Equipment is Required.

Intro to Torah Students: Lesson # 1. I am often asked, “How did you learn all of this?” I smile and think to myself, “I had an instructor that I think was related to Mr. Miyagi.” I never say that out loud, but I do think of it on occasion! As that is the case, I am going to try to give you an example, because a living example teaches better than an explanation.

OK, Confession… Torah is Like Rocket Science. Ordinary thinking, will not get you to the heights that you want to reach! It just won’t! You have to look at things from a whole new perspective!

Take a look at this series of photos below very carefully. Make note of what they all have in common, identify the patterns, connections, correlations… and make note of what you see… what insights can you find? I will come back tomorrow and provide an answer to this riddle and provide you scriptural support for what I am trying to convey with this example. Post your observations under comments. If there are no comments, I will just leave the question open until a later time. Enjoy!

HINT: Think in terms of p’shat, d’resh, remez and sod. Ref: Torah Lishma – Click Here

IMPORTANT: EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE!

See you soon! Shalom.

photos provided by multiple sources, including Pexels Inc. and Unsplash.com

Now You’re Learning Torah!

Lesson#2: Read Genesis, Chapter 11. This is a Pivotal Chapter in the torah. We are introduced to Abraham for the 1st time. After reading this chapter, are there any questions that you would expect a student to come away with? Are there any valid questions to be asked? Or, since we have the benefit of having read the entire book… is chapter 11 a brief geneaology and introduction with the meat of the word beginning later? (Post your observations in the comments section below).

• LINKS: WHY WE STUDY THE TORAH
• NEED A HINT?: Think in terms of p’shat, d’resh, remez and sod. Ref: Torah Lishma – Click Here
• Click this Link: to go to Biblehub.com for Hebrew/English Interlinear/Transliteration starting with Genesis 11:1 in order to obtain word for word translation from Hebrew to English, if you would like.

Although I had no participants for this exercise, I am going to see if I can offer a little help! As of June 5th, I am underlining a few sentences below in the verse that should cause us to ask some questions. See if you have any questions that come to mind as you review what is underlined. Scripture is open to questions, because GOD likes to provoke some thought. Later, I will come back, perhaps a week from now, and we will move to the next step.

Also, if you would like to follow along on another exercise of this nature, Click Here and the link will take you to the exercises listed on the Language of Prayer Page. Enjoy! Feel free to participate. If you do not want to do it live by posting comments on the post, just keep your notes in your journal and check back for updates! God Bless

GENESIS 11 

1 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

² And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there.

³ And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter.

⁴ And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.

⁵ And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded.

⁶ And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

⁷ Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.

⁸ So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

⁹ Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the Lord did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the Lord scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

¹⁰ These are the generations of Shem: Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad two years after the flood:

¹¹ And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

¹² And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, and begat Salah:

¹³ And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

¹⁴ And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber:

¹⁵ And Salah lived after he begat Eber four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters.

¹⁶ And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg:

¹⁷ And Eber lived after he begat Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.

¹⁸ And Peleg lived thirty years, and begat Reu:

¹⁹ And Peleg lived after he begat Reu two hundred and nine years, and begat sons and daughters.

²⁰ And Reu lived two and thirty years, and begat Serug:

²¹ And Reu lived after he begat Serug two hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.

²² And Serug lived thirty years, and begat Nahor:

²³ And Serug lived after he begat Nahor two hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.

²⁴ And Nahor lived nine and twenty years, and begat Terah:

²⁵ And Nahor lived after he begat Terah an hundred and nineteen years, and begat sons and daughters.

²⁶ And Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

²⁷ Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot.

²⁸ And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.

²⁹ And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

³⁰ But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

³¹ And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

³² And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

SEE YOU IN A COUPLE OF DAYS!