Essential Tools for Learning Torah

 

 Parashas Bamidbar (Portion Numbers 1:1-4:20) is always read (according to tradition) prior to the great festival of Shavuot, which commemorates (traditionally) the day that YHVH gave us the Torah. And that in itself is instructive. Midbar can be defined as wilderness or desert; the word bamidbar means "in the Wilderness", teaching us that if we wish the Torah to impact on us and elevate us, we have to make ourselves like a desert. Even as a desert is barren, so too must we divest ourselves of all preconceived notions and allow the Torah to re-shape us. Even as in a desert there are no diversions, so we cannot allow anyone or anything to distract us from our Torah study. Even as in the Wilderness of Sinai everything was free, so we must make Torah study available to one and all.

The backdrop for the giving of the Torah is equally significant. The Torah was given at Mount Sinai, a lowly mountain, and while logic would dictate that it would have been more impressive had God proclaimed His words on a tall, majestic mountain, He nevertheless chose Sinai for His revelation, teaching us that a prerequisite for Torah study is humility. At Sinai, the people saw flames and clouds dripping water; flames symbolize fiery passion, while clouds dripping water are symbolic of clarity. The verses teach us that if we wish Torah to enter our hearts, we must study it and transmit it with fiery passion; we must tackle our studies with discipline and stay with them until we have full clarity. All this is a reminder that Torah study cannot be undertaken casually. It is our very life and the length of our days, and must be accorded the seriousness and respect it deserves.

 - Torah for Your Table, Rabbi Yisroel Jungreis

Shavuot... Feast of Weeks

         {photo credit: here}

With Shavuot/Pentecost upon us, I wanted to share a few Scripture verses
and some links I've come across over the past few years.

This is our third year (I think. lol) of observing/celebrating Shavuot/Pentecost
and I am still learning SO much! It has been, and continues to be, such a joy!

I am continually amazed by YHVH's feast days!

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Shavuot means 'weeks' in Hebrew.
It is The Feast of Weeks.
7 weeks (49 completed days),
counted from the day after the weekly Sabbath Day
after beginning The Feast of Unleavened Bread.

In Scripture it is a feast of harvest.
It is, also, the celebration of the giving of the written Torah,
by YHVH at Mount Sinai.

It is, also, the time known as Pentecost.
Pentecost means "fiftieth" in Greek.

It is when the promise of the giving of the Set-Apart Spirit was fulfilled.

-----------------------------------
Some of the Scriptures referring to Shavuot...

"and the Festival of the Harvest, the first-fruits of your labours
which you have sown in the field; and the Festival of the Ingathering
at the outgoing of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labours from the field"
Exodus 23:16


"And perform the Festival of Weeks for yourself, 
of the first-fruits of wheat harvest, and the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year"
Exodus 34:22


"And from the morrow after the Sabbath, 
from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering,
you shall count for yourselves: seven completed Sabbaths.
Until the morrow after the seventh Sabbath you count fifty days, 
then you shall bring a new grain offering to YHVH."
Leviticus 23:15-17 {and to verse 21}


"And on the day of the first-fruits, when you bring a new grain offering to YHVH
at your Festival of Weeks, you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work."
Numbers 28:26


"And you shall perform the Festival of Weeks to YHVH your Elohim,
according to the voluntary offering from your hand,
which you give as YHVH your Elohim blesses you.
And you shall rejoice before YHVH your Elohim, you and your son and your daughter,
and your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates,
and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who are in your midst,
at the place where YHVH your Elohim chooses to make His Name dwell."
Deuteronomy 16:10-11


"And when the Day of the Festival of Weeks had come,
they were all with one mind in one place.
And suddenly there came a sound from the heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
And there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, 
and settled on each one of them. 
And they were all filled with the Set-apart Spirit 
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to speak."
Acts 2:1-4


---------------------------------

A few links expounding on Shavuot:
{as with anything, read with discernment and prove all things according to Scripture}

Shavuot - Pentecost - Feast of Weeks {PDF file}
(article from Hoshana Rabbah site)

Shavuot - "Feast of Weeks" {PDF file}
(a little more 'simplified' article at Restoring the Way)

What is Shavuot?
(online article at Judaism site, Chabad.com)



Activities and Coloring:

Shavuot coloring pages
{at Aish.com}

Crafts and Coloring pages
{at Challah Crumbs.com}

Shavuot Recipes and Crafts
{at HebrewPodcasts.com}

Shavuot Lapbook/Lapfolder

My Shavuot Pinterest Board (updated sporadically)



And what's a celebration without music?!

Songs:

Rejoicing in the giving of the Torah...

Love the Torah

I Love Torah

Oh, How I Love Your Torah

The Ten Commandments


Rejoicing in the Set-Apart Spirit,
Who writes Torah in our hearts...

Calling for a Flood

Joel 2

Empty Me

Bo, Ruach Elohim {Come, Spirit of Elohim}




Chag Sameach Shavuot!
{Joyous Festival of Shavuot!}

Chag Sameach Pesach!

"Guard the month of Aḇiḇ,

and perform the Passover to יהוה   {YHVH} your Elohim,

for in the month of Aḇiḇ יהוה  {YHVH} your Elohim

brought you out of Mitsrayim by night."

Deuteronomy 16:1

"And the blood shall be a sign for you

on the houses where you are.

And when I see the blood, I shall pass over you,

and let the plague not come on you

to destroy you when I smite the land of Mitsrayim.

And this day shall become to you a remembrance.

And you shall observe it as a festival to יהוה

throughout your generations –

observe it as a festival, an everlasting law."

Exodus 12:13-14

"... and looking at {Yeshua} יהושע walking,

he said, “See the Lamb of Elohim!"

John 1:36

"saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb having been slain

to receive power and riches and wisdom,

and strength and respect and esteem and blessing!”

And every creature which is in the heaven

and on the earth and under the earth

and such as are in the sea,

and all that are in them, I heard saying,

“To Him sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb,

be the blessing and the respect

and the esteem and the might, forever and ever!"

Revelation 5:12-13

"Therefore cleanse out the old leaven,

so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened.

For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us.

So then let us observe the festival,

not with old leaven,

nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness,

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

1 Corinthians 5:7 

May your Passover/Pesach season be very blessed!

Chag Sameach!

~ Christina

Resources for Passover

Passover - Pesach - is soon approaching
and we are very excited!


"this day shall become to you a remembrance. 

And you shall observe it as a festival 

to {YHVH}  יהוה throughout your generations – 

observe it as a festival, an everlasting law."
Exodus 12:14 


Here are some of the resources
I have come across that can be useful
as we prepare for teaching and observing
this set-apart day to YHVH.



Coloring fun:

Passover coloring pages

Passover coloring pages (in pdf)

More Passover coloring pages (in pdf)

More Pesach/Passover coloring pages



Activities and crafts:

Passover Activities for Children - matzah cover, placemats, etc...

Ten Plague Masks - a craft idea (or can use paper plates)

Ten Plagues Placard craft: Part 1 and Part 2

Four Questions Book craft - If you desire to use "the 4 questions"

Ten Plagues illustration - Could attempt to draw/paint to depict the plagues

Cardboard Tube Moses - craft idea 

Matzah Holder - make your own 

Passover Bag of Plagues -  fun idea

Matzah Cover Tutorial - make your own matzah cover


Music:

Dayenu - traditional, fun Passover song (sang by our eldest and myself)

Passover Song - Yeshua, our Passover Lamb and remembrance of Him

The Pesach Song (We're Leaving) - Beautiful song about leaving Egypt (physically/spiritually)



Videos:

Passover Story - Beautiful recap of how The Almighty delivered His people (6 minutes)

Messiah in Passover - short video showing what Yeshua fulfilled in the Passover (4 minutes)

The Messiah - Prophecy Fulfilled - Movie showing how Yeshua fulfilled the Passover and how a Jewish man shares it with his family during their Passover observation. Longer but very good. (50 minutes)

Know Your Enemy (Part 12- The Plagues) -  See how the plagues that YHVH brought upon Egypt targeted specific "gods" that they worshiped, showing His authority as the One True Elohim.
Video is less than 8 minutes. Watch and connect some dots that maybe didn't connect before.Very interesting.

Let My People Go! Passover/Pesach Skit -  A skit we did with friends one year on Pesach :)


In the past, we have not used a haggadah (traditional "telling") for Passover,
but have only had the three items mentioned in Scripture while reading the Scripture pertaining to them.

But if one desires to add some of the traditions and have a haggadah to print and use,
I have found this one to be a pretty good one.

You Shall Tell Your Children - Messianic Passover Haggadah (pdf format)



One last resource to share is the Let My People Go board game.
We have found this to be a delightful game to play as a family!
And the rhymes are very cute and catchy.
The game is a little difficult to find (about $15) but worth the buy if you can find it!


May your Pesach be blessed! As well as your preparation!

Shalom!
~ Christina



p.s. This will be an ongoing list, of sorts. Check back for additions/changes. :)

Bondage? No.

  The Torah of YHVH is perfect, 

bringing back the being;
The witness of YHVH is trustworthy, 

making wise the simple;
The orders of YHVH are straight, 

rejoicing the heart;
The command of YHVH is clear, 

enlightening the eyes;
The fear of YHVH is clean, 

standing forever;
The right-rulings of YHVH are true, 

they are righteous altogether,
More desirable than gold, 

than much fine gold;
And sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.
Also, Your servant is warned by them,
In guarding them there is great reward. 

 - Tehillim/Psalm 19:7-11

Shabbat Shalom!

Ahh... It really is a day that we look forward to every week.

A day to cease from doing work... to rest... 

to spend time with each other... with our spiritual family...

and with the Creator and Lover of our souls.

There is no bondage here. 

There is freedom. There is rest.

There is blessing. There is life.

Thank You, Abba, for Your set-apart day of rest.

Shabbat Shalom, Israel {His set-apart people}!
May your day of rest be very blessed!

- Christina

Homemade beef stew and challah this week! Mmm!

Worn

Have you ever felt like you were so tired? So worn?
So heavy hearted? So weak? Like the struggle will never end?
Like sometimes it takes all of your strength just to breathe?
I have.

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♪ I'm tired. I'm worn. My heart is heavy
From the work it takes to keep on breathing

I've made mistakes. I've let my hope fail
My soul feels crushed By the weight of this world
And I know that you can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left

Let me see redemption win. Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn

I want to know a song can rise From the ashes of a broken life
And all that's dead inside can be reborn... Cause I'm worn

I know I need To lift my eyes up
But I'm too week. Life just won't let up
And I know that You can give me rest
So I cry out with all that I have left

Let me see redemption win. Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn

I want to know a song can rise From the ashes of a broken life
And all that's dead inside can be reborn... Cause I'm worn

And my prayers are wearing thin
I'm worn even before the day begins
I'm worn I've lost my will to fight
I'm worn so heaven come and flood my eyes

Let me see redemption win. Let me know the struggle ends
That you can mend a heart that's frail and torn

I want to know a song can rise From the ashes of a broken life
And all that's dead inside can be reborn
Yes all that's dead inside will be reborn
Though I'm worn
Yeah I'm worn

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We are blessed in those dark times.
We have an Abba that is near to the broken-hearted
and saves those whose spirit is crushed {Tehillim/Psalm 34:18}.
He is the lifter of our heads {Tehillim/Psalm 3:3}.
He hears us when we cry out to Him. He lifts us out of the pit.
He puts a new song in our mouth {Tehillim 40:1-3}.
He gives beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning,
and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness {Yeshayahu/Isaiah 61:3}.


Thank You, Abba.
Baruch HaShem YHVH!


- Christina