Musings

Recently I replaced my son's bar mitzvah tefillin with a better quality set.  The head tefillin was tied for a small head size and needed to be expanded to fit my son (he's quite a large young man now!).  As I was gently trying to adjust the dalet knot this morning without losing the knot completely... SPROING!  It all came apart.  Imagine my concern about having to tie the knot back together.  This is not a simple knot.

I found this wonderful video on You Tube showing how to tie the dalet knot on the head tefillin and though I would share: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLBm6k8QHqU . I pray it will be as much a blessing to you as it was to me! :)

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for Monday, May 11th was whinge.

to complain fretfully : whine

The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for Sunday, May 10th was fidelity.

1 : the quality or state of being faithful

2 : accuracy

 

This was the etymological information they provided for the word:

"The Program on Public Values" at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn recently published a study that indicated an increasing number of Americans are claiming no religion.  A recent Foxnews.com article about the study revealed some interesting points:

1990- 8.2% of Americans claim they have no religion 2001- 14.2% of Americans claim they have no religion 2008- 15.0% of Americans claim they have no religion

Based upon this information we can see that Americans are becoming increasingly secular.

Consider our society (not science, medicine, technology... but our culture, our society) in 1990 as compared to today.

Which is better in your estimation?

The Merriam-Webster's word of the day for February 23rd was exorbitant.  M-W defined the word as follows:

The Merriam-Webster word of the day for February 24th 2009 is onerous.

1 : involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome

2 : having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for Wednesday, February 4th, 2009 was cognate.

1 : of the same or similar nature 2 : related; especially : related by descent from the same ancestral language

This brings to mind one of the very first word studies I ever did.  I was using Vine's Expository Dictionary [ed- the paper version... not online.  I don't think there was an "online" back then. :) ]

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for Thursday, January 29th was indubitable.

This takes me back to childhood memories of the Three Stooges (who were Jewish!) and their statements using "indubitably". :)

M-W provides this definition:

too evident to be doubted : unquestionable

The Merriam-Webster word of the day for Wednesday, January 28th was primogeniture.

M-W provided the following definition:

1 : the state of being the firstborn of the children of the same parents 2 : an exclusive right of inheritance belonging to the eldest son

 

This brings to mind a passage from Colossians:

"I sought him, but I found him not." - Song 3:1

Tell me where you lost the company of Christ, and I will tell you the most likely place to find Him. Have you lost Christ in the closet by restraining prayer? Then it is there you must seek and find Him. Did you lose Christ by sin? You will find Christ in no other way but by the giving up of the sin, and seeking by the Holy Spirit to mortify the member in which the lust doth dwell. Did you lose Christ by neglecting the Scriptures? You must find Christ in the Scriptures.

Unless you are already familiar with the term you might be upset if you heard someone use Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24th to describe Messiah.

The word is cynosure and M-W provides the following definition:

1 : the northern constellation Ursa Minor; also : North Star

2 : one that serves to direct or guide

3 : a center of attraction or attention

During a recent study a question came up around the Hebrew word et. In Hebrew, et can serve as what is called an "object marker" (OM). It appears before an object that receives an action in a sentence (what we might call the direct object in English). Et points to the direct object. Here is an example from Genesis 1:1-

Merriam Webster's Word of the Day for Monday, January 26th was engender.

1 : beget, procreate

2 : to cause to exist or to develop : produce

3 : to assume form : originate

The Merriam-Webster word of the day for January 22nd was reconcile.  Here is the definition:

1 a : to restore to friendship or harmony b : settle, resolve 2 : to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant 3 a : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy b : to account for

Some very obvious references can be made with Scripture.  Here is the etymology:

After a long break from words that brought anything Scriptural to mind...

The Merriam-Webster word of the day for January 21st was "palatable".  These meanings were given:

1 : agreeable to the palate or taste

2 : agreeable or acceptable to the mind

The first article in this two-part series on Debunking the Myths of Christmas addresses the origins of Christmas.  This second article is dedicated to examining the origins of many of the traditions of Christmas.

Part 2: Where do the traditional trappings of Christmas come from?

Christmas trees

Tree worship was common among the pagan Europeans and survived their conversion  to Christianity in the Scandinavian customs of decorating the house and barn  with evergreens at the New Year to scare away the devil and of setting up a tree  for the birds during Christmastime; it survived further in the custom, also  observed in Germany, of placing a Yule tree at an entrance or inside the house  during the midwinter holidays.

Encyclopedia Brittanica on Christmas trees

If we were to be transported back in time to the first century and were to study “Moses and the Prophets” as Jesus, the disciples, and the two men on the road to Emmaus did (Luke 24:27), what would we learn? What portraits of the Messiah would we find? Come… join our band of believers and study Scripture in the footsteps and pattern of our Lord and Savior.

If we were to be transported back in time to the first century and were to study “Moses and the Prophets” as Jesus, the disciples, and the two men on the road to Emmaus did (Luke 24:27), what would we learn? What portraits of the Messiah would we find? Come… join our band of believers and study Scripture in the footsteps and pattern of our Lord and Savior.

The bedrock foundation of first-century studies included an annual reading of the Torah: Genesis through Deuteronomy. The passages that are studied this time of year are found in the book of Genesis chapters 37:1-40:23. The chapter and verse numbers that we use to identify passages of Scripture today did not exist in the days of the Master. Instead, they identified the weekly passages, known as a parashah (”portion”) by the first word or two of that passage. This week’s parashah is known as Vayeshev (pronounced vye yeh SHEV). This Hebrew word means “and he lived” as it is written at the beginning of our portion:

If we were to be transported back in time to the first century and were to study "Moses and the Prophets" as Jesus, the disciples, and the two men on the road to Emmaus did (Luke 24:27), what would we learn? What portraits of the Messiah would we find? Come… join our band of believers and study Scripture in the footsteps and pattern of our Lord and Savior.

The bedrock foundation of first-century studies included an annual reading of the Torah: Genesis through Deuteronomy. The passages that are studied this time of year are found in the book of Genesis chapters 32:3-36-43. The chapter and verse numbers that we use to identify passages of Scripture today did not exist in the days of the Master. Instead, they identified the weekly passages, known as a parashah (”portion”) by the first word or two of that passage. This week’s parashah is known as Vayishlach (pronounced vy eesh LOCK). This Hebrew word means “and he sent” as it is written at the beginning of our portion:

“Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom.” - Genesis 32:3 (NASB)

Realizing that this may be a sensitive subject for those just beginning their Torah walk, Christmas is the next topic examined in the In Support of Torah Observance- Debunking the Myths series.  Christmas will be discussed in two parts:

Part 1: What do Scripture and history say about Christmas?  Part 2: Where do the traditional trappings of Christmas come from?

Part 1: What does Scripture and history say about Christmas?

Scripture

If we search the whole of Scripture in English or the original languages, we find no mention of "Christmas".  While the birth of Messiah is described in Scripture, it is recorded in only one place: Luke 2:1-7.  Examining these verses, we find no mention of "Christmas", trees, holly, yule logs, gifts, tinsel, wreaths, Santa Claus, or reindeer. 

Where did the traditional Christmas originate?

A previous series in this category addressed common myths regarding Sabbath observance for believers.  This article focuses on common myths Christians have about food.

God never changes

First and foremost, we should recognize that G-d does not change.  Ever.

For I, the LORD, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. - Malachi 3:6

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. - James 1:17

The first article of this series provided some reasons for observing Torah.  First and foremost among them was the reason that Messiah Yeshua was Torah-observant, and as his disciples, we, too, should follow Torah.

This second article (and subsequent articles) in the series intends to address the myths and misinterpretations of Scripture that might confuse believers seeking the Truth of G-d's Word.  Yeshua is "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" (John 14:6), so when we seek the Truth, we seek Him... in all His Torah-observant glory and holiness.

Myth #1: Paul tells believers to disregard the Sabbath.

This post begins a short series of articles in support of Torah observance.

This series will address why believers in Yeshua [Jesus] should perform the commandments and refute some misinterpretations of Scripture used against those who seek to follow the Torah.

Topping the list:

1) Yeshua did it.

In John chapter 15, Yeshua paints a beautiful picture of our relationship with Him and the Father.

He begins with this:

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. - John 15:1-2

There is a pattern of studying Scripture that has existed since the time of Nehemiah, Ezra, and the men of the Great Assembly. It is this pattern that existed in the time of Messiah and it is within this pattern that He revealed himself through the words of Scripture to the men on the road to Emmaus.

"Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures." - Luke 24:27 (NASB).

Genesis 1:27 tells us that G-d made man in His image:

G-d created man in His own image, in the image of G-d He created him; male and female He created them.

Genesis 9:6 reiterates this:

Whoever sheds man's blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of G-d He made man.

Who or what, then, is this "image"? 

In Revelation 3:14, it is written:

To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

In Revelation 19:11, it is written:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

The Sabbath day began at sunset at the end of the sixth day of Creation (Genesis 2:2).  The Word of G-d tells us that He blessed the seventh day and separated it as a holy day (Genesis 2:3).  If the Sabbath was given before Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob's time and was created for them to observe was it also not created for us?  If we are to be doers and hearers of the Word, shouldn't we observe the Sabbath just as our Lord and Savior did?

The Merriam-Webster word of the day for October 14th was "facetious":

1 : joking or jesting often inappropriately : waggish 2 : meant to be humorous or funny : not serious

The Merriam-Webster word of the day for October 15th was palmary which means "outstanding, best".  M-W provided this etymological information:

English speakers have been using "palmary" since the 1600s, and its history  stretches back even further than that.