nonsensical celebrations reminiscent of Carnival. A long held tradition is reading the entire scroll of Esther while congregants make noises to drown out Haman’s, the villain’s, name.

The typical Purim treat is a cookie called “Haman’s ear,” from the name of the powerful man who served King Ahasuerus in the Persian empire. Dating back to an Italian Purim play in 1550, historians believe confusions between manna in the desert and the story from the book of Esther may have brought about this rather macabre cookie name.

Known as Haman the Agagite, he was most probably a descendent of Agag, king of the Amalekites. Though the spirit of Purim today is very joyful, it was not always so. It started when Haman, out of his hatred, decided to kill all the Jews living in the empire of Ahasuerus.

Haman came to this awful conclusion because a Jew – yes, just one – did not want to bow before him. Haman was promoted by King Ahasuerus to be above all the other officials (Esther 3:1). He was filled with fury when he found out that there was one man – the Jew Mordecai – who did not bow down and pay homage before him. He decided to kill not only Mordecai, but all of his people.

Haman ordered letters to be sent to all the provinces of Persia with instructions to kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, women and children, on one day: the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (3:13). This specific day was chosen by Haman by casting lots — in Hebrew pur. From this word comes the name of the feast “Purim,” the plural of pur. The complete destruction of the Jews was planned and the specific day of this genocide was designated by casting pur.

Thousands of years have passed after that day that threatened death for the Jews. In a few days this memory of what could have been the end of the Jewish nation will be revived with joy and celebration. Today, we can all see with our own eyes the evidence that no one in history who planned to kill all the Jews, like Haman, has succeeded in his purpose.

Even in 2024 the Jews, and all those who celebrate Purim, can testify that God has preserved the people of Israel through history. God turned the plans of her enemies upside-down. The circumstances also turned upside-down for Haman himself. The Persian king hanged him on the structure that Haman had prepared for Mordecai. His fate was sealed once King Ahasuerus found out that Haman’s plan to kill all the Jews implied also the death of his beloved Queen Esther (7:3,4).

With the feast of Purim near we dwell on God’s faithfulness to His promises and His ability to change the curse into a blessing. Purim 2024 renews the promise of the month that had been turned for the Jews from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; (9:22).

Haman met his death on the structure he himself prepared, but many proposed again and again throughout history his plan to kill all the Jews, even to this day. The hatred towards the Jews is getting stronger, as it was at that time, and it involves all Jews indiscriminately. This hatred can not be explained with human reasoning. But it has to be put under the light of the Bible and analyzed according to biblical reasoning. Even though the name of God never appears in the book of Esther, the readers of the Bible can explain this hatred as an action of God’s enemy against His faithfulness to His Word, His work behind the scenes, His rescue for those who call upon Him.

Teaching Biblical Hebrew in a Time of War

Jerusalem Seminary Staff — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:02:06 +0000

Teaching Biblical Hebrew in a Time of War

A grass-roots movement is growing in Israel: Israelis answering a call and using their gift of Native Hebrew to bring Biblical Hebrew to the nations. One local institution housing this effort is the School of Hebrew: Hebrew for the Nations at Jerusalem Seminary.

Jerusalem Seminary currently offers online Bible courses in English from Israel with wonderful instructors experienced in the Land. Thanks to president-elect Baruch Kvasnica, the vision of instruction from Zion in Micah 4:2 is coming to life. Despite reservations about continuing during the war, the team at the School of Hebrew feels especially called to continue at this time. God’s work continues no matter the circumstances!

The School of Hebrew offers ulpan-style immersion courses in Biblical Hebrew. The method is teaching Hebrew in Hebrew and the goal is for students to read the Bible confidently in its original language. Along the way students are delighted by the joy of speaking, story telling, singing, and praying in Biblical Hebrew. These online courses reach Bible translators, pastors, seminarians, and laymen learning together from all over the world with local Israeli teachers.

One of our teachers shared her thoughts with us on teaching Biblical Hebrew at a time of war. Crystal Ovadia is a graduate of our one-of-a-kind teachers training course for Israelis. She is also a recent graduate with an MA in Hebrew Language from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and part of the core teaching staff of the Jerusalem Seminary School of Hebrew.

How many courses have you been involved with teaching? What is your favorite part of the lessons?

I’ve taught 7 courses online and one intensive course in Nigeria. My favorite part of the lessons is visiting the breakout rooms where the students are applying and practicing what they’ve just learned in small groups.

In your opinion, why is it important for Israelis to bring Biblical Hebrew to the nations?

There is such a great need for Biblical Hebrew knowledge in the field of Bible translation, which practically means a need for Hebrew teachers. For us whose native language is Modern Israeli Hebrew, it is much easier and more accessible to get the necessary training to become effective Biblical Hebrew teachers. So I think we are the most natural candidates for this effort.

The courses are titled “Biblical Hebrew as a Living Language,” what makes it living for you?

Our courses are highly communicative and interactive, and all the students progress at the same pace as a group. We ask and answer questions, read the Scriptures together, and share our lives with each other. We really get to know each other in a supportive and growing environment and form long lasting relationships.

Last semester you had to cut an online lesson short because of red alert sirens. We understand the students stayed online and prayed when you left for the safe room and subsequently drove south. How was this for you as a teacher?

The students were supportive in prayer and understanding about the fact that we had to cut the class short and make it up another day. It personally felt like the students and teachers were a team, and while the Israeli team members needed encouragement, the overseas team members were able to give it warmly.

How has the war impacted your calling to continue teaching at this time?

The war made continuing life as usual hard, but it did not change my calling to teach one bit.

When the war broke out the team considered postponing certain courses. Why did you decide to continue despite the circumstances?

As a society we are used to complex security situations. Unless we are extremely impacted by terror or war (like the communities just a few kilometers north of me who were evacuated from their homes), our leaning is to continue with our normal routines as much as possible. Since we had committed students registered for the courses, we went forward with the plans, even though one of our teachers was drafted for reserve duty and another was stuck abroad.

This spring Jerusalem Seminary is welcoming students from India, New Zealand, Myanmar, the UK, Russia, Uganda, Honduras, Israel, and the United States. Last semester also hosted students from Ethiopia, Benin, Suriname, Germany, Central Asia, and more! Many of these students are involved in active Bible translation projects, or studying to teach in seminaries, small groups, and churches around the world. Other students come to us to grow in their walks and better serve their communities by learning from a Hebraic, Land-based perspective.

Join teachers like Crystal, as well as experts in other Bible subjects, for the spring semester online courses starting next week! Spring discount codes and Biblical Hebrew scholarships are available on the course page and can be applied to these unique courses:

Church History I: The First Thousand Years, View from Jerusalem – NEW! with Dr. Robert Morehouse. With Jerusalem as our vantage point, discover, discuss and survey the first thousand years of history of the Body of Messiah.
Israel Matters: A Theology of People and Land – with Dr. Gerald McDermott. Explore God’s plan for Israel and the Jewish People as laid out in the Bible.
Discovering Jewish Life: Then and Now – with Elazar Brandt. Trace the roots of Jewish life practices through the centuries to their origins in the Bible. Engage with Jewish literary classics from diverse periods.
Biblical Feasts in the Early Christian Traditions – with Dr. Petra Heldt.
Unpack the development of biblically mandated feasts within the traditions of early Messiah followers.
Biblical Hebrew as a Living Language 101 and 102 – NEW TIME SLOTS!
Learn to read, write, sing and pray in Biblical Hebrew through an immersion-based approach with local Israeli believers.

Bridge over troubled waters – Crisis and Birth

Jochanan Löwenstein — Tue, 06 Jul 2021 13:29:01 +0000

Bridge over troubled waters - Crisis and Birth

Is there a bridge, a connection between such a beautiful, life filled moment and something that causes us worry, fear, and stress?

Breaking, fracture, crushing, breach, crash – all of these are related to the root ש-ב-ר (sh-v-r) in Hebrew. Among these words we find also the word מַשְׁבֵּר (mashber) – translated today as crisis, and it is used in exactly the same way as in English. The Covid-19 מַשְׁבֵּר (mashber) – crisis, the crisis in relations between people, and even between countries, the crisis due to a lack of a resource – i.e. a fuel crisis are all examples. And on a personal level, this word might remind us of difficult times and experiences in our own lives.

The crisis aspect of the word מַשְׁבֵּר (mashber) comes directly from Greek, the same as English: κρίσις – krisis which is rooted similarly to the Hebrew ש-ב-ר in an action of separation: cutting. We find the transliteration of this word in the Haskalah literature from the end of the 18th century into the 20th century.

“Our settlement is going through a great crisis (krisis) right now” — this is what you will hear every farmer from Petaḥ Tikva saying, that you meet on the street. This was written in HaPoel Hatsaʼir on March 15th 1910 regarding the troubles of the farmers with their large investment in citrus crops that didn’t produce a yield.

However, this is not it’s original meaning. During the same period of time we also find the word מַשְׁבֵּר (mashber):

“Who knows what will happen to mankind if Earth returns to the moment of labor again, giving birth to fire and flames, in which mountains will crumble and the shell of the earth will shatter into pieces?”

This dramatic question was posed in a scientific article that was published in HaTsfira on July 24th, 1862. Even if the event described is troublesome , מַשְׁבֵּר (mashber) here refers to something completely different – birth. But how?

Well, in Haskalah literature the writers preferred turning to the bible for inspiration in their attempt to describe the world of their time. Mendele Mocher Sforim did so when he wrote his memoir in 1917:

“ובעת צרה זו באה ביתי עד משבר וילדה”

“And during this troubled time my daughter came to the moment of birth and delivered a child.”

Does this sound familiar? It should, it’s almost a direct quote from one of only 2 places this word appears in the bible, one in 2nd kings 19:3, which turns out to be exactly the same as the 2nd, Isaiah 33:7:

בָאוּ בָנִים עַד מַשְׁבֵּר וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה.

“.Children arrive at the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them”

In the bible these are the only places we find this word (we can find a similar form in Hosea 13:13). As such, there are many interpretations to the word מַשְׁבֵּר (mashber). One being the opening of the womb at the time of birth or the moment the baby appears. Another interpretation is that the birthing chair is being referred to. But in every case we know it has everything to do with the moment of birth, and nothing to do with the crises we go through today. Or does it?

In the end, one meaning of the word we get from Biblical Hebrew – the moment of birth, and now, in our time, a new meaning has been given to the word inspired by Greek – crisis. And it is fine, we don’t judge, languages keep changing. Perhaps, by remembering the original meaning and the new one, we can find some encouragement. The moment of birth is a difficult and painful moment, but it is also the incredible moment a new life begins. In the same way every crisis we go through can be changed by God’s hand into the beginning of something beautiful and new.

“Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me;
Lord, be my help.”
You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.
Lord my God, I will praise you forever.”
Psalm 30

Counting the Omer: From Redemption to Revelation

Baruch Kvasnica — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 04:41:07 +0000

Counting the Omer: From Redemption to Revelation

The Omer is a daily counting starting from the day of the giving of the Omer (a first sickle cutting of barley that produces a grain offering), just after Passover. The counting continues until Shavuot, also known as Pentecost, fifty days later. This time takes us from Passover to Shavuot – from Redemption to Revelation.

Leviticus 23: 15-16 “Then you are to count from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the omer (a sheaf of grain) of the wave offering, seven complete Sabbaths. 16 Until the morrow after the seventh Shabbat you are to count fifty days and then present a new grain offering to Adonai. (TLV, modified)

Deuteronomy 16:9-10 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you. (NASB, modified)

These 49 days of counting climax on the 50th Day – Shavuot/Pentecost – traditionally the giving of the Torah (Exodus 19-20) and the giving of the Spirit (Acts 2)! Passover secured Israel’s physical freedom from Egypt, but they were still enslaved spiritually until God graciously gave Israel the Torah at Sinai in order for Israel to know how to live as a people and a nation.

Consider “making the Omer count,” by learning more about the Omer and by using these days to interact with the Creator of the Universe in this crescendoing count – filled with the anticipation of Shavuot/Pentecost and thankfulness for the giving of the Word and Spirit.

Further Explorations with the Omer:

It was during this season that Jesus (Yeshua) appeared for 40 days after his resurrection and before his ascension.

The Omer period reminds one of the need to be aware of the poor and outcast as well as a proactive giving, as found in Ruth 2:7,15 and alluded to in Job 24:10.

The Sadducees, Essenes, Samaritans, Karaites (and seemingly the early believers in Yeshua?) all counted the first day of the Omer to be the first day after a weekly Sabbath (the seventh day of the week) and not after the festal Sabbath as the Pharisees interpreted. The debate is based upon a close reading of Leviticus 23:15-16 and 23:11. ¹

Yeshua’s plucking (or rubbing, but not cutting) of the grain in the field on the Sabbath day (Lk. 6:1-5) is specified to have taken place on the second Sabbath in the cycle of the counting of the omer ². As Shmuel Safrai has pointed out, “Luke’s narrative clearly was composed within a society familiar with the counting of the omer.” ³ Shouldn’t we be more aware of the Biblical calendar that God set up? (See Leviticus 23, etc.)

In Leviticus 23:10 – the singular Hebrew word Reshit (rather than Bikurim) is used, meaning “Firstfruit” which can be paralleled heuristically with 1 Corinthians 15:20,23 where Yeshua is termed the firstfruit (ἀπαρχὴ), a singular form as well. Bikurim (plural) is used at the end of Leviticus 23 in regards to the firstfruits for Shavuot, and parallels us as believers as the firstfruits of the new creation in James 1:18.

¹ See J. van Goudoever, “The Significance of the Counting of the Omer.” In Studies on the Jewish Background of the New Testament, edited by S. Safrai O. Michel, R. le Déaut; pages 64-86, 1969. And a brief summary see Appendix B footnote 6 in David J. Rudolph (eds.), The Voice of the Lord: Messianic Jewish Daily Devotional (Baltimore: Lederer, 1998).
² This detail is in the vast majority of manuscripts. For an important consideration and introduction to the Byzantine text, see Maurice A. Robinson, “Appendix: The Case for Byzantine Priority.”
³ Shmuel Safrai, “Sabbath Breakers,” in Jerusalem Perspective No. 27 (Jul./Aug. 1990), pp. 3‐5.

Are God’s Instructions Necessary?

Ariel Rudolph — Mon, 07 Sep 2020 08:39:10 +0000

Are God's Instructions Necessary?

As a kid I remember building many plastic models ranging from Apollo rockets, planes to racing cars. One of the first things that came out of a package when opening a kit were the instructions.

In the excitement of getting down to the business of laying out the pieces in preparation to build the model, the order of which seemed pretty intuitive, the instructions were usually tossed to one side and ignored.

I wasn’t too far down the road of glueing pieces together that a mistake was made, like forgetting to place the pilot in the already assembled and glued cockpit. There was no going back to remedy the situation. This was the price paid for not following the instructions.

It is easy to think that we don’t have any need for God’s instructions in our lives but it will never be too far down life’s road to find out that we have messed things up to our own detriment!

It is for this very reason that God gave the Israelites the Torah to direct every little detail of life as instruction for everyday living.

Yeshua also taught his disciples and followers instructions for a successful life. In Matthew 7:24-29 He taught that those that heeded his words (instructions) and acts upon them would be likened to a wise man (vs 24) but those that heard His words and did not act upon them would be likened as foolish (vs 27).

These words of Yeshua came at the end of a teaching that contained some of the most unintuitive life lessons like loving one’s enemies, turning the other cheek or giving to the poor.

Our Daily Bread

Nathanael Gerloff — Thu, 14 May 2020 08:19:00 +0000

Our Daily Bread

‘Bread’ (לֶחֶם / leẖֵem) is a word we use daily, but such words, especiallyֵ, have a great potential to surprise us, when it comes to the ways they are used in scripture. The meaning of לֶחֶם is actually wider than we usually think.

During his fight against the Philistines, King Saul had put the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food (לֶחֶם) before evening, and until I have avenged myself on my enemies.” (1 Sam 14:24). Jonathan tastes a little honey and thus violates his father’s oath. The specification of Solomon’s לֶחֶם for one day includes thirty kors of fine flour and sixty kors of meal, ten fat oxen, twenty pasture-fed oxen, a hundred sheep besides deer, gazelles, roebucks, and fattened fowl (1 Kings 4:22-23). However, not only the food humans eat is called לֶחֶם. The prophet Isaiah writes regarding the last days: dust will be the serpent’s food (לֶחֶם / Isaiah 65:25), and also other verses refer to animal’s food as לֶחֶם (Psalm 147:9; Proverbs 6:8).

The common theory to explain this phenomenon is that the original meaning of לֶחֶם in the Semitic languages was the general term ‘food’ or ‘nourishment’. In addition, it referred to the most important component of the cultural menu. The early Hebrew speakers were an agricultural society and lived mainly on grains, therefore they called the pastries they made from these grains לֶחֶם (for example Leviticus 23:17). The Arabic speakers however, were wandering tribes who made a living from their herds. That’s why the parallel root in Arabic refers to meat. Also in the biblical usage לֶחֶם can be used to describe meat: If he is going to offer a lamb for his offering […] he shall bring as an offering by fire to the Lord, its fat, the entire fat tail […] and the fat that covers the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, […] and the lobe of the liver […]. Then the priest shall offer it up in smoke on the altar as food (לֶחֶם), an offering by fire to the Lord (Leviticus 3:7-11).

The range of meanings of לֶחֶם influenced also the usage of the word in the New Testament and has left its traces also in modern language, for example in the term “daily bread”. In scripture, this more general meaning of the word is as common as the specific one. When Jacob is on his way to his uncle Laban, he asks God to give him food (לֶחֶם) to eat and garments to wear (Genesis 28:20) – the most fundamental human needs.

As the story goes on, we encounter another meaning of לֶחֶם. Twenty years later, Jacob leaves Laban quietly and sets out to the land of Canaan. Laban pursues and catches up to him, but they settle their quarrels and make a covenant. Then we read: Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain, and called his kinsmen to the meal (לֶחֶם); and they ate the meal (לֶחֶם) and spent the night on the mountain (Genesis 31:54). It is hard to imagine Jacob preparing a BBQ and then inviting his relatives to only eat some pita-bread. From this occurrence and other similar cases, we learn that לֶחֶם can also refer to a meal or a banquet (see also Exodus 18:12; 1 Samuel 20:24-27).

In The Beginning

Jochanan Löwenstein — Mon, 11 May 2020 08:14:00 +0000

In The Beginning...

These words open the description of God’s creation and its saga. This is just the beginning, can we at least find some order we can understand?

Creation happened over a period of time. How long of a period? We know – seven days. How do we know? It is written. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; Exodus 20:10

So what is a day exactly? In Genesis 1:5 we find two definitions. The first one is, God called the period of light day. From this we understand that the word day (yom – יוֹם) refers to the time when we see light. A few words later, and after every time God completed a certain process of creation, we have our second definition. And there was evening and there was morning… day.

An evening and a morning are a day, and so the day starts in the evening, and not at midnight or in the morning. Another interpretation is that the day was completed once it was evening and then morning again. In Jewish tradition every day or holiday starts at sunset. For that reason the celebration of passover is called ‘the night of the ceremony’ or ‘the night of passover’. Even today, in modern Israel, special days that were added to the calendar e.g. remembrance and memorial days, and independence day, start on the night “before”.

What are the days called in Hebrew?

We can learn these names, and something interesting that takes place here. The major influence on the naming of the days of the week, in most cultures and languages, was the Roman empire. Therefore, in most languages the days were named after the planets, which were named after the Roman gods. The Hebrew names came much earlier and are very different. In Hebrew most of them are simply ordinal numbers (in masculine form since day is masculine), we see this throughout Genesis 1.

And there was evening and there was morning… day. וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם…

Second Sheni שֵׁנִֽי

Third Shlishi שְׁלִישִֽׁי

Fourth Reviߵi רְבִיעִֽי

Fifth Ḥamishi חֲמִישִֽׁי

This shows us that the days are not only being counted but actually being named. Since ordinal numbers in Hebrew are treated like adjectives, and usually would be accompanied by the definite article, i.e. the second day, the fifth child, the third book, the day that follows the fifth day (Genesis 1:31) emphasizes this point- it is written in a definitive construct form in which only the second word receives the definite article.

The sixth day (or the *Sixthday) Yom HaShishi י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי

Which day follows the sixth day? The seventh day? No! in Genesis 2:2-3 we receive a hint of the name of the seventh day.

By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

This is the day in which God rested, therefore later on, when the story of the manna is being told, we find the first mention of the day’s name and, we find that it is derived from God’s rest (Shavat שָׁבַת) on that day – a holy sabbath to the Lord. Exodus 16:23

From Shavat (Verb) שָׁבַת to Shabbat (Noun) שַׁבָּת which was transliterated to Sabbath. This is also the origin of the sabbatical some really seem to wish to enjoy.

But do not worry, we didn’t forget about the number seven (Sheva שֶׁבַע) – seven days are a week, שָׁבוּעַ Shavuaߵ (can also means seven years). Inspired by Hebrew, this is the reason many languages today named the day after Friday – Sabbath, and in some languages even the day names were changed into numbers to purposefully not mention other gods.

Have we forgotten something? Oh, yes. What is the day before the second day called?

First Rishon רִאשׁוֹן

But Genesis 1:5 says one (Echad אֶחָֽד). And there was evening and there was morning, one day. Why? There simply weren’t other days to start counting yet…