Word Study

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Where does the practice of baptism come from?  Yoel walks us through its history explaining the linguistic, biblical, and cultural factors of ritual washing and purity from Genesis to the time of Yeshua and into today.

In many cases when studying the Hebrew bible, we find words which do not fit into the regular interpretation of dictionary value.  It is not uncommon that we find ourselves looking up a word, but are unable to interpret it correctly.  Even when we try to use grammar and context, we find ourselves looking at a partial meaning of what is actually being said.

An interesting point about the Hosha-Na practice:

We must remember that the time frame I am talking about is at a time where many had already refrained from speaking the name of God, so I use the idea of hinting in this argument about The Name.  The practice of not speaking God’s name has been traced by some scholars to the 3rd and even 4th centuries.

Yom Teru’ah

One of the interesting discussions which exists is what does זִכְרוֹן תְּרוּעָה-Zikhron Teru’ah mean (Vayiqra/Leviticus 23:24).  Many identify this as being a memorial of some sort.  Rabbinic Judaism interprets that when the day falls on Shabbat we only commemorate the sounding of the Shofar, but not actually sound it.  This is in opposition to the term יום תרועה “Yom Teru’ah” (Bamidbar/Numbers 29:1), which is understood as a day where we actually use the Shofar. 

Every year when we come to the time of Yom Teruah (aka Rosh HaShanah), I get into the discussion of what is the תרועה– Teruah which the Torah is speaking of.  Though for many the argument has never been settled, I want to suggest a possible argument.

I was asked the following question, and I thought it contained an important point in regards to Hebrew spelling:

Q:  Why is the tefillin on the left arm?  Is it in the Hebrew Bible or is it oral tradition?

Most of us translate this word as “Faith” or “Belief”.  However, the truth of the matter is that to understand the meaning of such a fundamental word in our walk in Torah requires an understanding of the mental state of ancient Israel.  

The title of this article, Who are you, Belial?, is more of a sarcastic question.  The reason I say sarcastic is because my understanding is that most ideas regarding titles such as Belial have an historical background and have nothing to do with theological/mythological principles.  Shamai Glander suggested in his book on Genesis that the torah and the tanakh are anti-mythological and usually retell the stories known to other nations, such as the flood and creation narratives, by eliminating the mythological element and providing a more monotheistic principle without the demons and the monsters.