What is Torah? | torahisteaching.com

Continued from Part 1…

“In a place where there are no men, strive to be a man”. —Rabbi Hillel

We are 11 minutes into this teaching.

The question we are considering is:

There are 12 different words in the Hebrew Language that GOD can use to say, ‘man’. Which one does He use, to call forth a man among men? In which one do you see the attributes of, a mighty man of valor?

Before we begin, lets have a quick recap of a few key points:

“…strive to be a man“, those few words provoke our spirit to subdue our flesh.
Today, There’s a growing trend of people who are referring to torah, as the entire Bible– Genesis to Revelation. However, since you are torah scholars in the making, just know the difference as outlined earlier for you, in Part 1. The most important thing is, to recognize that Jesus was teaching torah the entire time. Torah was being taught during the timeframe presented within the entire New Testament era.
GOOD TO KNOW: Bible statistics reveal that there are a total of 260 chapters in the New Testament, containing approx. 300 quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a, Old Testament). What we may find as a shock to our system is to know that, when Jesus and the disciples are not quoting the Hebrew Scriptures, they are teaching, re-teaching, clarifying and expounding on both torah, oral torah and halacha which are simply about “walking out the torah teachings”. [A study of the Synoptic Gospels, demonstrates that Jesus was teaching the torah of Moses and that He was intricately familiar with the teachings of the rabbis that preceded Him and with those that lived during His time]. Jesus, ONLY taught torah. He did not go off in another direction, and do His own thing.
Torah means teaching/instruction/direction. If we can unravel some faulty teaching, we can untangle some faulty mindsets that have been adopted over time, and we can release the anointing over our own lives. Christians are meant to walk in more power. Christ said, “…and greater works than these shall you do in My Name”. Can you imagine? He thought some pretty great thoughts about us! We cannot get to the “greater works” until we cast down some vain imaginations that exalt themselves above the knowledge of GOD. I know you feel it. We know we should be operating at a higher level, we can feel it. There is untapped potential in all of us.
NO MORE BANNED BATTLES: Some are still trying to tell us that these are miscellaneous details. However, the devils is in the details, and it’s time to kick him out. Christians need to be like ferocious little torah pacman’s—Eating the scroll of torah. Consuming every bite. The history of the separation between Jews and Gentiles was born out of anti-Semitism and anti-Christianism, both sides are quilty. Both are accountable. 2000+ years of “They started it!”, is utter nonsense. Especially since the torah is trying to communicate the spiritual value and significance of forgiveness. We have the ability to chose not to be each other’s enemy. Teaching anything contrary to forgiveness is counter productive and dangerous. Can you imagine, “the power that is yet to be revealed“, if we focused on the real enemy? We have to master these so called, miscellaneous details. Our anointing is in the details.
Become Masters of the Misc.
Law is choqmah- decrees, statutes, doctrines. We are not bound by the law, that’s true. Were bound by something more lovely than that, we are bound by His teachings!
I realize, that I asked you earlier to write in your bibles. To scratch out some words and write in a few corrections, so that you can begin to re-train yourself to speak a new language. Where I come from, writing in the bible was taboo. Now my son tells me, I have so many notes and worn out pages, that my bible looks like a worn out manifesto. I had to just laugh about that one. So Beloved, I am not telling you anything that I do not do. Obtain a bible that you are willing to write in and mark up and start writing your manifesto! Notebooks come and go, but your bible will contain the information that you need, when you need it. If you make a note somewhere on the page, you will have if there for the life off the bible.
Remember Ex 12:49? “One teaching shall be to him that is home born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth with you?” Even then, GOD was making note that the Jew and the Gentile can be (should be), walking together in this. The GOD of Abraham never rejected the stranger. The strangers, reject GOD, choosing to remain a stranger. GOD’s instructions were to teach us, as we walk alongside. It is my personal mission to do as Paul, the Pharisee turned Apostle to Christ, said to do… “to provoke the Jew to jealousy!” –Do you realize that we would not even have a bible to fight over, if it was not for the Jews? The Jews kept the torah intact–for THOUSANDS OF YEARS. The torah remained intact in their meticulous care! How many fragments do we have of the New Testament? Exactly. Our Christian ancestors (who I refer to as, We), had to recover the messages left to us by the disciples. Bluntly stated, we just did not handle the WORD with the same level of care. Any nation, (a whole nation) that can carry a book for over 3000 years, is special indeed— Give GOD the praise. They did their job and delivered the book to the future. God chose the right people. As a Christian community, “We should give honor to whom honor is due!” There is no amount of replacement theology that can touch that. I want the Jewish people to look over at me in amazement and say, “is she really over there trying to love the torah more than me, really?” “YES, Yes I am”.
You Are the Answer God Sent Into the World. Answer the Calling on your life.
After GOD took the Children of Israel out of the wilderness, He desired to teach them. His decrees and teachings would cover and protect them. A good portion of, the Children of Israel had forgotten who they were created to be. Life in Egypt had caused them to forget GOD. These children of Israel had adopted the ways of the Egyptians, the ways of the world. Egypt in Hebrew is mitzraim, a compound word that is formed from the noun masor, meaning siege or entrenchment. Masor is derived form the verb sur, which means to bind or to besiege. Mitzraim was a stronghold over the children of Israel, and can prophetically represent a stronghold over our lives, even today. Mitzraim, is a spiritual force that binds up the people of GOD, entangling them within the destructive powers of siege warfare. In order for the children of Israel to come out from under the influence of mitzraim and regain their destiny, GOD had to teach them how to accomplish that, and they needed His Word to fight with! If the children of Israel had not (a) remembered who they were called to be, and united with one another, (b) accepted GOD’s Word in unity and, (c) renewed their commitment to God, in one accord; they would have been sunk. –and so then, would we.
Torah is not a Jewish-only concept, or Jewish only property. It is a GOD concept, God’s property, and God’s Gift to man. The mixed-multitude was right there alongside the children of Israel, in position to receive the teachings with them. Not everyone did.

Finally, Torah is not a racist ideology. Man created racism. God created torah. Man embraced the idea of white and black and red and brown. God embraced the idea of Jew and Gentile.

When our ears hear, “Jew and Gentile”, we have learned to hear it in a way that tells us that, “Jews are one race of people, and Gentile’s are all the other races of people”. Torah is not a racist ideology. To be a ‘Jew’ in scripture, means to come out of the world system and to chose the ways of GOD; to cross over to the other side, GOD’s side. To be gentile, means to stay put… entrenched in world systems, i.e. worldly minded, to remain outside the covenant of GOD. Being, “Jew or Gentile” has to do with covenantal status. We should think of this concept more in terms of relationship with GOD, than in the way the world has trained us to think. We are being taught by somebody. We are going to be taught by the world, or we can choose to allow ourselves to be taught by GOD. Either way, we will be taught.

Allow me a minute with this: It’s important to the concept of…being a man.

The word ‘Jew’ in Hebrew is from the Hebrew word k‘ivri’ meaning, “from the other side”. Originally, Abraham was once ivri, from among those people that believed in or worshipped idols. The Chaldeans were people who had no knowledge of the One True God. They only had knowledge of the gods they created for themselves, with their own hands.

The word Gentile, is from the Latin, gentilis. It refers to someone belonging to a certain tribe or clan. Over time, the word ‘Gentile’ came to express the idea of anyone who was a non-Jew. Goyim (nations), is the plural of ‘goy‘ meaning ‘nation’. The goyim are strangers to God. Gentiles are known as the goyim, strangers to God. They represent the un-circumcised, who are outside of the covenant of God. This is important to us because, in God’s terms, we are either ‘in the covenant or outside the covenant.’ Its not about race. It’s about relationship. We are either for Him or Against Him.

We are either on the LORD’s side or we are not. The Jews were in covenant with God, all the other nations were not. Unless someone from the nations chose to come over to the other side, to become, ivri, they remained a stranger to GOD.

Abraham was called to the nations. Abraham taught the torah to the nations.

Abraham was from a different side, until he crossed over to the other side. It was torah (truth) that made Abram, Abraham. Abram had a revelation, which drew him over to the other side.

Moses was drawn out from the other side, raised on a different side, until he crossed back over to the other side- reclaiming his Hebrew Heritage.

Jesse was from a different side, until he crossed over to the other side.

Schechem and his kingdom, were from a different side, until they crossed over to the other side.

Ruth was from a completely banned side, until she crossed over to the other side.

Urriah the Hittite was from a different side, until he crossed over to the other side.

Job was from a different side, until he crossed over to the other side.

Even the mixed multitude were from a different side until they crossed over to the other side, (until they crossed back over to the different side, again…(they were a little mixed up!)

My point is, that God has always been in the midst of the nations giving the torah. Just as the mixed multitudes were present at Mt. Sinai, at the giving of the torah, we can be present today — crossing over to the other side with God and staying put.

God was already giving and sending His Word to the Nations, WAY BEFORE Christ arrived. Christ was only doing, what His Father in Heaven had already been doing. He came to the House of Israel, but He never denied anyone who believed on GOD’s Name. Their faith made them whole.

Obedience put in action, is better than saying you understand–DO.

Some of you at this early stage, may not fully understand what I am talking about. I realize it sounds like a tirade. I assure you, it is not. There are others who are reading this right now, alongside you and they do understand. They heard every word, and they have to go back and think about some things, that they have been taught. The bottom-line is, every person has to decide if they are for GOD or against GOD? This has been the only real question, since the beginning of time. Each person decides for himself, what he or she is prepared to do.

FIRST DO, THEN HEAR

All of the people I named above, were once strangers to the covenant of God, until they became, ivri. Until they crossed over to the other side, they were gentiles – goyim, strangers. Being Hebrew (ivri) is the spiritual designation for crossing over–“come out from among them and be ye separate”. It wasn’t until they crossed over, that they truly began to understand. Understanding comes from being in covenant with GOD. Here is something I do whenever I am in a debate of sorts with Christians that feel that they just don’t understand what GOD is talking about in scripture. I ask them a rhetorical question, being sure to ask that they not answer out loud. It’s a question that they do not owe me an answer to and one that I do not need to know for the purposes of the discussion. This is the question, “If you were to sit back, take some time, and reflect on all the things that you do understand about the covenant GOD set in place between Himself and mankind. Consider, all the do’s and don’ts that you have basic knowledge of right now, by your own analysis, would you say that you are in covenant with GOD? If your answer (to yourself) is, “No, I am not”, then consider that this (those things you are aware that you fall short in) may be impeding your ability to understand spiritual matters. Sometimes, we just get in our own way and we have to move over.

If your answer is, “Yes, I am completely in covenant with GOD”, then let’s pray and fast for greater understanding, because something is off. It could be something that cannot be detected without prayer. (Someone has to come in agreement with them for understanding, so we set a consecration to pray).

I believe that understanding comes from accepting the covenant first. In our carnality, we want to understand first, and then do… if we agree and approve. With God, the evening and the morning were the first day. First obey (do), and then understanding will come.

“We will do and we will hear”, (nah-ah-say vuh-neesh-mah), Ex 24:7. Literally, this is Hebrew for, “I will do it, whether I understand it now or not. Understanding will come.” This attitude contains greater access to the anointing than saying you understand something that you do not, and remaining stubborn and stiff-necked, because you really just don’t understand. First, accept and be obedient to the covenant. First things, first.

You can’t teach torah and not circle back to this concept over and over again. This is a recurring theme in the torah. We will come back this way again, I assure you. Torah study requires it. Do first – then hear, i.e. (Do first, then get understanding).

It was GOD’s heart to send His Word out into the Nations. This was, is, and will be, ALL GOD’s idea. The Jewish nation is not fighting with us over torah. (OK, some are, but that is not the point). The point is, we should not be fighting with them.

Torah is not taboo for Christians.

God is not just the author and finisher of our faith, He is the author of history. The Covenant is available to anyone who is willing to come boldly before the Throne of God to claim it.

We are operating within the design of His Plan. Some efficiently and some inefficiently. Everybody does not cooperate with their part of the plan. We know this. But the torah, is behind ALL of creation. We need God’s Word. Some choose not to submit to God’s Word. We want it both ways. Pull out GOD if and when it is convenient and put Him and His Word away, when it does not suit our purposes. Understanding will never come in this way either. –This is the epitome of Double Mindedness–

Perhaps some of us, (“us” being Christians) want to hear that we don’t need to delve into the depths of torah to understand our faith. In Proverbs 9:10, GODs Word would disagree. He says, “Knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Without torah, there is no “Knowledge of the Holy One.” If knowledge of GOD could be acquired without torah, everybody in the world would know GOD by now. If torah were not required to know GOD, we could at least be exonerate from responsibility to learn it. Torah is a little more homework. But, the students in the Master’s Class, don’t mind.

Christ embraced His Jewishness, he did not pretend to be gentile to [make it easier for us to accept Him.] We misrepresent His life [and limit our ability to increase in understanding], if we strip Him of His Jewishness, which is our heritage and our birthright.

We are in love with the Son of the living God. Christ, is the Son of the Living God, of the Jews. No matter which side we examine this from, The Word, the torah, the teachings and God, are ONE.

Ref: Deut 6:4

Torah is a GOD-Concept

John 10:30 “I and my father are one.”

John 10:34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your teachings, I said, Ye are gods?”

John 10:35 “If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken.”

We have to untangle our message. EVERYTHING about the Word of GOD matters. If it was important enough for GOD to put in the message, it must be important enough for us to learn, and get it right. The details matter.

Hebrew is a very meticulous language. Hebrew is God’s Love Language to His People. Every jot and tittle still matters to Him. (Matt 5:18).

“In a place where there is no man, strive to be a man” –Rabbi Hillel

In Hebrew, there are 12 different words for ‘man’—

If we pick up an English dictionary and look up the word, “man”. We are going to find one entry. The definition will read something like this; (a) an adult human male, (b) a human being of either sex, i.e. person, individual, mortal, soul.

Because we understand the definition, when we hear the word “man”, we then place it’s use into the proper context based upon our conversation, whether in written or oral form.

In English we have one word, in this case “man” and how we use that word in a sentence/conversation will determine the context of our message. In Hebrew, what GOD is saying about the “man”, will determine which of the 12 words we select in context to our message.

Hebrew is a very meticulous language. English is not.

Nearly every word in Hebrew has many levels of understanding.

You cannot take it for granted that an apple, is an apple, is an apple. Especially, not in the same sense that we define a word, or use a particular word in English.

Examining the scriptures from the Hebrew Perspective is like peeling an onion. You have to peel back a layer at a time, to increase your understanding.

A literal-only reading of the Word, can lead you to make erroneous assumptions.

Again, Hebrew is a very meticulous language. English is not. In addition, Hebrew is a foreign language for us. For this reason alone, we need to be very meticulous in learning more about it.

You will see the application of these principles over and over again, as we continue to study from the Hebrew perspective.

LESSON NO. 2

Open your concordance to the word man. There are 3,323 occurrences of the word, man. When I turn to page #916 in my 1995, The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, I find approx. 11 pages (2 columns per pages) of what appears to be 12pt font, listing every single appearance of the word “man” that is found in the scriptures.

(Note: The Strong’s I am using is based on the KJV).

Vocabulary:

oral torah~ The oral tradition of the torah, transmitted from father to son and Rabbi to student. It is called the oral torah because it is transferred ‘by mouth’.

halachah ~ literally means, ‘the way’. Halachah are religious laws that everyone must follow.

See Part 3, that will be posted by 9AM PST May 3, 2019.

+++Vocabulary:

halachah ~ a collection of Jewish religious laws that are comprised of both the written and the oral torah. Halachah are based on mitzvoth (commandments), customs and traditions. You will find that halachah is often translated to mean law, (just as torah is translated typically as ‘law’), but the word ‘halach, literally means, “the way to walk, or behave”. Halach, means to go, or to walk. How do you carry yourself, in obedience to the torah, the customs, and traditions of GOD?

Oral torah ~ the oral torah is based on the teachings that were handed down verbally, by memory from father to son, or Rabbi to student. In Hebrew it is called, ‘torah she-bay-al-peh’. torah that is on the mouth. The oral torah is comprised of laws, statutes and legal interpretations, not recorded in the written torah of Moses, (torah she-bi-kh’tav).

All terms will be explained in detail as we continue this study. Stay tuned.

Quick Links to Review Previous Teachings: Where There Is No Man...
Part 1 – 11 minutes Intro: Researching the 12 ways in Hebrew to say Man.

[When I find typo’s that I did not see before I published and/or I re-read and know that I could have stated something better for clarity, I will make corrections and place brackets around the changes, like so. I want your final product to be as pristine as possible. Also, you have noticed that I do not include the scripture reference when I am quoting or paraphrasing something from the New Testament. I do that intentionally. We know this material and I believe it is already a part of our regular dialogue. We may have the impulse to look them up and that’s good. I want to provoke us to do that. It’s good for the soul 🙂 Your a good student! God Bless You].