Ya'acob's Ladder

A ladder involves effort. Messiah is not an escalator.
We must make the effort to move forward with him - through tehillim/prayer.
Through Tehillim/prayer, we become one with YHVH's thoughts.

This past Shabbat, we enjoyed reading in Bereshith (Genesis), chapter 28.

The hidden, deeper meanings of Scripture 

never cease to amaze us when they are revealed...

nor should they ever. 

"And he came upon a place and stopped over for the night, for the sun had set. 

And he took one of the stones of that place and put it at his head,

and he lay down in that place to sleep." - verse 11

Did you know that the Hebrew word for 'stone' in this passage is "eben"?

Interestingly, 'ben' is the Hebrew word for son.

A stone... This stone Ya'acob laid his head to rest on

was a picture of Mashiach (Messiah)...

and Ya'acob (Jacob) rested in him.

"And he dreamed and saw a ladder set up on the earth,

and its top reached to the heavens, and saw messengers of Elohim

going up and coming down on it." - verse 12

A ladder... rolled out like a vertical scroll (like a Torah scroll)... 

from the earth to the heavens,

connecting man and his Creator.

Yet another picture of Mashiach (Messiah).

"And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place!

This is none other than the house of Elohim,

and this is the gate of the heavens!" - verse 17

The gate... This gate, opening, door of the heavens...

Another picture of Mashiach (Messiah).

He is the door of the sheep... the way unto the Father.

"And Ya'acob (Jacob) rose early in the morning,

and took the stone that he had put at his head,

set it up as a standing column, 

and poured oil on top of it." - verse 18

The anointed... The stone, a picture of Mashiach (Messiah),

is anointed with oil... a prophetic picture.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Mashiach (Messiah) in the Torah? 

You betcha!

Ya'acob (Jacob) rested in Mashiach...

had a vision of Mashiach...

and anointed Mashiach. 

May we do likewise.

Shalom!

The ladder - We're either going up or down.

The Power of Words

   
 " In Parasha B'reisheet (Genesis 1:1-6:8), we learn many important lessons, but none more powerful and enduring than the significance and holiness of words and speech. The Torah teaches us that YHVH created the world through ten utterances: through Divine speech. With each holy command, our universe was formed. YHVH implanted this gift of speech within man. Of all earth's creatures, only humans are endowed with the ability to verbally communicate intelligently. We must be ever mindful that, even as Elohim created through "words", on our own level, we too create through words.

    Time and again, the Torah cautions us to be very careful with that which escapes our lips, for, as King Solomon tells us, "Death and life are in the tongue." Before speaking, stop for a moment and consider how your words impact on others. What sort of environment and relationships do you create with your speech? Do you speak to your family and friends with love and respect? Do you think about what you're saying before you say it and the effect that it will have on those with whom you communicate? How careful are you with that which escapes from your lips?

    There are more commandments in the Torah in regard to speech than to any other mitzvah: seventeen negative and fourteen positive mitzvos. It is through speech that we signaled our committment to our Covenant at Sinai when we proclaimed, "Na'aseh V'nishma - We shall do it and we shall study it." It is through speech - prayer - that we speak to Elohim on a daily basis, bringing a positive spiritual influence into the mundane. Yet speech can have terribly negative effects as well: It was through speech that Hitler committed the most unspeakable evil ever to be perpetrated upon mankind. He himself never lifted a weapon; he used his lethal tongue to incite the world to hatred and slaughter. Indeed, "Death and live are in the tongue."

    Think before you speak and ask yourself, "Will my words generate light or darkness, love or hatred, blessing or curse?" The choice is your to make. Use your Divine gift of speech carefully and wisely, in the service of the Almighty. "

- Torah for Your Table - Rabbi Yisroel and Osher Anshel Jungreis

Know Yourself

"... the mistakes we make in life, the sins that we commit, are not born in a vacuum. They stem from deep roots, so if we are to confess and make a real change in our lives, it's not just verbal platitudes that are required, but genuine soul-searching. ... if we really want to elevate ourselves, if we really want to be transformed and  become better, more spiritual individuals, we have to go through this process honestly, without rationalizations, as painful as it may be. We must focus not only on the sin just committed,  but must ask ourselves, What led me astray? How is it that I have become so lost? Once we come to grips with that concept and discover the answer, it will become easier for us to uproot the negativity from our hearts and to embark upon a new course. That's what teshuvah (repentance) is all about. To be sure, this is not a simple path. Most of us are quick to see the faults in others but are slow to recognize them in ourselves. How often does it happen that when we read a book or hear a message, we say, "That's just for my sister, brother, friend, etc..." and it never occurs to us that the message was meant for us. So, know yourself."

     Search me, O El, and know my heart; Try me, and know my thoughts;
And see if an idolatrous way is in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.
                                                                                   - Tehillim/Psalm 139:23-24




source: Torah for Your Table, Rabbi Yisroel Jungreis

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

Which Being Will You Be?

Perhaps we've only known one side of this verse...
perhaps we've experienced both...

It is a good passage to ponder...

The being of the lazy one craves, but has not; 
While the being of the hard workers are enriched. 
Proverbs 13:4


With Yah's help, change can happen.


 Shalom!
- Christina

Burning Bushes Seen

"And Mosheh was shepherding the flock of Yithro his father-in-law,
the priest of Midyan. And he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, 
and came to Horeb, the mountain of Elohim.
And the Messenger of YHVH appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of the bush.
And he looked and saw the bush burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.
And Mosheh said, "Let me turn aside now, and see this great sight,
why the bush does not burn."
- Shemot/Exodus 3:1-2

Mosheh {Moses} was going about his daily duties of tending to the flocks
when he noticed something...
a burning bush.

He could have rationalized it away, he could have claimed he was too busy to investigate,
and he could have continued about with his day.
He didn't, though.
Instead, he stopped what he was doing and decided to turn aside to find out more.


It wasn't until he made that choice that YHVH called to him.
 "And YHVH saw that he turned aside to see, 
and Elohim called to him from the midst of the bush and said, "Mosheh! Mosheh!"
 (verse 4)

Do we notice the burning bushes throughout our day?

There are many ways that YHVH seeks us to turn aside from our daily routine to listen to Him.
Sometimes we can become so busy that we miss Him and what He wants to say to us.

I don't want to get so caught up in daily life that I miss the opportunities He sets before me...
so busy that my intentions never come to fruition... never turn to action.


Abba, help us not to be too busy for You. Help us to be aware.
Help us to turn aside from the rhythm of 'dailyness' to listen and learn of You...
to study, to pray, to do good, to serve... or just to be still.
Sometimes those burning bushes are not obvious, sometimes they are subtle,
as You often speak in a still, small voice.
Help us, Abba, to pay attention and not miss those moments,
missing the blessings that You have for us through them.
Help us to look for the burning bushes along the pathway of our daily lives.


 "... and Elohim called to him from the midst of the bush 
and said, "Mosheh! Mosheh!
And he said, "Here I am."
(v.4)

May we say the same...

Here am I, Father...
ready to listen, ready to respond, ready to obey

Hineni
{Here I am}

 
- Christina

Let the Hearts of Those Seeking Rejoice!

  

Give thanks to יהוה, call upon His Name, 

Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing praise to Him, Speak of all His wonders!
Boast in His set-apart Name, 

Let the hearts of those seeking יהוה rejoice!
Seek יהוה and His strength, Seek His face continually!
Remember His wonders which He has done, 

His signs and the right-rulings of His mouth,
O seed of Yisra’ĕl, His servant; O children of Yaʽaqoḇ, His chosen ones!
He is יהוה our Elohim, His right-rulings are in all the earth.
Remember His covenant forever, 

The Word He commanded for a thousand generations,
Which He made with Aḇraham, And His oath to Yitsḥaq,
And He established it to Yaʽaqoḇ for a law, 

To Yisra’ĕl as an everlasting covenant

1 Chronicles 16:8-17

HalleluYah!

 

A Longing

The more I learn and walk in Abba's ways,

the more like a stranger I feel and become in this foreign land...

and the more I yearn... deeply yearn... for Home...

Strengthen us, Abba.

Strengthen Your people, Yisrael.

Restore and rebuild us soon...

and in our days, we pray.

"As the deer longs for the water streams,

So my being longs for You, O Elohim."

Tehillim 42:1

The Narrow Way

"Enter in through the narrow gate! 

Because the gate is wide – 

and the way is broad – 

that leads to destruction, 

and there are many 

who enter in through it.
Because the gate is narrow 

and the way is {narrow} hard pressed

which leads to life, 

and there are few who find it."

Matthew {Mattiyahu} 7:13-14

 “For I have known him, so that he commands his children 
and his household after him, to guard the way of {YHVH}  יהוה,  

to do righteousness and right-ruling,

so that {YHVH}  יהוה brings to Aḇraham what He has spoken to him.”

Genesis 18:19

“And you shall enlighten them concerning the laws and the Torah,

and show them the way in which they should walk
and the work which they do."

Exodus 18:20

“They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them..."

Exodus 32:8

"Walk in all the way which {YHVH}  יהוה your Elohim  
has commanded you, so that you live and it be well with you.
And you shall prolong your days

in the land which you possess."

Deuteronomy 5:33

"therefore you shall guard the commands of {YHVH}  יהוה your Elohim,

to walk in His ways and to fear Him."

Deuteronomy 8:6

"And now, Yisra’ĕl, what is {YHVH}  יהוה your Elohim asking of you,

but to fear יהוה your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him,

and to serve יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being,

to guard the commands of יהוה and His laws which I command you today
for your good?"

Deuteronomy 10:12 -13

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse:

the blessing, when you obey the commands of {YHVH}  יהוה

your Elohim which I command you today;

and the curse, if you do not obey the commands of {YHVH}  יהוה your Elohim,

but turn aside from the way which I command you today..."

Deuteronomy 11:26-28

"Walk after {YHVH}  יהוה your Elohim and fear Him,

and guard His commands and obey His voice, and serve Him and cling to Him.

And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams is put to death,

because he has spoken apostasy against יהוה your Elohim –

who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim and redeemed you
from the house of bondage – to make you stray from  
the way in which {YHVH}  יהוה your Elohim commanded you to walk.

Thus you shall purge the evil from your midst"

Deuteronomy 13:4-5

"For I know that after my death you shall do very corruptly

and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you.

And evil shall come to you in the latter days, because you do what is evil

in the eyes of {YHVH}  יהוה, to provoke Him through the work of your hands."

Deuteronomy 31:29

"Only, diligently guard to do the command and the Torah

which Mosheh the servant of {YHVH}  יהוה commanded you,
to love יהוה your Elohim, and to walk in all His ways,
and to guard His commands, and to cling to Him,

and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your being.”

Joshua 22:5

"However, they did not listen to their rulers either,

but went whoring after other mighty ones, and bowed down to them.

They soon turned aside from the way in which their fathers walked,

in obeying the commands of יהוה – they did not do so."

Judges 2:17

"... in order to try Yisra’ĕl by them,

whether they would guard the way of {YHVH}  יהוה,

to walk in them as their fathers guarded them, or not."

Judges 2:22

"The Ěl – His way is perfect; The Word of {YHVH}  יהוה is proven;

He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him."

2 Samuel 22:31

"...and forsook {YHVH}  יהוה Elohim of his fathers,
and did not walk in the way of יהוה."

2 Kings 21:22

"...then hear in the heavens, and forgive the sin of Your servants,
Your people Yisra’ĕl – for You teach them the good way  
in which they should walk"

2 Chronicles 6:27

"Good and straight is {YHVH}  יהוה;
Therefore He teaches sinners in the way.

He guides the meek ones in right-ruling,
And He teaches the meek ones His way.

All the paths of {YHVH}  יהוה are kindness and truth,

To those who guard His covenant and His witnesses."

Psalm 25:8-10

"Let Me instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

Let Me counsel, My eye be on you."

Psalm 32:8

"Wait on {YHVH}  יהוה and guard His way,
And He shall exalt you to inherit the earth..."

Psalm 37:34

"Blessed are the perfect in the way,  
Who walk in the Torah of {YHVH}  יהוה!"

Psalm 119:1

"I have rejoiced in the way of Your witnesses, As over all riches.

I meditate on Your orders, And regard Your ways.

I delight1 myself in Your laws; I do not forget Your word."

Psalm 119:14-16

"Make me understand the way of Your orders ..."

Psalm 119:27

"Remove from me the way of falsehood, And favour me with Your Torah.

I have chosen the way of truth; Your right-rulings I have held level.

I have clung to Your witnesses; O {YHVH}  יהוה, do not put me to shame!

I run the way of Your commands, For You enlarge my heart.

Teach me, O {YHVH}  יהוה, the way of Your laws,
And I observe it to the end."

Psalm 119:29-33 (verse 35, too)

"So walk in the way of goodness, And guard the paths of righteousness.

For the straight shall dwell in the earth, And the perfect be left in it"

Proverbs 2:20-21

"I have taught you in the way of wisdom, I have led you in straight paths."

Proverbs 4:11

"For the command is a lamp, And the Torah a light,

And reproofs of discipline a way of life"

Proverbs 6:23

"The wisdom of the clever is to understand His way..."

Proverbs 14:8

"Train up a child in the way he should go,

Even when he is old he turns not away from it."

Proverbs 22:6

"The path {way}of the righteous is uprightness; O upright One,

You weigh the course of the righteous.

Also, in the path {way} of Your right-rulings,

O {YHVH}  יהוה, we have waited for You;

the longing of our being is for Your Name and for the remembrance of You."

Isaiah 26:7-8

"Thus said {YHVH}  יהוה, your Redeemer, the Set-apart One of Yisra’ĕl,

“I am יהוה your Elohim, teaching you what is best,
leading you by the way you should go.

If only you had listened to My commands!
Then your peace would have been like a river,

and your righteousness like the waves of the sea."

Isaiah 48:17-18

"Then I said, “These are only the poor. They have been foolish,

for they have not known the way of {YHVH}  יהוה,  
the right-ruling of their Elohim."

Jeremiah 5:4

"Thus said {YHVH}  יהוה, “Stand in the ways and see,
and ask for the old paths, where the good way is,
and walk in it; and find rest for yourselves.

But they said, ‘We do not walk in it.’ "

Jeremiah 6:16

"But this word I did command them, saying, ‘Obey My voice,

and I shall be your Elohim, and you be My people.

And walk in all the ways that I have commanded you,
so that it be well with you."

Jeremiah 7:23

"And I shall give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all the days,

for the good of them and of their children after them."

Jeremiah 32:39

"And many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up

to the mountain of {YHVH}  יהוה, to the House of the Elohim of Yaʽaqoḇ,

and let Him teach us His ways, and let us walk in His paths.

For out of Tsiyon comes forth the Torah,
and the word of יהוה from Yerushalayim"

Micah 4:2

"But you, you have turned from the way,

you have caused many to stumble in the Torah..."

Malachi 2:8

“Teacher, we know that You are true, 
and teach the way of Elohim in truth..."

Matthew 22:16

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter
through the door into the sheepfold,

but climbs up by another way, that one is a thief and a robber.

But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep...

I am the door. Whoever enters through Me, he shall be saved,

and shall go in and shall go out and find pasture. "

John 10:1, 9

“And where I go you know, and the way you know...

{Yeshua}  יהושע said to him,
“I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life.

No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:4,6

"This one had been instructed in the way of the Master.

And being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching
the matters about the Master...

they took him aside and explained to him 
the way of Elohim more exactly."

Acts18:25,26

"And having gone into the congregation
he spoke boldly for three months,

reasoning and persuading concerning the reign of Elohim.

But when some were hardened and did not believe,
speaking evil of the Way..."

Acts 19:8-9

“And this I confess to you, that according to  
the Way which they call a sect,

so I worship the Elohim of my fathers,  
believing all that has been written

in the Torah and in the Prophets"

Acts 24:14

"There is no one who is understanding,
there is none who is seeking Elohim.

They all have turned aside {from the way},
they have together become worthless.

There is none who does good, no, not one."

Romans 3:11-12

"...and the way of peace they have not known."

Romans 3:17

"For it would have been better for them
not to have known the way of righteousness,

than having known it, to turn from
the set-apart command(s) delivered unto them."

2 Peter 2:21

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

 The way... 

the narrow {hard pressed} way... 

that few find but leads to life...

Torah - Messiah

The Written Torah - The Living Torah

"Enter in through the narrow gate! 

Because the gate is wide – 
and the way is broad – 
that leads to destruction, 

and there are many who enter in through it.
Because the gate is narrow 
and the way is hard pressed 
which leads to life, 

and there are few who find it."

Matthew 7:13-14 

Welcome

You show me the path of life;
In Your presence is joy to satisfaction;
At Your right hand are pleasures forever. ~ Psalm 16:11

About a year and a half ago, something happened.
Something that would rock my world, challenge my faith,
shake all that I ever knew and believed to the very foundation,
and would forever change my path of life.

What was that something?

Our Creator, Abba YHVH, full of compassion and favor,
patient and great in kindness and Truth,
opened my eyes to His 7th day Sabbath...
and, very shortly afterwards, to His Torah.

He showed me to His path of Life.


The Torah is life

"Set your heart on all the words with which I warn you today,
so that you command your children to guard to do all the Words of this Torah.
For it is not a worthless Word for you, because it is your life...
Deuteronomy 32:-46-47


"Do My right-rulings and guard My laws, to walk in them.
I am {YHVH} יהוה your Elohim.
and you shall guard My laws and My right-rulings,
which a man does and lives by them. I am {YHVH} יהוה."
Leviticus 18:4-5


The Living Torah {Yeshua} is Life

"In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim.
He was in the beginning with Elohim.
All came to be through Him, and without Him
not even one came to be that came to be.
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."
John 1:1-4

"{Yeshua} יהושע said to him,
“I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life..."
John 14:6


The Living Torah {Yeshua}{The Life} 
walked in the written Torah {the way of life},
and instructed His taught ones, likewise, giving us The example.

"For Messiah is the goal of the ‘Torah unto righteousness’ to everyone who believes.
For Mosheh writes about the righteousness which is of the Torah,
“The man who does these shall live by them."
Romans 10:4-5

"And by this we know that we know Him, if we guard His commands.
The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him.
But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him.
By this we know that we are in Him. The one who says he stays in Him
ought himself also to walk, even as He walked."
1 John 2:3-6



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


"...in that I am commanding you today to love {YHVH} יהוה your Elohim,
to walk in His ways, and to guard His commands, and His laws, and His right-rulings.
And you shall live and increase, and {YHVH} יהוה your Elohim shall bless you
in the land which you go to possess...
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. 
Therefore you shall choose life, so that you live, both you and your seed..."
Deuteronomy 30:16,19


His Words are life.
The Living Word is Life.

I'm learning to walk in Torah... the path of life...
following the Living Torah... Who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

I choose Life.


Shalom!