<<<<\/p>\n
Chapter 1<\/p>\n
Pray As Yeshua Did<\/p>\n
Asked to fill in a form including a little box marked \u201creligion,\u201d Yeshua would unhesitatingly have checked the box marked \u201cJewish.\u201d He was not a Christian. \u201cChristian\u201d was the name given to his early followers after Gentiles started believing in large numbers (Acts 11:26). Yeshua was born, lived, and died a devout, practicing Jew. This was the milieu into which God chose to send his Son, the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world.
\nNot all of Yeshua\u2019s contemporaries were devout or practicing, just as not all Jewish people today are religious. Among the most devout back then were the Pharisees. Compared to other groups of Yeshua\u2019s day, such as the Sadducees and the Essenes, Messiah fit more closely with the Pharisees than with any other group.
\nThe Pharisees have had some bad press. Not all of them were hypocrites. Many, in fact, were truly God-fearing individuals. Nicodemus the Pharisee came to Yeshua seeking truth, subsequently following him when it was dangerous to do so (John 3:1\u20132; 19:38\u201340). Gamaliel the Pharisee counseled the Sanhedrin,<\/p>\n
Men of Isra\u2019el, take care what you do to these people \u2026 my advice to you is not to interfere with these people, but to leave them alone. For if this idea or this movement has a human origin, it will collapse. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them; you might even find yourselves fighting God! (Acts 5:35, 38\u201339)<\/p>\n
The Roots of Tradition<\/p>\n
Judaism is a religion that has grown and developed through the centuries. While some claim that it has not fundamentally changed, it has certainly reacted to the pressures put upon it by the professing Church over time. The reason for such stability lies in one important word\u2014\u201ctradition.\u201d Tradition has it that on Sinai God gave Moses a body of oral directions that was not put into writing. Moses handed that oral law on to Joshua. From him it passed to the elders, then to the prophets, then to the men of the Great Synagogue. They followed Ezra after the return from the Babylonian captivity. The Judaism we know today developed from that beginning (Av. 1:1).
\nThis material, known today as Mishnah, was not written down until around the year 200 C.E., when it was edited by Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi (Judah the Prince). In the following centuries, commentary and yet more commentary was added until the Talmud was completed around 500 C.E.
\nIn Yeshua\u2019s day, there was no written Mishnah, no Talmud, as the Jewish people have today. However, Yeshua would have been familiar with its basic material in its oral form. Consider the good impression he made on the rabbis during his boyhood visit to the Temple (Luke 2:46\u201347). This would not have been possible if he was not well-versed in the traditions.<\/p>\n
Yeshua and Tradition<\/p>\n
It is a mistake to say that Yeshua dismissed all Jewish traditions. He directed his criticism at two groups of people: (1) those who placed tradition on a par with\u2014or even above\u2014the written Scriptures (Matt. 15:6; Mark 7:8); and (2) those who distorted and misused tradition. An example of the latter type of criticism is his condemnation of those who wore oversized tefillin (phylacteries) for reasons of pride (Matt. 23:5). Tefillin are small boxes, containing passages of Scripture, which are worn on the forehead and upper arm during prayers. The custom is a response to Deuteronomy 6:8: \u201cTie them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your forehead.\u201d
\nYeshua was at home within in Judaism at its best. His sayings (which sometimes echo those of other great rabbis), his formulation of the \u201cLord\u2019s Prayer\u201d (Matt. 6:9\u201313), and his celebration of the Passover seder (celebration meal)\u2014all these were culturally and religiously familiar to the people among whom he lived.<\/p>\n
Yeshua and the B\u2019rakhot<\/p>\n
As we look at the religious world in which Yeshua lived, we will come to understand the meaning behind many of his words and actions. This includes the role of b\u2019rakhot in his life. Central to Judaism now and as it has been through the ages is the idea of blessing God.
\nThe first tractate of the Talmud is B\u2019rakhot. This is the prayer directory of religious Jewish people. It deals with the three required elements of the prayer life: (1) the saying of the Sh\u2019ma; (2) the whole prayer life; (3) the b\u2019rakhot that one may recite on various occasions. The b\u2019rakhot give to Judaism its characteristic stamp\u2014awe of the one, true God; the development of a God-centered life; the sanctifying of the ordinary experiences of life.
\nWe can be quite sure that Yeshua grew up learning many b\u2019rakhot. He learned to bless God in the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine. He blessed the God of might in the storm, the God of faithfulness on seeing a rainbow, and the God of life in the presence of death. Jewish people have done so through the ages\u2014and still do today. Yeshua was no different.
\nSurely Yeshua was making a b\u2019rakhah when responding to the reports of the seventy talmidim (disciples):<\/p>\n
He was filled with joy by the Ruach HaKodesh [Holy Spirit] and said, \u201cFather, Lord of heaven and earth, I thank [bless] you because you concealed these things from the sophisticated and educated, yet revealed them to ordinary people. Yes, Father, I thank [bless] you that it pleased you to do this.\u201d (Luke 10:21)<\/p>\n
When he fed the five thousand, \u201che took the five loaves and the two fish and, looking up toward heaven, made a b\u2019rakhah\u201d (Matt. 14:19). The words would have been \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth.\u201d
\nPeople responded to his miracles in the familiar Jewish way. When the crowds witnessed the healing of the paralytic, \u201cthey were awestruck and said a b\u2019rakhah to God the Giver of such authority to human beings\u201d (Matt. 9:8). As they watched his multiple healings, they were amazed and \u201cthey said a b\u2019rakhah to the God of Isra\u2019el\u201d (Matt. 15:31).
\nAs we look at this aspect of Yeshua\u2019s life, we can learn new ways of drawing nearer to God and of being more like Messiah. We can practice the presence of God by praying the traditional b\u2019rakhot as Yeshua did. And as God touches our hearts and surprises us with his bounties and his love, why should we not coin our own spontaneous b\u2019rakhot?<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
God planned the time, place, and culture into which he sent his Son. He does the same for all his children.
\nSometimes everything I do seems to go wrong. I am at odds with myself, the world around me, and God. Yet, surely there is no need for me to feel that I am out of place\u2014a square peg in a round hole. What God made me is what he meant me to be. Where he put me is where he meant me to be. Sometimes this is hard to accept, but not to do so is to resist God.
\nPerhaps I feel that I could accomplish more for the Lord \u201cif only.\u201d If only I had gifts like that other person. If only I had better health. If only I could live in a better house or neighborhood. If only my family was more sympathetic. If only I was not married to him (or her). If only, if only, if only!
\nYeshua wasted no energy on \u201cif onlys.\u201d He had no regrets about who he was. He willingly trod the path on which the Father had set him, spending himself to the uttermost.
\nGod\u2019s hands are sure hands. He makes no mistakes. When God made me, he did not get it wrong! As a skilled jeweler chooses just the right setting for a precious gem, so God chose the right environment in which to place me. I can feel utterly secure in his choice.<\/p>\n
For you fashioned my inmost being,
\nyou knit me together in my mother\u2019s womb.
\nI thank you because I am awesomely made,
\nwonderfully; your works are wonders\u2014
\nI know this very well.
\nMy bones were not hidden from you
\nwhen I was being made in secret,
\nintricately woven in the depths of the earth.
\nYour eyes could see me as an embryo,
\nbut in your book all my days were already written;
\nmy days had been shaped
\nbefore any of them existed. (Ps. 139:13\u201316)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, I thank you for your sure hands in forming me. Your loving heart has made me what I am. Your perfect wisdom has brought me to where I am today. I freely offer everything that I am and everything that I have to you, even as my Messiah Yeshua taught in his words, his life, and his death.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who does all things well.<\/p>\n
Bless the Lord
\nfor Who He Is<\/p>\n
Chapter 2<\/p>\n
Blessed Are You<\/p>\n
\u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05da \u05d0\u05ea\u05d4
\nBarukh Atah<\/p>\n
The b\u2019rakhot have a standard structure. Every traditional b\u2019rakhah begins with the same three elements. The first is called the Barukh: \u201cBlessed are you.\u201d The second element is called the Shem: \u201cO Lord our God.\u201d The final element is called the Malkhut: \u201cKing of the universe.\u201d
\nIn this chapter, we will look at the Barukh, while in the next two chapters we will examine more closely the Shem and the Malkhut.<\/p>\n
The Barukh<\/p>\n
The word barukh means \u201cbless.\u201d But what does it mean to \u201cbless the Lord\u201d? Isn\u2019t a blessing something that God bestows upon us? Doesn\u2019t the word \u201cbless\u201d imply the graciousness of a greater party toward a lesser? How can I possibly \u201cbless\u201d the Lord? What arrogance! Shouldn\u2019t we use the word \u201cpraise\u201d in this context?
\nIndeed, some Bible translations do use \u201cpraise\u201d rather than \u201cbless.\u201d However, is it not a presumption to change the wording of Scripture simply because we do not understand how it can mean what it says? Is it not better to wrestle with the text as a humble learner than to approach it with a ready-made theology into which every idea must fit? That is like making the frame before painting the picture, so that the dimensions of the frame dictate the size of the picture! I would rather gaze in awe and wonder as God reveals the picture more fully, then make my theology as a frame.<\/p>\n
The Meaning of Barakh<\/p>\n
The root meaning of the Hebrew word barakh is to \u201ckneel\u201d or to \u201cbless.\u201d That eliminates any presupposition that a blessing can only be conveyed to the lesser by the greater. If we associate blessing with kneeling, then I can give as well as receive it. I may even bless God, for I can certainly kneel before him. There is no contradiction between our smallness in relation to the great God and the call upon us to bless the Lord. That call pervades the Psalms. David, giving his final directions to the people, ordered them to bless Adonai their God. \u201cAll the community blessed ADONAI, the God of their ancestors, bowing their heads and prostrating themselves before ADONAI and before the king\u201d (1 Chron. 29:20). The key for me, then, is that when I bless God, I do so on my knees (at least metaphorically), acknowledging who he is, what he has done, and how much I owe him.
\nPsalms 103 and 104 do just that. Kidner said of this pair of Psalms, \u201cIn the galaxy of the Psalter these are twin stars of the first magnitude\u201d (Kidner 364). The psalmist praises God for the benefits he received personally (103:3\u20135) and those given to the nation throughout its history (103:6\u201312). He is affirming God\u2019s unchanging character of chesed, or merciful, compassionate love (103:13\u201318). He is proclaiming the majesty of God\u2019s eternal kingship (103:19\u201322). He is marveling at God\u2019s self-revelation in the wonders of natural creation (104:1\u201332). How does one respond to such a God? What can I offer in return that is remotely comparable in value? I have nothing to give. All I can do is fall on my knees in humble adoration. I can sing praise to him as well as I am able (104:33), meditate on the inexhaustible riches of who he is and what he has done (104:34), and rejoice in him (104:34). In short, I can bless him (104:35).<\/p>\n
Blessing God in Traditional Jewish Practice<\/p>\n
The idea of blessing God is not foreign to Judaism. The b\u2019rakhot punctuate the life of the practicing Jewish person in response to both routine and special occurrences. In many cases, it seems that the word \u201cbless\u201d is the same as \u201cthank.\u201d Nothing good ought to be received without a b\u2019rakhah\u2014a worshipful giving of thanks. Indeed, such an omission is equivalent to robbing God (Hirsch 526). For instance, after a meal, the \u201cgrace\u201d may be \u201cLet us bless him of whose bounty we have partaken.\u201d That is close to the common Christian wording, \u201cLet us give thanks.\u201d In the synagogue, those called up to the reading of Torah (the first five books of the Bible) say this blessing: \u201cBless ye the Lord, who is to be blessed.\u201d The congregation responds: \u201cBlessed be the Lord, who is to be blessed forever and ever.\u201d
\nBlessing God can be an act of submission. In blessing, I am saying, \u201cHere I am, Lord, entirely available to be used for the furtherance of your purposes. I only want to do your will.\u201d So Hirsch stated, \u201cWhenever you say to God: \u2018Blessed art Thou \u2026\u2019 you subject all the powers of your being to the fulfilment of the Divine will\u201d (Hirsch 475). The b\u2019rakhah is not just a form of words or even an expression of gratitude but something much deeper and infinitely more demanding. The Hebrew word nefesh (soul) refers to the whole personality, the total being. Therefore, when I say \u201cBless the Lord, my soul,\u201d I am laying everything I am at his feet to serve his purposes.
\nBelievers in Yeshua are challenged to attain the same level of self-giving. In response to who he is and what he has done (Rom. 11:33\u201336), the Scriptures exhort us to offer ourselves \u201cas a sacrifice, living and set apart for God. This will please him; it is the logical \u2018Temple worship\u2019 for you\u201d (Rom. 12:1). Yeshua came to do his Father\u2019s will, ultimately kneeling in the garden and saying, \u201cNot what I want, but what you want!\u201d (Matt. 26:39). The making of a b\u2019rakhah is a verbal affirmation of discipleship.<\/p>\n
God Is Blessed<\/p>\n
Another interpretation of \u201cBarukh atah\u201d can be that we are saying, not \u201cMay God be blessed,\u201d but \u201cGod is blessed.\u201d So the b\u2019rakhah becomes a statement of who God is.
\nSimilarly, one can interpret the meaning as \u201cYou are the source of all blessings.\u201d Thus, says Binyamin Forst, the b\u2019rakhah \u201cbecomes a testimony of man\u2019s total dependence upon God for all that he has\u201d (Forst 27).
\nThe Talmud tells of a Rabbi Ishmael ben Elisha, a priest, who saw God as he was ministering in the Temple. God said to him, \u201cIshmael my son, bless me.\u201d
\nIshmael responded, \u201cMay it be thy will that thy mercy may subdue thy wrath; and may thy mercy prevail over thy attributes, so that thou mayest deal with thy children in the quality of mercy and enter on their behalf within the line of strict justice.\u201d
\nNow that, at first sight, does not look like a blessing. Yet the passage continues: \u201cAnd he nodded his head towards me.\u201d In other words, God did indeed accept Ishmael\u2019s expression of dependence upon him, for mercy and blessing, as a b\u2019rakhah (Ber. 7a).<\/p>\n
The B\u2019rakhah as a Prayer<\/p>\n
The b\u2019rakhah may be a prayer as well as a statement of faith and submission. As such, it calls for a response from God. Forst expresses it like this: \u201cThe b\u2019racha thus creates a new reality\u2014one in which the blessings from the Infinite Source may descend upon the one who has uttered the b\u2019racha\u201d (Forst 29). This means that in saying the b\u2019rakhah we are acting creatively, participating in making the blessing a reality. That expression of utter dependence is necessary before God\u2019s blessing can flow to us. This is why, Forst says, we \u201cmake,\u201d rather than \u201csay,\u201d a b\u2019rakhah.
\nRav Shimi explained the words \u201cBless the Lord, O my soul\u201d like this:<\/p>\n
Just as the Holy One, blessed be he, fills the whole world, so the soul fills the body. Just as the Holy One, blessed be he, sees but is not seen, so the soul sees, but is not itself seen. Just as the Holy One, blessed be he, feeds the whole world, so the soul feeds the whole body. Just as the Holy One, blessed be he, is pure, so the soul is pure. Just as the Holy One, blessed be he, abides in the innermost precincts, so the soul abides in the innermost precincts. Let that which has these five qualities come and praise him who has these five qualities. (Ber. 10a)<\/p>\n
This represents a typical talmudic approach to biblical exegesis. One takes the text at face value, examines it, discusses it, dissects it, and elaborates on it. Layer upon layer of meaning\u2014some obvious, some bewildering to the non-talmudic scholar\u2014is uncovered. By these means, the scholar will come to some conclusion.<\/p>\n
So, How Can We Bless God?<\/p>\n
It is still amazing that an omnipotent, infinite, and eternal God can desire to receive our blessing. How can he see us as having any significance? Why does it matter to him whether we bless him or not? Forst suggests that the answer lies in relationship, and every relationship requires communication. When we make a b\u2019rakhah, we are affirming that the relationship we have with God is one that he has forged. The relationship is dependent upon his goodwill, for without that goodwill, we would be utterly alone and destitute. \u201cA b\u2019racha binds man forever to an everlasting God\u201d (Forst 24).
\nGod expects his people to bless him. In his farewell address to Israel, Moses reminded the people of all that God had done for them. In the years ahead, they were never to forget his provision. \u201cYou will eat and be satisfied, and you will bless ADONAI your God for the good land he has given you\u201d (Deut. 8:10).
\nRemembering is a vital ingredient of Judaism. In the Tanakh and the traditions, there are constant reminders of what God has done in the past. He is never just the Creator God; he is always the One who \u201cbrought us up out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.\u201d He is the God who chose to be in relationship to with his people. The b\u2019rakhot help us to remember that.<\/p>\n
Remembering to Bless<\/p>\n
\u201cRemembering\u201d was important to Yeshua, as it is to the Jewish people. Celebrating the Passover seder with his disciples, he broke the afikomen (the portion of unleavened bread eaten after the meal) and said, \u201cThis is my body \u2026 ; do this in memory of me\u201d (Luke 22:19). The seder was then, as it still is, an act of remembrance. At its institution God had said, \u201cThis will be a day for you to remember and celebrate\u201d (Exod. 12:14). Yeshua was adding another layer of remembrance. As we celebrate the ancient national deliverance from Egypt, we are to bless and remember him, our personal deliverer.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
I readily remember the hurts and offenses I have suffered. But perhaps the next time I find myself dwelling on these things I can turn my thoughts to remember Yeshua\u2014what he did for me, what it cost him. How paltry my pain seems in light of the price he paid!<\/p>\n
Bless ADONAI, my soul!
\nEverything in me, bless his holy name!
\nBless ADONAI, my soul,
\nand forget none of his benefits!<\/p>\n
He forgives all your offenses,
\nhe heals all your diseases,
\nhe redeems your life from the pit,
\nhe surrounds you with grace and compassion,
\nhe contents you with good as long as you live,
\nso that your youth is renewed like an eagle\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Bless ADONAI, my soul! (Ps. 103:1\u20135, 22)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, as I remember who you are, I kneel before you in humble adoration. As I remember all that you have done for me, I can only say, \u201cThank you, bless you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sent his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life.<\/p>\n
Chapter 3<\/p>\n
O Lord Our God<\/p>\n
\u05d9\u05d9 \u05d0\u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5
\nAdonai Eloheynu<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout mention of God\u2019s Name and kingship a blessing is no blessing\u201d (Ber. 40b). These words are a response to the words in the Song of Moses: \u201cI will proclaim the name of ADONAI. Come, declare the greatness of our God\u201d (Deut. 32:3).
\nThe second part of the structure of the b\u2019rakhot is the Shem (Name): \u201cO Lord our God.\u201d In blessing God, we acknowledge who he is.<\/p>\n
The Shem<\/p>\n
A b\u2019rakhah will usually begin with the words \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe.\u201d Then will follow words appropriate to the occasion. Only in the case of blessings not laid down by the sages do we omit the words \u201cO Lord our God, King of the universe\u201d (Friedlander 444). We cannot separate the Lord from his Name or his Kingdom. That is why the reciting of the Sh\u2019ma concludes with the words \u201cBlessed be his Name, whose Kingdom is forever and ever.\u201d Rabbi Binyamin Forst states that one of the seven specific names of haShem (the Name) must be used in the prefix to a b\u2019rakhah. These are (1) the Tetragrammaton (the ineffable Name of four letters\u2014\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4); (2) Adonai (Lord); (3) El (God); (4) Elohim or Eloheynu (Our Lord); (5) Eh\u2019yeh (I AM); (6) Shaddai (Almighty); (7) Adonai Tzva\u2019ot (The Lord of Hosts) (Forst 40).<\/p>\n
An Ancient Custom<\/p>\n
The custom of blessing the Lord goes back a long way. Abraham\u2019s servant believed that God had led him directly to the house of his master\u2019s relatives. He responded to his good fortune by exclaiming, \u201cBlessed be ADONAI, God of my master Avraham, who has not abandoned his faithful love for my master\u201d (Gen. 24:27). When Moses\u2019 father-in-law, Jethro, visited him after the Exodus from Egypt, he rejoiced with Israel in their deliverance with the words \u201cBlessed be ADONAI, who has rescued you from the Egyptians and from Pharaoh\u201d (Exod. 18:10). When Ruth gave birth to a son, the women rejoiced with Naomi, saying, \u201cBlessed be ADONAI, who today has provided you a redeemer!\u201d (Ruth 4:14). Abigail met David with appeasement after her husband had insulted him. David gave her honor but credited the Lord with keeping him from violent revenge. \u201cBlessed be ADONAI the God of Isra\u2019el, who sent you today to meet me\u201d (1 Sam. 25:32). David\u2019s expression of confidence in God\u2019s faithfulness is \u201cBlessed be ADONAI, for he heard my voice as I prayed for mercy\u201d (Ps. 28:6). There are other biblical examples. The wording is \u201cBarukh YHVH,\u201d always pronounced (out of respect) as \u201cADONAI,\u201d or the LORD.
\nSometimes, we encounter the slightly different form \u201cBarukh atah Adonai\u201d (\u201cBlessed are you, O Lord\u201d). David used these words in his prayer of delight after the people\u2019s generous giving for the building of the Temple: \u201cBlessed be you, ADONAI, the God of Isra\u2019el our father, forever and ever\u201d (1 Chron. 29:10). Again, in Psalm 119, the psalmist exclaimed, \u201cBlessed are you, ADONAI! Teach me your laws\u201d (v. 12). This form is also found in intertestamental writings.
\nThe Jewish Encyclopedia states, \u201cIn the time of Ezra worship was begun with the call: \u2018Bareku et Adonay,\u2019 each thanksgiving being followed by the congregational response: AMEN or Baruk \u2026 Amen\u201d (\u201cBenedictions\u201d). Examples of this form appear in Psalms 41:14, 72:18\u201319, and 106:48. This is why each separate thanksgiving in the service is called a b\u2019rakhah. Most of the b\u2019rakhot were established around the year 350 B.C.E. by the men of the Great Assembly (Forst 35).<\/p>\n
For Whose Benefit?<\/p>\n
We offer a b\u2019rakhah primarily for God\u2019s sake, not our own. This is why the opening words are always an expression of belief in God as the only Ruler of the universe and the supreme One to whom we owe submission and allegiance. Similarly, Maimonides\u2019 Fifth Principle states, \u201cIt is He (be He exalted) who must be worshipped, aggrandized, and made known by His greatness and obedience shown to Him\u201d (Jacobs, Principles 149).
\nB\u2019rakhot are a means of worship. \u201cGod wants man to worship Him because only in this way can man reach out to the divine, be aware of God\u2019s presence and His majesty, and become God-like\u201d (Jacobs, Principles 155). They are a way of giving pleasure to God. They are also a form of prayer, and \u201cGod desires man to express his love of him, dependence on him and wish to commune with him\u201d (Jacobs, Principles 150).
\nHasidism developed in the eighteenth century to combat the perceived dryness of contemporary rabbinical Judaism. The members of this sect believe that one may worship with enthusiasm and joy, expressing devotion, love, and piety. The Bratzlaver, a Hasidic rabbi of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, expressed such a view of prayer poetically: \u201cEvery word of your prayer is like a rose which you pick from its bush. You continue until you have formed a bouquet, a complete blessing. From them you form new bouquets of blessings, until you have pleated a wreath of glory unto the Lord\u201d (Newman 337). Imagine that every time you make a b\u2019rakhah you are offering a beautiful, fragrant bouquet to your beloved! Hence, the b\u2019rakhah is an expression of the way we see ourselves in relation to God. He is divine, and we approach him not only with gratitude and love but also with awe and reverence (Forst 26).
\nSome b\u2019rakhot are recited regularly as a part of the synagogue services and daily prayers. Some are used only on special occasions. Because they embody an affirmation of who God is, they are an expression of Maimonides\u2019 Fifth Principle:<\/p>\n
I believe with perfect faith that to the Creator, blessed be his Name, and to him alone it is right to pray, and that it is not right to pray to any being besides him.<\/p>\n
Some rabbis considered the making of b\u2019rakhot to be a personal and intimate experience. Eliezer of Worms taught that one should say the words Blessed art Thou \u201cas if a man were conversing with his neighbor\u201d (Jacobs, Jewish Mystics 49). Each b\u2019rakhah is prayer in its highest form, in that it moves from acknowledging God to expressing appreciation of his acts and only then to asking\u2014or intimating\u2014that God might help the worshiper in his or her immediate situation of need. It is right that we should praise him with an attitude of adoration for all that he is\u2014for his infinite wisdom, his power, and his love. It is also fitting that we should \u201cthank Him in gratitude for all the good things He lavishes upon us\u201d (Epstein 132). Many believers do this in a general way. How much better to give spontaneous, specific thanks \u201cfor any pleasure we enjoy in life, whether through food, drink, wonderful sights, or delightful odours\u201d (Epstein 133).<\/p>\n
B\u2019rakhot in the Whole of Life<\/p>\n
The b\u2019rakhot are a constant reminder that no area of life exists apart from God. We are to consecrate our whole lives to him in whose eyes all is holy. That will help us to fill our minds with thoughts of God and keep our steps in the ways of righteousness. Then whatever the godly do becomes a holy act. When we enjoy a good meal, we perform an act of holiness. When we gladden our heart with a cup of wine, we perform an act of holiness. Our joys and pleasures, our leisure, our recreations, our games, our holidays are all acts of holiness. They all form part of holy living (Epstein 69). It is helpful to remember that no area of our lives is \u201csecular\u201d as opposed to \u201cspiritual.\u201d We do not live our lives in separate compartments, in which the values of the one have no relevance in the domain of the other. \u201cB\u2019rachos play a vital role in hallowing the ordinary and the mundane by declaring that godliness is relevant to all that we do\u201d (Forst 25).
\nThe b\u2019rakhot remind us of our dependence on God. Everything for which we make a b\u2019rakhah comes from him. \u201cOne cannot say \u2018Shehakol ni\u2019hiyeh bidvaro\u2019 [by whose word all things are made] with kavana [intent, concentration] and simultaneously cling to the belief that \u2026 it was my own strength and personal power that brought me all this prosperity\u201d (Forst 23). As we focus on our utter dependence on God, we come to feel a deep sense of gratitude for all the good things he showers upon us. The word barukh is much more than \u201cthank you.\u201d It is a recognition of all that God is to us and all he has done for us. We are profoundly indebted to and dependent upon God.<\/p>\n
An Expression of Relationship<\/p>\n
Ultimately, a b\u2019rakhah is an expression of relationship. Rabbi Forst points out that it is possible to walk away from a simple \u201cthank you.\u201d We have done our duty, so to speak, and may now move on to other things. The sense of indebtedness has cleared. Making a b\u2019rakhah is different. We have declared faith in, dependence upon, and allegiance to Almighty God. The debt to him is ongoing; it can never be cleared.
\nWe do not have a benefactor who performed a one-time mitzvah but one who ties us to himself in an unbreakable relationship. The b\u2019rakhah \u201cbinds man forever to an everlasting God\u201d (Forst 24). That is the relationship reflected in the laws and practice of the b\u2019rakhot.
\nYeshua constantly reminded his followers that they were bound in relationship to a loving heavenly Father. The relationship is one in which he, the Almighty, whose name and character are holy and totally \u201cother,\u201d would never forget, never cease to care, never refuse to hear. Yet, this relationship was one in which Yeshua\u2019s talmidim (disciples) should always approach God with awe and respect.
\nIn what Christians commonly refer to as the \u201cLord\u2019s Prayer,\u201d Yeshua encourages us to pray, \u201cOur Father \u2026\u201d God is dear to us as a parent. But he is also \u201cin heaven\u201d and we are to pray, \u201cMay your Name be kept holy\u201d (Matt. 6:9\u201310). This is what it is like when one has a relationship with a divine being. This is why we bless him every day.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
Sometimes we are casual in our attitude to God. We come to him when we feel like it. We expect him to do what we want when we want, and we may be thrown off course when he does not do as we ask. Respect and awe may be alien concepts to us. However, we can allow God to change our way of seeing things. He can renew the warped lenses of our eyes so that we see him as he is.<\/p>\n
ADONAI! Our Lord! How glorious
\nis your name throughout the earth!\u2026<\/p>\n
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
\nthe moon and stars that you set in place\u2014
\nwhat are mere mortals, that you concern yourself with them;
\nhumans, that you watch over them with such care?
\n (Psalm 8:2, 4\u20135[1, 3\u20134])<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, I marvel that you, who inhabit eternity, feel concern for me. You are almighty, unique. You are God. Yet, I matter to you. I bow before you in humble adoration.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord. You are my Lord; you are my God.<\/p>\n
Chapter 4<\/p>\n
King of the Universe<\/p>\n
\u05de\u05dc\u05da \u05d4\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd
\nMelekh Ha\u2019Olam<\/p>\n
\u201cBeside thee we have no king, who redeemeth and saveth, setteth forth and delivereth \u2026 yea, we have no king but Thee\u201d (Pes. 18a). We affirm this, the Birkat Hashir (Blessing of Song), frequently in synagogue worship and most notably, near the end of every Passover seder. In this way, we proclaim it to be God\u2019s initiative that has enabled his people in their most notable achievements. We address God as \u201cKing of the Universe\u201d in the third part of the B\u2019rakhot, namely the Malkhut.<\/p>\n
The Malkhut in the Tanakh<\/p>\n
Many kings lorded their power over the Jewish people. Some kings were of Israel\u2019s choosing; most were not. Israel\u2019s experience of human rulers has been much as God foretold through Samuel, when the ancient Israelites rejected the Lord as King (1 Sam. 8). Through much hardship, the Jewish people have learned that Adonai is the only true King; he has their well-being at heart and he rules in righteousness and justice.
\nThe biblical writers offered a highly developed view of the kingship of God. He is the King of all the earth (Ps. 47:2\u20133[1\u20132]), the King of all creation (95:3\u20135), the King forever (10:16), and the King of glory (24:8). Isaiah called him \u201cYa\u2019akov\u2019s king\u201d (41:21). Zephaniah referred to him as \u201cthe king of Isra\u2019el\u201d (3:15). The later prophets foresaw a time when Adonai Tzva\u2019ot (the Lord of hosts) will be seen as the great and universal King (Zech. 14:17; Mal. 1:14). Yet, his kingship is also personally meaningful to me\u2014he is my King (Ps. 44:4\u20135[3\u20134]).
\nThis comprehensive view of the Lord as King\u2014infinite, eternal, universal, yet also present and personal\u2014has characterized the Jewish attitude toward him through the ages.<\/p>\n
The Malkhut in Jewish Tradition<\/p>\n
Every Friday night, practicing Jewish people sing Shalom aleykhem\u2014\u201cPeace be to you, ministering angels, messengers of the Most High, of the supreme Sovereign\u201d (Siddur Lev Chadash 76). This is a song of welcome to the messengers of the sovereign King of kings, sung at the coming in of Shabbat (Sabbath). Likewise, in the synagogue, worshipers proclaim, \u201cThine, O Lord, is the kingdom, and the supremacy, as head over all\u201d (ADP 80). That high view, however, is qualified. \u201cKingship with reference to the Deity indicates nothing more than the aspect of majesty; and any thought of autocratic exclusion is removed by the frequent addition of \u2018our Father\u2019 to \u2018our King\u2019 \u201d (ADP 45). The relationship is personal, intimate. God the King is not only distant and unapproachable; he is also our Father\u2014close, concerned. He is the God who revealed himself to Moses: \u201cI have seen \u2026 and heard \u2026 I know their pain \u2026 I have come down to rescue them\u201d (Exod. 3:7\u20138).
\nAs part of the Sh\u2019ma (see Deut. 6:4), we say, \u201cBlessed be his Name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.\u201d He is our Lord, our God, and our King\u2014forever.<\/p>\n
The Malkhut Today<\/p>\n
How does such a view of God\u2019s kingship affect us? First, it means that we come to him with an attitude of respect and awe. \u201cWe bend the knee and offer worship and thanks before the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he \u2026 the seat of whose glory is in the heavens above, and the abode of whose might is in the loftiest heights. He is our God; there is none else: in truth he is our King; there is none besides him\u201d (Aleynu prayer, ADP 169).
\nIt means, too, that we should live our lives in submission to the King. The Talmud defines the recital of the Sh\u2019ma as \u201cthe acceptance of the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven\u201d (Ber. 14b). That means submission to the divine discipleship (Cohen 4). A kingdom is, before all else, the place where the monarch reigns.<\/p>\n
Relationship with the King<\/p>\n
The rabbis have instructed us to \u201cvie one with the other in the fear of God and practice loving deeds towards one another\u201d (Sifre Deut. para. 323; 138b). Accepting the yoke of the kingdom implies accepting the yoke of the commandments (Ber. 14b). We will one day have to render account to the King of the way we have carried out his orders (Epstein 86). Kingdom living, then, must color the whole of life and all our relationships. That is why the practices of tzedakah (righteousness, charity) and mitzvot (commandments, good deeds) are important aspects of Jewish life.
\nThe King we serve loves righteousness and judgment (Ber. 12b). Our unrighteousness is unacceptable to him. On the eve of Yom HaKippurim (the Day of Atonement), in the service known as Kol Nidre (All Vows), we have traditionally brought the most comprehensive confession imaginable, addressing it to \u201cour Father, our King.\u201d The sounding of the shofar (ram\u2019s horn) on Rosh HaShanah (New Year), the first of the Days of Awe and Repentance, is a proclamation of the kingship of God. On that day, Psalm 47 is read: \u201cSing praises to our king, sing praises!\u2026 For God is king of all the earth.\u2026 God rules the nations; God sits on his holy throne.\u201d According to the Talmud, God said, \u201cProclaim me King over you \u2026 so that your remembrance may rise favorably before Me; and through what? Through the blowing of the shofar\u201d (Rosh Hashanah 16a).
\nWe therefore approach himour Father, our King\u2014in an attitude of submission, wishing to dedicate ourselves to his service. That is his rightful due, for \u201call is His, and we are his people, and his servants\u201d (Ber. 46b).<\/p>\n
Messianic Kingship<\/p>\n
Jewish thought has always associated kingship with the expected Messiah. Isaiah saw him as a descendant of King David (11:1). Ezekiel looked into the distant future and saw one nation, under one king, whom God described as \u201cmy servant David\u201d (37:24). Zechariah was more explicit. The coming one would ride humbly into Jerusalem on a donkey, yet he is called \u201cyour king\u201d and his coming would be cause for rejoicing (9:9).
\nYeshua did not shrink from accepting the role of Messiah-King, though he described it in different terms from what had been expected. A kingdom not of this world? A kingdom within and among us? A king who must die? What kind of Messiah could this be? Yeshua\u2019s concept of heavenly has been alien to Jewish thinking. Klausner has expressed it like this: \u201cThe kingdom of the Jewish King-Messiah was, and remained \u2026 a kingdom of this world\u201d (517).
\nEventually, it was Yeshua\u2019s claim of kingship that the political leadership seized on as the excuse to get rid of Yeshua. They feared that Rome would see it as rebellion against the emperor. However, a major part of Yeshua\u2019s teaching was revealing to his disciples an unfamiliar, even alien, aspect of messianic kingship. The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who not only perform righteous acts, but also experience persecution for so doing (Matt. 5:10). The Kingdom is like a small seed that needs to be nurtured (Matt. 13:31\u201332), like yeast that spreads invisibly (Matt. 13:33), like hidden treasure (Matt. 13:44). In this Kingdom, human values and priorities are overturned (Matt. 18:1\u20134).
\nYochanan (John) saw no contradiction in the sacrificed Lamb being addressed as \u201cLord of lords and King of kings\u201d both in heaven and on earth (Rev. 17:14; 19:16). One day all humankind will see him reigning forever. His kingship is glorious. However, his is a glory that springs from servanthood and sacrifice. It will be just as the prophets foretold.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
We join with Sha\u2019ul (Paul) in waiting for the appearance of our Lord\u2014Yeshua haMashiach. \u201cHis appearing will be brought about in its own time by the blessed and sole Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords\u201d (1 Tim. 6:15). But what about today? When we pray, \u201cYour kingdom come,\u201d we draw upon the riches of Jewish tradition. We approach God in awe of his majesty and involvement in our personal lives. Our King calls us to follow him as servants, living sacrificial lives before him and in relationship with one another.<\/p>\n
Lord of the world, King supreme
\nBefore anything was formed, He alone reigned.
\nWhen by His will all things were created,
\nHis sovereign name was made known.<\/p>\n
And at the end, when all things cease to be,
\nThe exalted God alone will still be King.
\nHe was, and He is,
\nand He will be forever glorious.
\n(Adon Olam, traditional song, qtd. in Budoff 32)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Our Father, our King, we have sinned before you. Our relationships are too often marred by jealousies and rivalries. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. Our Father, our King, hasten the day when Israel returns to you as King. Our Father, our King, reign within and among your people in the Messiah. My Father, my King, I find it difficult to walk humbly with you. It is even harder to walk humbly with others, in servanthood, as Yeshua did and as you call me to do. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. My Father, my King, grow the seed of your kingdom in me. Reign alone and unchallenged in my life.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, our Father, our King.<\/p>\n
Bless the Lord
\nfor What He Has Done<\/p>\n
Chapter 5<\/p>\n
By Day, By Night<\/p>\n
\u05d1\u05d9\u05d5\u05dd \u05d1\u05dc\u05d9\u05dc\u05d4
\nBaYom\u2014BaLailah<\/p>\n
\u201cBlessed be the Lord by day, blessed be the Lord by night,\u201d we pray from the Authorised Daily Prayer Book; \u201cblessed be the Lord when we lie down, blessed be the Lord when we rise up\u201d (295). Our daily lives, from beginning to end, are to be God-centered. As we awake, we offer ourselves\u2014our gifts, our powers\u2014to him. We resolve to honor him in all that the day might bring. Throughout the day, we encounter numerous opportunities to bless God for his greatness, his wisdom, and his compassion. Then, at the day\u2019s end, we give back to him our whole being (Hirsch 524).
\nBlessings have been formulated to cover almost any eventuality that may arise. From the day\u2019s beginning to its ending, we are conscious of the presence of God. Hence, we endeavor to express appropriate feelings toward him. The day begins with this prayer:<\/p>\n
O my God, the soul which you have given me is pure. You created it within me, you breathed it into me. You preserve it within me and you will take it from me, but will restore it to me hereafter. So long as the soul is within me, I will give thanks to you, O Lord my God and God of my fathers, Sovereign of all worlds, Lord of all souls. Blessed are you, O Lord, who restores souls unto dead bodies. (Ber. 60b)<\/p>\n
In other words, according to Jewish teaching, our souls are inherently pure. Disciples of Yeshua might have problems saying that particular b\u2019rakhah without some qualification! Nevertheless, it is a good principle to practice the presence of God from the first waking moment. The day ends with the following words:<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who makes the bands of sleep to fall upon my eyes, and slumber upon my eyelids, and gives light to the apple of the eye. May it be your will, O Lord my God, to suffer me to lie down in peace \u2026 let not evil dreams and lustful thoughts trouble me; and let my bed be perfect before you, and give light to my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Blessed are you, O Lord, who gives light to the whole world in your glory. (Ber. 60b)<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the time we awake in the morning till the evening when we lie down to sleep, there is not a moment that fails to bring to our knowledge some Divine act of kindness towards us\u201d (Friedlander 283). How good it would be to live life in such a way, always seeking opportunities to bless God! It would transform our quality of life.<\/p>\n
The Daily Devotional Life<\/p>\n
The Sh\u2019ma is the central statement of faith for the Jewish people. Before reciting it in the morning, one blesses God for the regular sequence of light and darkness. Afterward, one proclaims, \u201cBlessed be his glorious Name, forever and ever.\u201d Before the reading of Torah, one may say, \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us from all nations and given us your Torah. Blessed are you, O Lord, who gives the Torah\u201d (Ber. 11b). Afterward, the blessing is this:<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has given us the Torah of truth and planted everlasting life in our midst. Blessed are you, O Lord, who gives Torah. (ADP 68)<\/p>\n
Before and after the reading of the Haftarah (Prophets), we bless the Lord for those words of comfort and of messianic hope. \u201cSoon may he come and rejoice our hearts.\u2026 Blessed art thou, O Lord, the Shield of David\u201d (ADP 49). Before and after the reading of the Psalms, we bless God as the One who is worthy of our praise: \u201cBlessed be thou, O Lord, who art extolled by praises.\u201d Every daily service includes the \u05e9\u05de\u05d5\u05e0\u05d4 \u05e2\u05e9\u05e8\u05d4 (Shemoneh Esreh\u2014Eighteen Blessings), known as the \u05e2\u05de\u05d9\u05d3\u05d4 (Amidah\u2014Standing Prayer). We will be looking at the Amidah in later chapters.<\/p>\n
Everything Reminds Us of God<\/p>\n
The range of b\u2019rakhot is truly amazing. For example, there are b\u2019rakhot to recite before performing a mitzvah (a commandment), beginning with the words \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has commanded us to \u2026\u201d This is the form used at the ritual washing of hands and at the lighting of lights on Shabbat and festivals. Interestingly, one is not required to make a b\u2019rakhah before performing a work of charity, which is also a mitzvah. Why not? Because, explained Rabbi Bunam, we might make the excuse that we are not clean enough to make the b\u2019rakhah and so evade performing the mitzvah (Newman 35). What a realistic understanding of human nature! There are blessings associated with eating and drinking, seeing a remarkable sight, sensing an agreeable smell, and attending a special occasion. After deliverance from danger, one may say, \u201cBlessed be the Lord, who bestows benefits on the undeserving.\u201d On hearing good news, the wording is \u201cBlessed are you who are good and dispenses good.\u201d There is even a blessing with which to respond to bad news: \u201cBlessed are you, the true judge.\u201d There is a formula, too, for blessing God when one receives a benefit (such as rainfall) that will also aid others: \u201cBlessed is He who is good and does good\u201d (Steinsaltz 182).<\/p>\n
A Privilege, Not a Burden<\/p>\n
According to Rabbi Meir (see introduction), one should say a hundred blessings every day. That would seem to be an awesome burden. Not so, says Binyamin Forst; it is no burdensome duty but a privilege (Forst 36). Everything we receive is a gift from the almighty, loving God, \u201ca divine miracle enclothed in nature\u201d (Ginsburgh 293). The b\u2019rakhot, Forst says, \u201cprovide eloquent testimony that each moment of our lives and the entirety of our being are inextricably tied to God\u2019s will\u201d (36). Making the b\u2019rakhot in sincerity reinforces our consciousness of God. We ought not to experience or enjoy anything without an acknowledgment that God is the Creator and source of all.<\/p>\n
The Sacred and the Secular<\/p>\n
In Hebrew thinking there is no separation between sacred and secular deeds. The most mundane, the most earthy and basic functions and actions are performed in God\u2019s sight. They are not unmentionable before him. Hence the following:<\/p>\n
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has formed man in wisdom and created in him many orifices and vessels. It is revealed and known before the throne of thy glory, that if one of these be opened, or one of those be closed, it would be impossible to exist and to stand before thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who healest all flesh and doest wondrously. (ADP 4)<\/p>\n
This prayer, known as the Asher Yatzar (literally, \u201cwho fashioned\u201d) is the b\u2019rakhah one makes upon leaving the rest room!<\/p>\n
Yeshua and the B\u2019rakhot<\/p>\n
The diverse b\u2019rakhot were part of the culture within which Yeshua grew to manhood. He would have blessed God when his body was functioning normally. Did he perhaps look at that crowd of five thousand hungry people and quietly make the b\u2019rakhah: \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who knows the secret minds of men\u201d (Montefiore and Loewe 457)? He knew what was in people\u2019s hearts. From infancy, he must have learned the Sh\u2019ma and the b\u2019rakhot, so that they were an integral part of his life. Surely it is unthinkable that he and his disciples did not say a b\u2019rakhah after the calming of the storm. They may have said something like \u201cBlessed are you who bestows benefits on the undeserving,\u201d perhaps thinking of Psalm 107 as they did so.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
How was it that Yeshua was able to live such a difficult life with such poise and dignity? How could he could turn apparent failure into a task well finished, transforming crushed hopes into a new beginning? Yes, he was the Son of God, possessing unique abilities. Nevertheless, we can learn from his example. Life\u2019s irritations, disasters, injustices, and failures can become bridges to new opportunities.
\nThe key is realizing Yeshua\u2019s total focus upon God. Nothing could daunt him, because he knew that nothing was outside God\u2019s control. If I really believe this for myself, then I will not fall to pieces when life seems to disintegrate. I will not carry a chip on my shoulder because someone has hurt me. Like Yeshua, I will have a serene certainty that God is able to use all circumstances for my blessing and his purposes. Even that hurtful act of injustice, that cruel stroke of misfortune, is God\u2019s will for my life.<\/p>\n
ADONAI, you have probed me, and you know me.
\nYou know when I sit and when I stand up.\u2026
\nYou have hemmed me in both behind and in front
\nand laid your hand on me.\u2026
\nGod, how I prize your thoughts!\u2026<\/p>\n
Examine me, God, and know my heart;
\ntest me, and know my thoughts.
\nSee if there is in me any hurtful way,
\nand lead me along the eternal way. (Ps. 139:1\u20132, 5, 17, 23\u201324)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, forgive me for being so easily distracted and disconcerted, for seeing obstacles where you have placed only stepping-stones. Give me the grace to be \u201cin you,\u201d from the opening of my eyes in the morning to their closing at night. Only then will I learn to recognize, in the trials and tribulations of life, your wise guidance and your all-encompassing love.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, who are all good and who does only good.<\/p>\n
Chapter 6<\/p>\n
Who Brings Forth Bread from the Earth<\/p>\n
\u05d4\u05de\u05d5\u05e6\u05d9\u05d0 \u05dc\u05d7\u05dd \u05de\u05df \u05d4\u05d0\u05e8\u05e5
\nHaMotzi Lekhem Min Ha\u2019Aretz<\/p>\n
\u201cYou will eat and be satisfied, and you will bless ADONAI your God for the good land he has given you,\u201d says Deuteronomy 8:10. The most common of all b\u2019rakhot are those recited before and after eating. Discussion of these comprises the bulk of Tractate b\u2019rakhot. There is a strong link between the eating of food and the history of the Jewish people, reflected in the saying \u201cThey tried to kill us; we won; let\u2019s eat.\u201d This further illustrates the truth that \u201cthe division between the physical and the spiritual in nature is illusory\u201d (Forst 32).
\nEverything in his created world belongs to God by right. This includes the food we eat. Making a b\u2019rakhah over food remind us of that fact and gives us an opportunity to express appropriate gratitude. Forst sees the b\u2019rakhah as an act of redemption, required before we may consider the food ours, in partnership with God, and so be free to eat (Forst 131\u2013132). He cites Psalm 115:16: \u201cHeaven belongs to ADONAI, but the earth he has given to humankind.\u201d That is why the injunction has come down to us from the great Rabbi Akiba (second-century C.E. founder of Rabbinism): \u201cA man is forbidden to taste anything without previously saying a benediction\u201d (Ber. 35a). The only exceptions to this ruling are in the cases of food that has neither taste nor nutritional benefit (Forst 134) and food eaten in minute quantity\u2014less than the size of an olive (Steinsaltz 173).<\/p>\n
Blessings over Meals<\/p>\n
Saying a blessing over a meal goes back at least as far as the days of Samuel. People would not expect to eat until a blessing had been offered over the sacrifice (1 Sam. 9:13). The words in Deuteronomy, quoted at the head of this chapter, point to a blessing being said after the meal as well. This is known as the birkat ha\u2019mazon (grace after meals) and is quite lengthy, having three sections, each ending with a b\u2019rakhah. The first section blesses God for his provision of sustenance for all creatures:<\/p>\n
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who feedest the whole world with thy goodness, with grace, with lovingkindness and tender mercy; thou givest food to all flesh\u2026. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who givest food unto all. (ADP 280)<\/p>\n
The second section blesses him for providing for the individual as well as for the nation of Israel. It remembers the Land, the Covenant, and the Torah:<\/p>\n
We thank thee, O Lord our God, because thou didst give as an heritage unto our fathers a desirable, good and ample land \u2026 as well as for thy covenant which thou hast sealed in our flesh, thy Law which thou hast taught us \u2026 and for the food wherewith thou dost constantly feed and sustain us on every day, in every season, at every hour. For all this, O Lord our God, we thank and bless thee\u2026. Blessed art thou, O Lord, for the land and for the food. (ADP 280)<\/p>\n
The third section is a prayer for the restoration of Jerusalem and the Temple. It looks to the coming of Messiah:<\/p>\n
Have mercy, O Lord our God, upon Israel thy people, upon Jerusalem thy city, upon Zion the abiding place of thy glory, upon the kingdom of the house of David thine anointed \u2026 and rebuild Jerusalem the holy city speedily in our days. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who in thy compassion rebuildest Jerusalem. (ADP 281)<\/p>\n
Later, a fourth section was added. Here we bless God for his goodness and generosity:<\/p>\n
Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, O God, our Father, our King, our Mighty One, our Creator, our Redeemer, our Maker, our Holy One, the Holy One of Jacob, our Shepherd, the Shepherd of Israel, O King, who art kind and dealest kindly with all\u2026. May the All-merciful bless \u2026 us and all that is ours\u2026. May he bless all of us together with a perfect blessing, and let us say, Amen. (ADP 283)<\/p>\n
Tradition has it that the first section was instituted by Moses, the second by Joshua, the third by David and Solomon, and the fourth in Yavneh. Yavneh became Judaism\u2019s religious and national center after the destruction of the Temple (Ber. 48b). Most Christians say grace before meals. However, the practice of thanking God afterward is surely commendable. It reminds us of the lepers who came to Yeshua for healing, only one of whom returned afterward to give thanks (Luke 17:11\u201319). To make a b\u2019rakhah before the meal may be an act of faith; to do so afterward is an act of acknowledgment and gratitude.<\/p>\n
Specific Foods<\/p>\n
Two b\u2019rakhot are most frequently used in connection with food. For bread, one says:<\/p>\n
Barukh atah, Adonai Eloheynu, Melech Ha\u2019olam, hamotzi lekhem min ha\u2019aretz (Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who brings forth bread from the earth).<\/p>\n
For wine, the blessing is:<\/p>\n
Barukh atah, Adonai Eloheynu, Melech Ha\u2019olam, boray pri hagafen\u201d (Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine).<\/p>\n
The two loaves on the Shabbat table are called birchot (blessings). They are the symbols of God\u2019s blessing in providing the double portion of manna in the desert. It is, therefore, as if we return blessing for blessing when we make the b\u2019rakhah over bread on Shabbat.
\nA story is told concerning the familiar Le Chayim (To Life), which we often say before making the b\u2019rakhah over wine. A Hasid asked a tzaddik (righteous man) why it was customary to say \u201cLe Chayim\u201d before reciting the benediction over a drink of wine. \u201cThe Tzaddik opened the Prayer Book and showed the Hasid the passage where we are enjoined to accept the Mitzvah of loving our neighbors before accepting the Mitzvah of loving God. The reason doubtless is that mortals need our love and sympathy more than God\u201d (Newman 223\u201324).
\nThere are a multitude of blessings, each for a different kind of food. The Tractate b\u2019rakhot lists them. In order not to make a mistake, many people use the formula \u201cShehakol nih\u2019yeh b\u2019dvaro\u201d (by whose word all things are made) when the food or drink in question is neither bread nor wine. The very strict, however, will say that one ought not to use this b\u2019rakhah as an excuse for laziness. It is usually appropriate for all foods that do not grow from the earth, such as meat, eggs, milk, and water. Water occupies a unique place among the foods and drinks. It has neither taste nor nutritional value. However, presumably because of its necessity for life, it requires a b\u2019rakhah\u2014unless one is drinking it for a purpose other than to quench thirst. Such an occasion might be when one needs the water to swallow a pill (Forst 135).
\nA b\u2019rakhah over food is not just a mechanical exercise; it is an expression of enjoyment\u2014of gratitude to God for his bountiful provision. One should offer it, say the rabbis, with kavanah. Then it becomes \u201ca part of one\u2019s overall dedication to a godly life\u201d (Forst 33).<\/p>\n
Yeshua Blessed Food<\/p>\n
The Gospel records tell us that Yeshua made a b\u2019rakhah over food as he was about to feed the five thousand (John 6:11) and again at the feeding of the four thousand (Matt. 15:36). Of course he did! At his last seder he took the matzah (unleavened bread), making a b\u2019rakhah before breaking it. He said, \u201cThis is my body \u2026\u201d Then he took the third cup\u2014the cup of redemption\u2014and made the b\u2019rakhah for wine, saying, \u201cThis is my blood \u2026\u201d Here we have one of the few occasions when we can say with certainty, \u201cYeshua made a b\u2019rakhah.\u201d Generally, one may presume that Yeshua recited b\u2019rakhot on customary occasions. If he had not done so, his omissions would have aroused comment. His perceived failure to perform n\u2019tilat yadayim (the ritual washing of hands) appears to have done so (Mark 7:1\u20134).
\nYeshua used the miraculous feeding of the five thousand to teach about himself. The people wondered, \u201cHow can he do such things?\u201d Yeshua lifted the discussion onto a different plane, saying, \u201cI am the bread which is life!\u201d (John 6:35). The miracle demonstrated who he was. He claimed, \u201cIf anyone eats this bread, he will live forever. Furthermore, the bread that I will give is my own flesh\u201d (6:51). In that final teaching session with the disciples before his arrest, Yeshua said, \u201cI am the real vine\u201d (John 15:1). The lifeblood of the vine drunk at the Passover seder symbolizes the lifeblood of the Messiah.
\nIn addition to the bread and wine, Yeshua used water to demonstrate who he was: \u201cWhoever drinks the water I will give him will never be thirsty again! On the contrary, the water I give him will become a spring of water inside him, welling up into eternal life!\u201d (John 4:14). \u201cWhoever puts his trust in me, \u2026 rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!\u201d (7:38).<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
Yeshua did not just give bread; he was bread! He did not just give wine; he was the vine, the source of wine! He did not just give water; he was the fountain of water.
\nHistory tells us that if we employ the world\u2019s means to try to solve the world\u2019s problems, they will not be solved. Likewise, if I use the world\u2019s wisdom to solve my own personal problems, solutions will evade me. Yeshua promises that if we bring our hunger and our thirst to him, the true bread, the true water and wine, we will be fully and permanently satisfied.
\n\u201cI am the bread which is life! Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever trusts in me will never be thirsty\u201d (John 6:35).<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, give us this bread from now on (John 6:34).<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who gives us, in Yeshua, all that we will ever need. In your compassion, you rebuild broken lives. You bless us, in Yeshua, with a perfect blessing.<\/p>\n
Chapter 7<\/p>\n
Concerning the Counting of the Omer<\/p>\n
\u05e2\u05dc \u05e1\u05e4\u05d9\u05e8\u05ea \u05d4\u05e2\u05de\u05e8
\nAl S\u2019firat Ha\u2019Omer<\/p>\n
\u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, who has sanctified us by your commandments, and has commanded us to count the days of the Omer,\u201d we pray every year (ADP 270). This prayer is based on the practice described in Leviticus 23. Between the instructions dealing with Pesach (Passover) and those dealing with Shavu\u2019ot (Pentecost), we find the words \u201cYou are to count seven full weeks \u2026 fifty days\u201d (Lev. 23:15\u201316). On the day after the Shabbat in Pesach week (variously interpreted as the second day or as the Sunday in the festival week), a token offering of the barley harvest was to be brought\u2014the Omer, which can mean a sheaf or a specified weight of grain. The counting was to begin on the day that offering\u2014the Reshit (the first of the fruits)\u2014was brought. It culminated in the feast of Shavu\u2019ot (Weeks), or Bikkurim (Firstfruits), known to Christians as Pentecost (from the Greek word for fifty).
\nOrthodox Jews still do this counting, in obedience to the Torah. In some homes, a parchment scroll is turned to mark each day, adding to the above blessing the words \u201cThis is the \u2026 day [or week] of the Omer.\u201d The agricultural significance is still remembered: the Reshit is a token of the hoped-for harvest to come at Shavu\u2019ot. Jewish people also remember that at this time the manna ceased to fall (Josh. 5:12). They pray that God will protect the harvest, and they express gratitude to the Lord of the harvest (Hertz, Leviticus 245).<\/p>\n
The Meaning of Shavu\u2019ot<\/p>\n
Today, Shavu\u2019ot is primarily seen as the commemoration of the giving of Torah at Sinai. In part, this may be a response to the Diaspora (the dispersion of the Jewish people following the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem). After the dispersion, it was no longer possible to celebrate the harvest in Israel at this time of year. Eric Lipson wrote, \u201cThe Ten Words (Commandments) are read in synagogue, while everyone stands. The child may receive his first lesson in Hebrew and religion. Many will spend the first night in reading Torah, the Prophets, and rabbinical literature. Even the food eaten\u2014honey and dairy dishes\u2014reminds us that Torah is as milk and honey to us\u201d (unpublished).
\nThe change of emphasis from agricultural to theological and national has affected the nation\u2019s attitude to the counting of the Omer. Many now believe that this is the period when Israel was waiting for God to give the supreme gift of Torah to his people. Above all, it is a period \u201cdedicated to the honouring of the Torah \u2026 to remind all in Israel, the bearers of the Torah, to be imbued with what is worthy and good, of which they are the bearers\u201d (Hirsch 123).<\/p>\n
A Time of Mourning<\/p>\n
The fifty days are also regarded as a period of mourning because of the calamities that befell Israel at this season. During the Roman occupation, in the second century C.E., the great Rabbi Akiba supported the revolt led by Bar Kochba. At that time, the story goes, a terrible plague afflicted the disciples of Rabbi Akiba, and twenty-four thousand died. The revolt failed, the Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed, and the people were forced into exile. At this time of year, associated with the harvest, Israel has been most reminded of that national disaster. It is no longer possible to bring the required daily Omer to the Temple.
\nThe fifty-day period is also a time of spiritual purification. These weeks prepare the people to receive Torah (Ginsburgh 220). No weddings take place during the period. Even haircuts are forbidden. There is a feeling of expectancy and solemnity, of waiting for something momentous to happen.
\nThere is, however, a break in the mourning on the thirty-third day\u2014Lag b\u2019Omer. This is traditionally recognized as the day on which the manna first fell. It is also considered to be the day the plague lifted from the disciples of Rabbi Akiba, so Lag b\u2019Omer is sometimes called the Scholars\u2019 Festival. It is also the day on which Bar Kochba temporarily recaptured Jerusalem. Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai, the second-century C.E. scholar and mystic, died on this day. He, like Rabbi Akiba, had openly defied the Roman edict against the study and teaching of Torah. Forced to flee, he spent thirteen years in hiding. It seems his students used to visit him once a year, always on the thirty-third day of the Counting of the Omer. The day he died was \u201cfilled with endless joy and with great light\u201d (Koppelman Ross 93). That is why his disciples have celebrated the anniversary with song and dance through the centuries. Since then, the day has become a holiday, a break in the mourning, on which children have engaged in mock warfare with bows and arrows. Is this to recall the battle days of the Bar Kochba revolt? Is it to celebrate the rainbow that, according to tradition, appeared when Rabbi Simeon died? No one is sure.<\/p>\n
The Link between Two Festivals<\/p>\n
One thing is clear. The counting of the Omer links the festivals of Pesach and Shavu\u2019ot. So strong is the linkage that many rabbis have seen the two as one festival. Shavu\u2019ot, the festival of revelation, is the culmination of Pesach, the feast of deliverance. Indeed, Shavu\u2019ot is also known as Atzeret (conclusion). Maimonides taught that the giving of Torah was the aim and object of the Exodus from Egypt (Hertz, Leviticus 247). Freedom was not an end in itself. Indeed, freedom without law (that is, direction) is of no real benefit. The redemption from Egypt is the central covenant reality for Israel, but \u201cfreedom acquires worth, reality, and meaning only through the principles of the Torah\u201d (Hirsch 122).
\nMany have a mystical feeling about these weeks. \u201cAs Passover has poetically been called the day of Israel\u2019s betrothal to God, the Feast of Weeks would correspond to the wedding day \u2026 the counting of the Omer represents the longing of the bride for her wedding day \u2026 i.e. the longing of Israel for Divine Revelation\u201d (Friedlander 394).<\/p>\n
Waiting for the Father\u2019s Promise<\/p>\n
This season was momentous for the infant Body of Messiah. All of the hopes of Yeshua\u2019s disciples were dashed as Messiah suffered and died. But they were euphoric after his Resurrection on the day of the Reshit offering in the Temple. Did they see any significance in the timing? Perhaps not immediately. Later, Sha\u2019ul surely did, as he wrote to his Corinthian friends of the risen Messiah as the \u201cfirstfruits of those who have died\u201d\u2014the guarantee of the harvest to come (1 Cor. 15:20). Then they were left with instructions (again, picking up the tone of the Omer period) to wait (Acts 1:4). They were waiting for something else to happen, something that would complete Yeshua\u2019s work in them, something that would change them, give them power and direction. Now they would receive, not Torah only, but also the power to live it and to teach it. They would be able to fulfill the Messiah\u2019s commission: \u201cYou will receive power when the Ruach haKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses both in Yerushalayim [Jerusalem] and in all Y\u2019hudah [Judea] and Shomron [Samaria], indeed to the ends of the earth!\u201d (Acts 1:8).
\nSurely, Yeshua was teaching them\u2014and us\u2014that salvation is not an end in itself. After Messiah\u2019s death and resurrection came the giving of the Ruach haKodesh. The full purpose of our salvation is that we may be empowered to serve and to be Messiah\u2019s witnesses to the nations, as Israel was meant to be. For that power we need, not only the Torah\u2014God\u2019s Word\u2014but also the writing of that Word on our hearts, as God dwells within us.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
The counting of the Omer suggests that Pesach and Shavu\u2019ot are one festival. The one leads to the other. In the same way, our salvation becomes meaningful and complete as the Holy Spirit fills, transforms, and enables us. If we do not wish to belittle the price Messiah paid for us, we must accept God\u2019s whole purpose for our lives.<\/p>\n
Teach us to count our days,
\nso that we will become wise. (Ps. 90:12)<\/p>\n
Our waiting upon God must be purposeful\u2014that he may change and empower us. \u201cWait for \u2018what the Father promised, which you heard about from me\u2026. You will receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh comes upon you; you will be my witnesses \u2026 to the ends of the earth\u2019 \u201d (Acts 1:4, 8).<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Loving Father, teach me to wait patiently when days are dark and when light seems long in coming. Help me to look forward as well as to remember the past. Write your Word on my heart and keep me constantly filled with yourself so that I may be what you want me to be and do what you want me to do. Never let me be satisfied with things as they are in my walk with you.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you who began a good work in me, and will carry it on to completion until the day of Messiah Yeshua (Phil. 1:6).<\/p>\n
Chapter 8<\/p>\n
Who Has Made the Creation<\/p>\n
\u05e2\u05e9\u05d4 \u05de\u05e2\u05e9\u05d4 \u05d1\u05e8\u05d0\u05e9\u05d9\u05ea
\n\u2018Oseh Ma\u2019aseh B\u2019resheet<\/p>\n
\u201cLook for God on the stage of life, in Nature, and in the human world,\u201d advised Samson Hirsch, \u201cresolving to dedicate yourself entirely to the Only One Who reveals Himself in such a God-filled world\u201d (525). The creation reveals the Creator.<\/p>\n
God, the Mind Behind Creation<\/p>\n
You are driving along a narrow, winding, tree-enclosed road, steadily climbing. Each bend obscures the way ahead. You feel a sense of mystery, even oppression. Then, suddenly, it happens. You are on the crest of the hill; the trees melt away; beautiful landscape opens before you. Breathtaking! How can you not respond with a b\u2019rakhah?
\nJudaism delights in finding opportunities to bless the Lord. Nature provides such opportunities in abundance, and there is a b\u2019rakhah for every one. Sometimes we may witness a phenomenon for which there is no set b\u2019rakhah. That is not a problem. \u201cFor shooting stars, earthquakes, thunders, storms, and lightnings one says, \u2018Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose strength and might fill the world.\u2019 For mountains, hills, seas, rivers, and deserts one says, \u2018Blessed are you \u2026 who has made the creation\u2019 \u201d (Ber. 54a). One never needs to be at a loss for a b\u2019rakhah. That is true of Judaism in general, but particularly is it so of the Hasidic movement. One of the contributions of this movement has been to see, and rejoice in, God in all the beauties of nature. Its founder, the Baal Shem Tov (or Besht, an acronym), had an infectious gift for feeling and expressing delight in God\u2019s creation.
\nIt has been a long journey to the seaside. Children are quarrelsome, parents exhausted by stories, quizzes, and games.
\n\u201cAre we nearly there?\u201d
\n\u201cI\u2019m bored!\u201d
\n\u201cMom, I\u2019m hungry!\u201d
\n\u201cI feel sick.\u201d
\n\u201cDa-ad, she\u2019s annoying me!\u201d
\n\u201cHe started it!\u201d
\nThen\u2014we are almost there. Arguments are suspended, irritations forgotten. It is the big moment. Who will see it first? Who will be the first to proclaim, \u201cBarukh atah Adonai, Eloheynu Melekh ha-olam, she asah et ha-yam ha-gadol\u201d (\u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who created the great sea\u201d)? \u201cI said it first,\u201d shouts the triumphant one. Now the vacation can really begin, with the joyous reminder that God\u2019s is the hand that shaped creation.<\/p>\n
The Creative Power of God\u2019s Word<\/p>\n
Any fresh confrontation with the wonder of creation may stimulate a b\u2019rakhah, perhaps \u201cBlessed is he who spoke and the world came into existence.\u201d We rejoice in a God so great that he brought creation into being just by his word: \u201cGod said, \u2018Let there be \u2026\u2019; and there was.\u201d He is God eternal; he was there before the beginning and is there beyond the end.
\nIn Pirke Avot (The Ethics of the Fathers), a tractate of the Talmud, it is written that Torah (God\u2019s Word, Teaching, Direction) was God\u2019s instrument of creation. \u201cBeloved are Israel in that there was given to them a precious instrument. Greater love was proved to them in that there was given to them the precious instrument whereby the world was created\u201d (Av. 3:18). The great teacher Akiba makes his meaning clear by adding, \u201cAs it is said: For good doctrine I give you, forsake not my Torah\u201d (see Prov. 4:2).
\nBelievers in Yeshua remember that he came as the Word, through whom all things were made (John 1:1\u20133). He was God\u2019s Son and the agent of creation (Heb. 1:2). \u201cWithout him nothing made had being\u201d (John 1:3).<\/p>\n
Nature Proclaims God<\/p>\n
David, the \u201csweet singer of Isra\u2019el\u201d (2 Sam. 23:1), found that nature spoke eloquently of God. For him\u2014perhaps out at night, watching the sheep\u2014the heavens, moon, and stars proclaimed God\u2019s greatness. He marveled that such a God could take note of ordinary human beings. The thought stimulated him to an exclamation of praise: \u201cADONAI! Our Lord! How glorious is your name throughout the earth!\u201d (Ps. 8:2[1]). The green fields and quiet streams reminded him of God\u2019s gentle care. The dark ravines spoke of God\u2019s faithfulness in times of trouble (Ps. 23). On another occasion, he sensed the heavens speaking of God\u2019s grace and faithfulness, the mountains God\u2019s righteousness, and the sea God\u2019s judgment (Ps. 36:6\u20137[5\u20136]).
\nThe writer of Psalm 93 contemplated the mighty sea breakers\u2014perhaps the most powerful force he knew. For him, God was even mightier than the mighty ocean (v. 4).
\nThe New Covenant (Testament) writings teach us that God is to be found in nature, even by those who have had no teaching. Sha\u2019ul, in his first recorded sermon to Gentile pagans, quotes Psalm 146 in saying:<\/p>\n
Turn from these worthless things to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them! In times past, he allowed all peoples to walk in their own ways; yet he did not leave himself without evidence of his own nature; because he does good things, giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons, filling you with food and your hearts with happiness! (Acts 14:15\u201317)<\/p>\n
In his letter to the believers in Rome, he declared, \u201cEver since the creation of the universe his invisible qualities\u2014both his eternal power and his divine nature\u2014have been clearly seen, because they can be understood from what he has made\u201d (Rom. 1:20). Even those without the written Scriptures can see something of God\u2019s nature through his creation.<\/p>\n
The Shulchan Aruch, Joseph Caro\u2019s sixteenth-century codification of rabbinical Judaism, contains a poem that includes the lines:<\/p>\n
One who is outside at Nisan-time,
\nand sees trees just beginning to bloom,
\nrecites the following blessing:
\nBlessed are you, O Lord our God,
\nRuler of the universe,
\nwho has made the world so full
\nit lacks nothing,
\nand has created in it
\nbeautiful creations and beautiful trees
\nfor human beings to enjoy. (Orach Chaim 226:1)<\/p>\n
I found Caro\u2019s words in a leaflet entitled \u201cBlessings and Prayers.\u201d The leaflet also contained an anonymous poem describing the sometimes less than gentle effects of nature.<\/p>\n
Praised be the Lord
\nof imperfection.
\nHis flaws are everywhere:
\nIn the elm\u2019s unbalanced foliage
\nand the asymmetric faces of his creatures.
\nHe forms the ripping floods
\nthat tear the forests
\nand bends tornadoes in a twisting dance.
\nThe lion is blotched with age and mud,
\nand the Shabbas silverware lies stained
\nas a reminder.
\nPraised be his Torah of scratches and scars.
\nPraised be his discolorations
\nfor they are puzzles and poems
\nof his sacred character.<\/p>\n
My Personal Experience<\/p>\n
The English have a saying: \u201cYou are nearer God\u2019s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.\u201d I have not found this the case. When I first became a believer in Yeshua, I was a student at a college on the south coast of England. That first year, I used to take every opportunity to walk along the beach, soaking up the awesome creative power of God, as seen in the sea in all its moods. Ever since, I have found it easier to worship him by the sea than anywhere else.
\nA friend invited me to stay with her at the seaside immediately after my husband died. One day she drove me to Portland Bill, a rugged promontory, leaving me to walk alone. The sea was rough; the waves were foam-flecked. The waters were crashing against the rocks. What I saw and heard perfectly expressed the tempestuousness of my grief. I could not express it for myself, because to do so would not have been acceptable to the people around me. God himself was ministering release and healing through his creation. \u201cBless ADONAI, my soul!\u2026 He heals all your diseases\u201d (Ps. 103:1, 3).<\/p>\n
Yeshua and Nature<\/p>\n
Surely, Yeshua blessed God, giving thanks for his manifestations in nature\u2014his power, his \u201cotherness,\u201d his protection, his trustworthiness. For Yeshua, the sight of a field of beautiful flowers was a reminder of how much more our heavenly Father cares for his children (Matt. 6:28\u201330). The fertile vineyards\u2014already a picture of God\u2019s people, Israel\u2014illustrated the intertwined relationships among the Father, Yeshua the Son, and the believers in Yeshua (John 15:1\u201310). His ability to control the sea\u2014that great sea, beyond the command of people\u2014demonstrated who he was. He was God in human form.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
The earth is ADONAI\u2019s, with all that is in it,
\nthe world and those who live there. (Ps. 24:1)<\/p>\n
The heavens declare the glory of God,
\nthe dome of the sky speaks the work of his hands. (Ps. 19:2[1])<\/p>\n
Surely, the mind that conceived and designed all the wonders of creation is beyond my comprehension. How can I not submit and yield my life to him in every detail? However chaotic the world may seem, God has not lost his grip on the situation. His plan is still unfolding.<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
\u201cSovereign God of all creation \u2026 your greatness and goodness fill the universe \u2026 splendid are the stars which you, our God, have made! You formed them with knowledge, and fashioned them with wisdom.\u2026 You called to the sun, and it blazed forth light; you looked to the moon, and it circled the earth. All the hosts of heaven proclaim your praise!\u201d (Siddur Lev Chadash 163).<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, whose might and power fill the world!<\/p>\n
Chapter 9<\/p>\n
Who Has Created Joy and Gladness<\/p>\n
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\nAsher Bara Sasson v\u2019Simchah<\/p>\n
It has been said that no other language possesses as many words for joy as Hebrew. Simchah, sasson, hedvah, gil, rinnah\u2014all these express the feeling of gladness and rejoicing that is characteristic of Judaism. God himself is a God of joy who desires to rejoice in his works (Ps. 104:31). He invites his people to rejoice before him (Deut. 12:12). Indeed, the Bratzlaver said, \u201cGod dislikes melancholy and depressed spirits\u201d (Newman 204).
\nIn spite of their long history of suffering and persecution, the Jewish people have remained hopeful. That sense of hope pervades the Scriptures as well as the traditions, literature, prayers, and worldview of the Jewish people. Though today some may say they have no faith in God, Judaism embodies belief in a God who will bring to pass the final triumph of justice and truth.
\nOur incentive to rejoice is the character of God and his works, and our rejoicing is to be before him. It is an obligation, not an emotion based on our current circumstances or feelings. Torah tells us, \u201cYou are to \u2026 rejoice before the LORD your God\u201d (Lev. 23:40 NIV). The Siddur Lev Chadash states, \u201cEven in the darkest times \u2026 we have responded to the divine command: You shall rejoice before the Eternal One your God\u201d (349). Joy is fundamental to Judaism.<\/p>\n
Joy in Torah<\/p>\n
The Scriptures not only encourage rejoicing but are themselves the source of joy (Ps. 19:9[8]). That is the reasoning behind the rejoicing at Shavu\u2019ot, the festival that traditionally commemorates the giving of Torah on Sinai. Whatever else the Jewish people lack, they can still rejoice that God privileged them to be the trustees of Torah. God intended Torah to be a source of joy\u2014not a straitjacket\u2014to the otherwise poor and deprived. Hirsch points to Bereshit 60b when he states,<\/p>\n
To drink and to give to drink joyfully from the fountain of the Torah even if thousands scorn it; to cultivate joyfully the light of the Torah, even if thousands announce its extinction; to know that God, from Whom the fountain wells forth, will cause it to flow on pure, that He Who kindled the light will never allow it to become extinguished. This leads to \u05e9\u05de\u05d7\u05d4 [simchah] in God. (88)<\/p>\n
This note of joy in Torah is particularly noticeable in the Hasidic movement, where the emphasis has been on spontaneity and ebullient worship. The Bratzlaver taught that \u201cjoy is attained through Torah and Worship\u201d (Newman 204).
\nBecause Torah and joy are inseparable, Israel received Torah with joy. Likewise, we should read God\u2019s Word joyfully, obeying it in the same spirit. It follows that the public reading of Torah should be a joyful exercise. Therefore, a mourner does not exercise the privilege, neither does he recite Talmud. The traditional view is that God gave Talmud on Sinai and that Talmud as well as Torah is Israel\u2019s joy.
\nThe culminating expression of this joy in Torah is Simchat Torah, the day of the Rejoicing of the Law, at the end of Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles). On this day, the scrolls are carried in a processional around the synagogue to the accompaniment of much rejoicing and sometimes dancing. What a treasure God entrusted to Israel! Why should we not rejoice? Surely, Christians can rejoice too\u2014that God preserved his Torah by means of his people Israel. Torah is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps. 119:105).<\/p>\n
Joy in Doing Good Deeds<\/p>\n
A mitzvah is a command, a sacred duty, a good deed. The Jewish sages coined the term simchah shel mitzvah. It describes the joy with which one should perform a mitzvah and the joy that follows from the good performance of that sacred duty. Righteousness is not just the performance of the commands of Torah but the manner of that performance\u2014not grudgingly, as of necessity, but willingly, with joy. Because God himself takes joy in Torah, this kind of obedience brings joy to God\u2019s heart. One of the shorter tractates of the Talmud deals with appropriate behavior for a scholar. In it we find these words: \u201cIf you have fulfilled my words with joy, my servants will come to greet you, and I myself will go forth to meet you, and say to you, \u2018May your coming be in peace\u2019 \u201d (Derekh Eretz Zuta 4:6). As God\u2019s servants seek to be like God, what delights his heart will delight their hearts too.
\nJoy must accompany the performance of any religious deed for that deed to have value, whether it be Torah study, prayer, an act of charity, or a kindness. \u201cGreat heartfelt joy is indispensable.\u201d So taught Isaac Luria in the sixteenth century (Fine 71). This does not mean a lighthearted, irreverent approach to God. Joy must be the outcome of sincerity and devotion. \u201cOne should not stand up to pray in a mood of sadness, idleness, jocularity, small talk, levity, or idle chatter, but in a mood of joy in the doing of God\u2019s will\u201d (Siddur Lev Chadash 350).
\nMoses Hayim Luzzatto, writing in the eighteenth century, taught that the wellspring of such joy in service is a sense of privilege and wonder. It is amazing that God has chosen and permitted us to love and to serve him, the incomparable One (568). God is infinite; we are insignificant. However, the more we experience this joy, the more we grow in spiritual stature (Ginsburgh 242). The joy of our service demonstrates the strength of our faith in, and the depth of our love for, God. A miserable believer makes an unconvincing witness.
\nOne of the Hasidic rabbis, the Alexanderer, underlined this point by citing Deuteronomy 28. Here, Moses lists a series of curses and then remarks that the people were susceptible to these curses \u201cbecause you didn\u2019t serve ADONAI your God with joy and gladness in your heart\u201d (v. 47). That, said the Alexanderer, is how important it is always to be full of joy (Newman 202).<\/p>\n
Joy in Worship<\/p>\n
Perhaps joy in worship begins with thanksgiving for all that God has done for us, all that he has provided. Sometimes we offer the thanksgiving in anticipation (Ps. 104:34), sometimes in retrospect (1 Sam. 2:1). One day God will make everything right. Then we will be able to express gratitude freely, in gladness and with rejoicing (Joel 2:23).
\nIn the meantime, we worship God for who and what he is, rejoicing in his unchanging nature. Psalm 100 gives vibrant expression to such joy in worship. The psalms of praise have an important place in synagogue worship. There is a story of another Hasid, the Maggid, who was in desperately poor health. When he recited the verse \u201cSing unto the Lord a new song,\u201d his weakness would leave him and he would sing with uninhibited joy like a little child (Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer 95). Joy is one of the great essentials in the worship of God, along with love, awe, and devotion. God desires that we come into his presence with joy (Isa. 56:7). We are in communion with Almighty God. That is cause for great rejoicing.
\nPrayer involves more than coming to God with a list of requests. The rabbis taught that it should be a joyful act. Perhaps the greatest achievement of the Hasidic movement was to restore a sense of joy to the prayer life of ordinary Jewish people. The Hasidim believe that one should offer prayer \u201cin a spirit of boundless joy, delight, and warmth\u201d (Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer 93). The Besht went even further, teaching that joyless prayers would not be effective: \u201cNo child can be born except through pleasure and joy. By the same token, if one wishes his prayers to bear fruit, he must offer them with pleasure and with joy\u201d (Newman 203).<\/p>\n
Joy in God\u2019s Presence<\/p>\n
\u201cIn your presence is unbounded joy,\u201d proclaimed the psalmist (Ps. 16:11). The Siddur Lev Chadash expresses a development of this thought: \u201cThere is no sadness in the presence of the Holy One\u201d (351). The Sh\u2019khinah (God\u2019s glory) is believed to rest upon people when they experience the joy of Simchah shel Mitzvah (Shab. 30b). Therefore, it follows that the Sh\u2019khinah will not dwell in a person whose spirit is without joy. Likewise, the Talmud states that the Ruach haKodesh will rest only on one whose heart is joyful (Sukkah 5:1).<\/p>\n
Joy in Celebration<\/p>\n
God gave us Sabbaths and festivals as occasions of rejoicing. \u201cIf you call Shabbat a delight \u2026,\u201d promises the Lord, \u201cI will make you ride on the heights\u201d (Isa. 58:13\u201314). Shabbat, rightly observed, is the true joy of the Jewish home\u2014a weekly oasis in what can seem like a desert. Two things in particular give expression to that joy. The candles that are lit as the Sabbath arrives shed light upon the table, just as God sheds joy over the home. The kiddush (sanctification) cup of wine symbolizes our joy as we celebrate this day that has meant so much to the Jewish people. It is the memorial of creation and of redemption. It is also the reminder of Israel\u2019s calling to be different, a people holy unto God. The rabbis say there is no rejoicing without wine.
\nWeddings are special times of rejoicing and are celebrated with not just one but seven blessings\u2014the Sheva B\u2019rakhot. We bless the Lord for creation and for the special relationship between male and female. We remember Jerusalem and pray that she may \u201crejoice through her children.\u201d We should never think of our personal happiness above that of Jerusalem. Only the last two blessings focus on the couple, praying that they may have joy in their union. The seventh blessing goes like this:<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who created joy and gladness, groom and bride, mirth and song, pleasure and delight, love, brotherhood, peace and companionship. May there soon be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the sound of joy and happiness, the sound of groom and the sound of bride, the jubilant sound of bridegrooms from their canopies and of youths from their feasts of song. Blessed are you, Lord, who causes the groom to rejoice with the bride.<\/p>\n
Joy in Community<\/p>\n
Every festival is to be \u201cinvested with the character of joy\u201d (Pes. 109a). Each Yom Tov (festival day) brings its particular way of expressing the joy of living before God. We may be remembering a past deliverance or celebrating a gathered harvest. Perhaps we are giving thanks for a special provision of God to his people in the past. A vital component of this festival joy is the sense of community. Individual joy is not enough. We prepare food for one another. We wear our finest clothes. We attend celebrations that revolve around the festival. The call is to submerge our individual feelings of sadness in order that we may share in the joy of being part of a community (Hirsch 211). The Talmud states that God specifically gave these days to Israel to be times of remembering and of joy (Ber. 49a). Indeed, the festival \u201cpeace offerings\u201d were also Shalmei Simchah (Peace Offerings of Joy).
\nSukkot is the most joyous of festivals. The water pouring ceremony of Temple times became quite exuberant. One rabbi stated, \u201cHe who has not seen the rejoicing of the water-drawing ceremony has never seen rejoicing in his life\u201d (Sukk. 5:1). Everyone is invited to share in the joy of this festival. The prophet Zechariah foresaw a time when not only Israel but those from many nations as well would share the joy of Sukkot (Zech. 14:16).<\/p>\n
Joy in Fasts<\/p>\n
Even the fasts were to be occasions for joy. The Hasidic teachers believed that, though repentance may come with humbling, sorrow, and tears, its outcome is joyful. If that repentance is wholehearted and genuine, God will respond with forgiveness (Newman 376). This was in keeping with the talmudic tradition that one should observe Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) with great joy \u201cbecause it is a day of forgiveness and pardon\u201d (Ta\u2019anith 30b). To be sure, the fact that one\u2019s name is written in the Book of Life is a greater cause for rejoicing than anything else. It is this assurance that is so precious to those who follow Yeshua as Messiah. \u201cDon\u2019t be glad that the spirits submit to you,\u201d he advised his followers after a successful time of ministry; \u201cbe glad that your names have been recorded in heaven\u201d (Luke 10:20). Hence, in a sense, Yom Kippur is a festival as well as a fast.
\nSome fasts are memorials of Israel\u2019s historical tragedies. Zechariah told of a day when even these occasions would be \u201ctimes of joy, gladness and cheer for the house of Y\u2019hudah [Judah]\u201d (Zech. 8:19). This may seem inconceivable to us now, caught up as we are in Israel\u2019s suffering. However, one day God will enter history again with triumph to establish righteousness. Then we will remember what he has done more than what they did. In the same way, at Passover, we remember God\u2019s redemptive act more than Pharaoh\u2019s cruelty. This is not to belittle the suffering of the Jewish people but rather to emphasize God\u2019s miracles, wonders, and power to deliver us from our enemies.<\/p>\n
Joy in Dark Times<\/p>\n
Judaism is essentially a realistic faith. The Siddur Lev Chadash acknowledges that \u201cit is not easy to rejoice when we carry within ourselves a private burden of pain or sorrow or frustration, or when we remember the sufferings of humanity\u201d (349). However, we are always aware that mourning will one day be turned into joy. The desert will rejoice. In the face of bereavement, we affirm God\u2019s sovereignty in the words of the Kaddish:<\/p>\n
Blessed, praised and glorified, exalted, extolled and honored, magnified and lauded be the name of the Holy One, blessed be he; though he be high above all the blessings and hymns, praises, and consolations, which are uttered in the world; and say ye, Amen.<\/p>\n
God promised, \u201cI will turn their mourning into joy, comfort and gladden them after their sorrow\u201d (Jer. 31:12[13]). Even regarding the loss of the Temple, the embodiment of all Israel\u2019s national disasters, grief should be mixed with joy. The Lord is with us in exile, still present among us (Newman 284). The talmudist Nachmanides, known as the Ramban (1194\u20131270), put it this way: \u201cThe loss of all else which delighted my eyes is compensated by my present joy in a day passed within your courts, O Jerusalem \u2026 I weep bitterly (over your ruins) but I find joy in my heart\u201d (Encyclopedia of Judaism). Pain is never the last word in God\u2019s book.
\nThe Hasidim majored on joy: in worship, in community, in living. They believed that, while sadness is not innately sinful, it can lead to a hardening of the heart, which is sinful. It also spoils personal relationships and bars the way to ecstasy in worship (Newman 91, 243\u201344).<\/p>\n
Joy in Religious Experience and All of Life<\/p>\n
All branches of Judaism have taught that genuine spirituality reveals itself in joy. Nehemiah taught his contemporaries that joy in the Lord would be a source of strength to them in their difficult situation (Neh. 8:10). The Baal Shem Tov claimed that the joy we feel in cleaving to God is the measure of our righteousness (Newman 134). In the Siddur Lev Chadash of the London Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, we find this statement: \u201cJoy is a religious feeling, appropriate to religious observance and conducive to religious experience\u201d (350).
\nBecause there is no separation between the physical and the spiritual, joy spills over into every area of life. Jewish people are characteristically optimistic, seeking occasions for rejoicing and celebration. Joy must be healthy, without triumphalism. At the Passover seder, we remove wine from the cup in memory of the Egyptians who died. Our celebrations do not, as a rule, degenerate into drunkenness or licentiousness. The ideal is a joy based on inner security, not dependent on physical circumstances.
\nIt seems that one rabbi did not have much in worldly assets.<\/p>\n
\u2026 he was impoverished and suffered much throughout his life. But his sublime faith in HaShem [the Name] was such that he viewed his life as wholly within the hands of HaShem. His dependence was total. In that context, a serenity and wellspring of simchah (gladness) pervaded his entire life. (Forst 24)<\/p>\n
Joy in Salvation<\/p>\n
Habakkuk wrote at a time when national disaster loomed, but he triumphantly affirmed, \u201cI will take joy in the God of my salvation\u201d (3:18). Likewise, Isaiah promised, \u201cYou will joyfully draw water from the springs of salvation\u201d (12:3). These words remind us of Sukkot. In the synagogue, we pray for rain during this festival. We also recall the water pouring ceremony at the Temple. On each day of Sukkot, a priest would take a golden pitcher filled with water from the Pool of Siloam, carry it to the Temple, and pour it on the altar as an offering to God. Surely Yeshua was referring to this ceremony when, in the Temple courts at Sukkot, he cried, \u201cIf anyone is thirsty, let him keep coming to me and drinking! Whoever puts his trust in me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water will flow from his inmost being!\u201d (John 7:37\u201338). Perhaps, he was making a play on the word \u201csalvation\u201d\u2014the meaning of his own name, Yeshua. Yeshua was offering real joy, not based on hope but on assurance, the certainty of salvation.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
The natural optimism of the Jewish people has been strained almost beyond bearing during the past century. People need something more than optimism to sustain joy, and that something is certainty. It is not enough to hope that tomorrow may be better than today, since history tells us that suffering may well lie ahead for us. However, Yeshua said, \u201cYou will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy\u2026. I am going to see you again. Then your hearts will be full of joy, and no one will take your joy away from you\u201d (John 16:20, 22). He made a promise we know he will fulfill, because it rests on the surety of his Resurrection. I once heard someone say to my husband, \u201cYour Jewishness is obviously very precious to you. What do you have now that was lacking before you believed in Jesus?\u201d The answer came immediately, and in one word\u2014\u201cAssurance.\u201d Our joy takes root in the historical fact of the Resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah. Therefore, it can never be taken from us. Hallelujah!
\n\u201cRejoice in union with the Lord always! I will say it again: rejoice!\u201d (Phil. 4:4).<\/p>\n
Even if the fig tree doesn\u2019t blossom,
\nand no fruit is on the vines,
\neven if the olive tree fails to produce,
\nand the fields yield no food at all,
\neven if the sheep vanish from the sheep pen,
\nand there are no cows in the stalls;
\nstill, I will rejoice in ADONAI,
\nI will take joy in the God of my salvation. (Hab. 3:17\u201318)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, the source of joy, discipline my heart to be open to you. I want to let you in to share my pain, my sadness, my frustration, and my failure. Then you will share with me your joy.
\nHelp me, O Lord, continually to draw water from the wells of salvation, and to share that water with those I meet today.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord, who has created joy and gladness.<\/p>\n
Chapter 10<\/p>\n
Who Has Brought Us to This Season<\/p>\n
\u05e9\u05d4\u05d7\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d5\u05e7\u05d9\u05de\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d5\u05d4\u05d2\u05d9\u05e2\u05e0\u05d5 \u05dc\u05d6\u05de\u05df \u05d4\u05d6\u05d4
\nShehekhiyanu v\u2019Kiyamanu v\u2019Higiyanu Laz\u2019man HaZeh<\/p>\n
What sculptors do with stone, writers with words, painters with pigments, and musicians with notes,\u201d says Jonathan Sacks, \u201cJudaism does with deeds \u2026 the Sabbath \u2026 on Passover \u2026 in the dozens of blessings we have for the varied pleasures of the senses, recapturing the wonder that we are here at all to enjoy this world that might not have been. (\u201cCredo\u201d)<\/p>\n
For me, the most precious of these many blessings of which the British Chief Rabbi speaks is the Shehekhiyanu: \u201cBarukh atah Adonai Eloheynu, Melekh ha\u2019olam, shehekhiyanu v\u2019kiyamanu v\u2019higiyanu laz\u2019man hazeh\u201d (\u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season\u201d). Here, we have the opportunity to recapture the wonder that we are still here to enjoy God\u2019s world. We can give expression to our delight in the rhythmic nature of God\u2019s goodness and provision. He gives us much more than what is merely necessary for survival. In the Shehekhiyanu, we tell God of the delight we feel in receiving his bountiful gifts.<\/p>\n
Wonder, Rejoice, and Bless<\/p>\n
Every country has its seasonal delights. In England, where I write, there are few that do not look for the first snowdrops, the delicate white flowers that are the first to bloom at the end of winter, as January draws to its close. Only last week, the first snow-drops opened in my garden. There may be snow tomorrow, as the forecasters have promised\u2014but spring will come. For this annual sign of hope I lift my face to heaven and make the Shehekhiyanu. I will do so again when I see the first butterfly-drawing flowers on the buddleia in mid-summer. The morning I wrote the first draft of this chapter, I stood in my garden and saw the first peacock butterfly of the season on my neighbor\u2019s buddleia. Again, I said the familiar words \u201cBarukh atah Adonai.\u201d It may happen each July, but it still takes my breath away.
\nWhat beautiful creatures God has made! What a privilege it is that I am still here to enjoy them!
\nThe reddening pyracantha berries in the autumn will stimulate the same response. This sense of delight is not only for the crazy garden-loving English. I remember gasping with wonder the first time I saw the glorious colors of the American fall. Many of you will identify with my joy in these experiences. Is it not a privilege to have a ready-made blessing to express our appreciation to the Maker and Giver of these good things!
\nHave you ever planted a fruit tree or bush, then waited and watched for those precious first fruits? You pick them, perhaps only two or three that first year. The occasion cannot pass uncelebrated: \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season.\u201d Indeed, this is a multipurpose b\u2019rakhah, one that is appropriate for many special occasions.
\nAccording to the Talmud, it is appropriate to make this b\u2019rakhah when we have built a new house or purchased new cooking vessels or clothes (Ber. 54a; 59b). We may use it to express joy at seeing a friend after a separation of thirty days (Ber. 58b). We should only do that, however, if the joy of reunion is genuine and the friend a good one! This is a b\u2019rakhah of delight, not of duty.
\nWhen my high school class met for our fortieth reunion, they invited me to \u201csay grace\u201d before the meal. I thought it was fitting to recite the Shehekhiyanu, having first explained its derivation. My classmates agreed that it was appropriate. They even gave me the same privilege ten years later!<\/p>\n
Seasonal Delights<\/p>\n
The Shehekhiyanu reminds us that we see God\u2019s hand in bringing us to every new season and every special event. It is a \u201cprayer of gratitude and celebration recited at the arrival of a holiday, or when something is experienced for the first time during a Jewish year (e.g. new fruit eaten, a new garment worn, a major accomplishment made)\u201d (Ross 321). We recite it on the first night of every festival (Pes. 102b) and on the eighth night of Sukkot. We may also say it when building our sukkah (Pes. 7b) and making our lulav (Sukk. 46a). The sukkah is the open-air shelter used during the festival as a reminder of the desert wanderings. The lulav is a bound bunch of willow, palm, and myrtle branches. It is used, together with a citron, in synagogue worship at this season. The Rabbinic Anthology says of the Shehekhiyanu that it is \u201ca blessing in constant use on festivals and all joyous occasions\u201d (377).
\nHirsch commends the making of this b\u2019rakhah \u201cwhen fortunate circumstances of any kind fall to your lot, \u2026 events recurring from time to time, by which the preservation of the life granted to you for a time by God\u2019s love is brought to your consciousness. Thus, on tasting any new fruit for the first time in the season \u2026 and on the observance of a duty that recurs only once yearly\u2026. God is recognized as the Giver of the benefit \u2026 and as the Preserver of life. You dedicate yourself to Him to the fulfillment of His will in good and bad fortune as long as He preserves your life\u201d (532).<\/p>\n
Special Occasions<\/p>\n
Did the returning exiles pause to utter these words, or something similar to them, when they first set foot on their own land after those seventy long years? God had kept them alive, sustaining them during the years of exile and the dangers and privations of the journey. God had brought them to this time and place, about which they and their fathers had dreamed. Surely, their spontaneous response would have been \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season.\u201d
\nThe tzaddik Shim\u2019on (Simeon, the righteous man) knew, by revelation, that before he died he would see the Messiah. The day came when he at last held the child in his arms, and he \u201cmade a b\u2019rakhah to God\u201d (Luke 2:28). What b\u2019rakhah did he make? Could it have been the Shehekhiyanu? What could have been more appropriate?
\nYeshua would have said this blessing every time he celebrated the Passover. He would surely have learned to say it from his childhood as he helped to build the sukkah and make the lulav each fall. Did he hear it spoken as the family prepared to light the first of the Hanukkah lamps? When he became an itinerant rabbi, he must have made this b\u2019rakhah many times as he passed familiar landmarks, noticing signs of the changing seasons. On many other occasions as well these words must have been on his lips.
\nHow would Sha\u2019ul have expressed himself when a longed-for visitor came to him in prison? What words came to his lips when he heard news of the spiritual growth of his \u201cchildren\u201d? What did he exclaim when he saw the believers coming to meet him as he entered Rome as a prisoner? Might it not have been with the words of the Shehekhiyanu?<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
\u201cWho has kept us alive\u201d: These days, we take longevity for granted. Indeed, our lives sometimes seem to be too long. We may feel that our life is a burden rather than a blessing. I have had more than the allotted three score years and ten. I constantly need to remind myself to keep my eyes open for opportunities to bless the Lord for the life he gives me. I should bless him for eyes to see and ears to hear, for friendships, and for preserving me to enjoy my grandchildren. He is the keeping God.
\n\u201cWho has sustained us\u201d: Whenever another year has passed since I last said the Shehekhiyanu for an annual event, a glance back is appropriate. How often has God come alongside me to share my burden, to ease my way? I may have fallen, but he picked me up and set me on my feet again. I may have failed, but he gave me another chance. I may have experienced great pain, but he did not leave me to bear it alone. Each pain has left me better equipped for ministry. He is the sustaining God.
\n\u201cWho has brought us to this season\u201d: The past is now behind me. Today is the door to another season, and I must go through it. I may have suffered bereavement since last making the b\u2019rakhah for a particular event, and it is difficult to say the words. I would rather stand still in time and stay with the loved one I have lost. However, for the child of God this is not an option. Today is here for living. Tomorrow calls. We have to keep moving forward with our Messiah. The goal is to leave the past behind, straining forward to what lies ahead (Phil. 3:13\u201314). The Lord has brought me to this season. I can trust him with my future.<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
I give you thanks with all my heart.\u2026
\nWhen I called, you answered me,
\nyou made me bold and strong.\u2026
\nYou keep me alive when surrounded by danger;
\nyou put out your hand when my enemies rage;
\nwith your right hand you save me.
\nADONAI will fulfill his purpose for me.
\nYour grace, ADONAI, continues forever.
\nDon\u2019t abandon the work of your hands! (Ps. 138:1, 3, 7\u20138)<\/p>\n
Thank you Lord, for the blessings you shower upon me, always more than I ask or can imagine. Give me, I pray, the grace of open eyes. Enable me to see you in the day-to-day events of life. Soften my heart that I may step into the unseen future with my hand in yours.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who has kept us alive and sustained us and brought us to this season.<\/p>\n
Chapter 11<\/p>\n
Who Remembers His Covenant<\/p>\n
\u05d6\u05d5\u05db\u05e8 \u05d4\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05ea \u05d5\u05e0\u05d0\u05de\u05df \u05d1\u05d1\u05e8\u05d9\u05ea\u05d5 \u05d5\u05e7\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05d0\u05de\u05e8\u05d5
\nZokher HaB\u2019rit v\u2019Ne\u2019eman biB\u2019rito v\u2019Kayam b\u2019Ma\u2019amaro<\/p>\n
The sky is overcast, purple-black. The rain pours down determinedly. What a day! Now turn around. Look behind and you may see one of nature\u2019s great performances. A flawless, seven-colored double arch straddles the somber sky. How can you not respond, \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who remembers his covenant, is faithful to his covenant, and fulfills his word\u201d (Ber. 59a)?<\/p>\n
A Covenant God<\/p>\n
The rainbow is the God-given sign of the b\u2019rit (covenant) that God made with Noah after the Flood (Gen. 9:13), promising that he would never again destroy all life in this way. \u201cWhen I look at it,\u201d said God, \u201cI will remember the everlasting covenant between myself and every living creature on the earth.\u201d It is we\u2014not God\u2014who need the reminder that God is faithful and true to what he has promised. We see the rainbow and we make the b\u2019rakhah, affirming not only the covenant that God made with Noah but also those that followed as God\u2019s plan unfolded.
\nBy the terms of the Abrahamic b\u2019rit (Gen. 17:7\u201314), God promised the land and the blessing and instituted circumcision as the first covenant sign. The deliverance of Israel from Egypt was a covenant act, leading to Sinai (Exod. 24:4\u20138). There the Torah was given and accepted and God confirmed Shabbat as the second covenant sign (Exod. 31:13\u201317): \u201cBlessed is he who gave Sabbath for rest to his people Israel in love, for a sign and a covenant\u201d (Ber. 49a). Covenant is also identified as Torah\u2014\u201cthe words of the covenant\u201d (Makk. 22b). Repeatedly, God enjoins Israel to obey the words of the covenant.
\nThe concept of b\u2019rit is basic to the Scriptures and to Judaism. Circumcision, Shabbat, and Torah are the building blocks, but b\u2019rit is the foundation stone. \u201cThe only true principle of the Jewish faith is that God has made a covenant with his people\u201d (Jacobs, Theology 351).
\nTraditionally, salt has been associated with b\u2019rit (Lev. 2:13) and should therefore always be on the Shabbat and festival table as a reminder. The Talmud states that covenant status may involve suffering. The declaration \u201cthese are the words of the covenant\u201d (Deut. 28:69[29:1]) come at the end of a chapter cataloging the sufferings of Israel to come (Ber. 5a).
\nWe remember the everlasting covenant of peace promised in the book of Ezekiel (37:26), with its guarantee of inner transformation. Jeremiah spoke of a New Covenant (31:30\u201333[31\u201334]) in which God will write his Torah on our hearts and all will know the Lord. At that time all sins will be forgiven\u2014and forgotten\u2014by God.
\nAll these covenants assumed and affirmed a relationship. \u201cI will take you as my people, and I will be your God\u201d (Exod. 6:7). \u201cI will be their God, and they will be my people\u201d (Jer. 31:32). The relationship is mutual; it rests primarily on God\u2019s choice, not ours. However, we may enjoy that relationship only as we respond to God.
\nThe concept of b\u2019rit is one of the most exciting themes running through the Tanakh because of what it tells us about the nature of God. Although he is unique, almighty, holy\u2014totally \u201cother\u201d\u2014he is also social. God wishes to live, not in glorious isolation, but in company, in relationship. His plan is to dwell among his people (Exod. 25:8).<\/p>\n
The Remembering God<\/p>\n
The only thing God is ever going to forget is his people\u2019s sins (Jer. 31:33[34]). He will never forget his people: \u201cCan a woman forget her child at the breast \u2026 ? Even if these were to forget, I would not forget you\u201d (Isa. 49:15). He will never forget his words, his promises, or his covenant. In the dark days of slavery in Egypt, this is the message with which he first came to Moses: \u201cI have remembered my covenant\u201d (Exod. 6:5). Through all the succeeding generations, we see God remembering his covenant, always mindful of his people, still wanting to live among them.
\nAt the end of his life, Moses proclaimed the faithfulness of God:<\/p>\n
I will proclaim the name of ADONAI.
\nCome, declare the greatness of our God!
\nThe Rock! His work is perfect,
\nfor all his ways are just.
\nA trustworthy God who does no wrong,
\nhe is righteous and straight. (Deut. 32:3\u20134)<\/p>\n
Our God is indeed \u201cGod, the faithful God, who keeps his covenant\u201d (Deut. 7:9). Hirsch tells us that, when things look bad for Israel in today\u2019s world, we should look back to those post-Exodus days. \u201cLearn how God sustained your forefathers in their early wanderings in the wilderness. He is with you in your present wandering in the wilderness too\u201d (126). The response to God\u2019s faithfulness, says Hirsch again, has to be trust. \u201cEmunah, trust in God, means to hold fast to God, to His promise, to His law, to His grace, even though His ruling hand does not show itself in our experience and the fulfilment of His promises seems to lie far away\u201d (30).<\/p>\n
The Trustworthy God<\/p>\n
God will always keep his word\u2014not just his covenant promises but all his other promises as well. For Israel this means that he will never abandon us, because that would be against his nature. \u201cI am God, not a human being,\u201d he says to faithless Israel (Hos. 11:9). As long as the laws of nature are in force, Israel will continue to be \u201ca nation in my presence forever\u201d (Jer. 31:35[36]). Today, surrounding hostile nations threaten; the enemy within the Land burns with hatred; anti-Semitism is again on the increase worldwide. Nevertheless, God has made eternal promises to his people Israel, and he is trustworthy.
\nThere are implications here for believers. God will always be faithful to what he has promised, although we may be confused about what these promises are. To base our faith on promises not found in Scripture is to build a house on sand. That way leads to disappointment and disillusionment. God has not promised ease or immunity against the common afflictions of life. A promise given on my wedding day has remained with me ever since: \u201cDelight yourself in ADONAI, and he will give you your heart\u2019s desire\u201d (Ps. 37:4). Think about that! He will give me my heart\u2019s desire if my heart\u2019s desire is for him. When trouble comes, the words of the twenty-third psalm still apply today:<\/p>\n
Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
\nI will fear no disaster; for you are with me. (Ps. 23:4)<\/p>\n
Yeshua as the Fulfillment of the New Covenant<\/p>\n
According to a traditional story, Abraham feared that his covenant would be superseded because of the inevitable failure of his descendants. Then God said to him, \u201cWhen thy children fall into sin and evil deeds, I will arrange for a righteous man who will cause the balance to sink in their favor, for he will be able to say to the attribute of justice, \u2018Enough, I will take him, and I will make him atone for them\u2019 \u201d (Montefiore and Loewe 229).
\nAt his last Passover seder, Yeshua claimed to be the fulfillment of the New Covenant. Covenants were always sealed with blood, and so it would be with him. As we drink the third cup\u2014the cup of redemption\u2014we recall his words: \u201cThis is my blood, which ratifies the New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf of many, so that they may have their sins forgiven\u201d (Matt. 26:28). This is the ultimate affirmation of our relationship with God. If he sacrificed his only Son for us, he must really love us.
\nOne day, at the end of time, our relationship with God will be complete and perfect: \u201cSee! God\u2019s Sh\u2019khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God\u201d (Rev. 21:3). Then we will really know him. Then sin will totally\u2014finally\u2014lose its grip on us.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
Life may be hard and bewildering for you just now. You may be tempted to give up hope and wallow in despair or self-pity. Look back. Has not God has always been faithful in the past\u2014in history and in your personal experience? He is the unchanging One. Look up. See the rainbow, and bless the God who will not fail you now.
\nHe has said that nothing can separate you from \u201cthe love of God which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua\u201d (Rom. 8:39). He has promised that no one can snatch you from his hand (John 10:28). He has declared that he will never abandon you (Heb. 13:5). He gives the assurance that one day you will be with him forever (John 14:3). He remembers. He is faithful.
\nWe can trust him. He is the God who speaks to us with his mouth and fulfills his promises with his hand (2 Chron. 6:4).<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, my life does not seem to make sense these days. I do not know how I got into this situation. I have no idea how to handle it. Then your rainbow appears, not every time I am in despair, but often when I need to see it most. It reminds me of your faithfulness. You have promised that nothing can separate me from your love, and I believe you.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who never forgets his people and is faithful to his New Covenant, fulfilled in Yeshua.<\/p>\n
Bless the Lord
\nin the Congregation<\/p>\n
Chapter 12<\/p>\n
The Amidah<\/p>\n
\u05e2\u05de\u05d9\u05d3\u05d4
\nAmidah<\/p>\n
The centerpiece of Jewish corporate prayer life is the Amidah (Standing Prayer). It is also known as the Shemoneh Esreh (Eighteen Blessings)\u2014so called because it originally consisted of eighteen b\u2019rakhot. Later the rabbis added another. One stands to say the Amidah. It is also simply referred to as the Tefillah (the Prayer) because it is the \u201cprayer par excellence\u201d (Friedlander 437). Next to the Sh\u2019ma, these b\u2019rakhot are the most important part of the synagogue services. They consist of praise of God\u2019s goodness, various petitions to God, and an expression of thanksgiving to God.
\nConcerning \u201cthe blessing that Moshe, the man of God, spoke over the people of Isra\u2019el before his death\u201d (Deut. 33:1), the Talmud says,<\/p>\n
Moses did not begin with Israel\u2019s needs, until he had opened with God\u2019s praise. He was like an orator, standing by the judge\u2019s seat, who was hired by a client to plead for him. But before speaking of the client\u2019s needs, the orator opened with the praises of the king, saying, \u201cHappy is the world by reason of his rule, by reason of his justice\u201d: all the people joined in the praise. Then he opened his client\u2019s case; he ended, too, with praise of the king. So did Moses. So, too, did David and Solomon. So, too, did the Elders who composed the Eighteen Benedictions for Israel to use in prayer. They did not open with Israel\u2019s needs, but with, \u201cThe great, mighty, and awful God \u2026 Holy art thou and awful is thy name.\u201d Only then came, \u201cThou loosest the bound, and healest the sick.\u201d Finally they ended with, \u201cWe give thee thanks.\u201d (qtd. in Montefiore and Loewe 357)<\/p>\n
The Amidah is a part of public worship, but it is read silently by all before being repeated aloud by the one who is leading prayers. This gives it a private and personal as well as a communal dimension.
\nRabban Gamaliel maintained that \u201ca person should recite the Shemoneh Esrei prayer every day\u201d (Ber. 4:3). The spirit behind this frequent recitation is that of dedication to God. There is an ongoing reaching out to God, a yearning to have communion with him, allied to a desire to strive after the godly life. Hirsch described it as \u201ca direct example of striving sanctified by the idea of God\u201d (492). The late British Chief Rabbi Hertz put it this way: \u201cThese oldest congregational prayers of Judaism satisfy the cravings of a pious heart for communion with God, and give expression to praise, thanksgiving, confession, and petition\u201d (ADP 130).<\/p>\n
The Structure of the Amidah<\/p>\n
The Amidah has three sections. The first three b\u2019rakhot are expressions of praise to God. They glorify him for his \u201ceverlasting love, eternal might, and infinite holiness\u201d (ADP 130). In recognizing God for who he is and what he has done, we express our trust in him and our desire to respond to him, by dedicating ourselves to his service (Hirsch 482). Our relationship with God finds its security in his person, his deeds. This reflects the pattern of the Ten Words (Ten Commandments). They open with \u201cI am ADONAI your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the abode of slavery\u201d (Exod. 20:2).
\nThe twelve (now thirteen) intermediate b\u2019rakhot are various petitions\u2014for individual, and then for national, well being, both spiritual and material. They deal with repentance, forgiveness, and healing. They plead for deliverance from trouble and for prosperity. There is also a cry for the \u201cIngathering of the Dispersed\u201d (Donin 88). In these prayers, we place our future\u2014individual and corporate\u2014into God\u2019s hands. It is characteristic of Judaism that there is no great divide between the sacred and the secular areas of our life. We do not concern ourselves only with our physical and social well-being. Always there is the consciousness that the Jewish people are a people of destiny. Yes, God chose this people\u2014but for a purpose. Therefore, this people look not only to \u201cthe restoration of the external national fortune\u201d but also to \u201cthe completion of its spiritual destiny\u201d (Hirsch 483). As material well-being accompanies \u201cenlightenment from above,\u201d the blessings God showers upon us may help us to fulfill his will (Hirsch 483). We know that his will for Israel is\u2014as it has always been\u2014that Israel may be a blessing to all peoples. God said to Abraham, \u201cBy you all the families of the earth will be blessed\u201d (Gen. 12:3).
\nThe twelfth b\u2019rakhah\u2014Birkat Haminim (Destruction of Israel\u2019s Enemies) found a place in the Amidah at a later date. It was a response to a perceived threat to the survival of the Jewish people. Possibly, Ezra had prescribed it in response to the actions of the hostile Samaritans. However, it fell into disuse in time. Even later, it was revived with a new opening that specifically mentioned the Sadducees. Later, at Yavneh in the second century C.E., heretical sects seemed to be a threat to the nation. This b\u2019rakhah has remained in the Amidah because the threat of annihilation is ever present. It begins with the words \u201cFor slanderers let there be no hope, and let all wickedness instantly perish.\u201d It concludes with \u201cBlessed art thou, Lord, who breaks the power of his enemies and subdues the malicious.\u201d
\nThe concluding three b\u2019rakhot include thanksgivings as well as a look to the future\u2014to \u201cthe re-establishment of Divine Service in the Temple of Jerusalem\u201d (Friedlander 438). They also mention the turning of all humanity to Israel and\u2014through Israel\u2014to the one true God (Hirsch 484). These concluding benedictions remind one of the Aaronic blessing (Num. 6:24\u201326). There is an echo of this pattern in the closing phrases of what is known as \u201cthe Lord\u2019s Prayer\u201d: \u201cFor kingship, power and glory are yours forever\u201d (Matt. 6:13).
\nAfter the Amidah, we recite the last verse of Psalm 19:<\/p>\n
May the words of my mouth
\nand the thoughts of my heart
\nbe acceptable in your presence,
\nADONAI, my Rock and Redeemer.<\/p>\n
This expresses the wish that \u201cour lips, from which prayer to God has come forth, may not be defiled by unworthy language\u201d (Friedlander 438).<\/p>\n
The Amidah in Practice<\/p>\n
In a synagogue, people rise and silently pray the Amidah. Then, the reader, the worship leader, recites the b\u2019rakhot aloud. This silence is after the model of Hannah, who spoke to the Lord in her heart, only her lips moving. This showed the depth of her concentration (Jacobs, Theology 296). Silence also provides the opportunity for private confession, petition, and meditation.
\nThough the recitation of the Amidah is not limited to synagogue worship, it should always be prayed in a respectful manner. The Talmud states that one may recite the Sh\u2019ma as one walks by the way, when one carries a load, or even when one lies down. For the Amidah, however, one must be standing erect and set down any load one had been carrying. Indeed, the Talmud goes further, teaching that one must not stand to say the Tefillah even when one\u2019s mind is disturbed (Ber. 5:1). Offering prayers without one\u2019s full concentration is considered to be disrespectful to God.
\nHirsch was quite specific about this matter of respect. \u201cRecite the Amidah standing,\u201d he directed. \u201cAs a servant before God your Master, with feet together, head bowed, and eyes lowered \u2026 your heart should be directed towards heaven, with hands resting upon one another in tranquillity, solemnity, and respect\u201d (553). Hirsch also noted the significance of the standing position. It is symbolic of readiness for active obedience and service.<\/p>\n
Could Yeshua Have Known the Shemoneh Esreh?<\/p>\n
These b\u2019rakhot were compiled over a long period of time, but it is believed that the oldest\u2014probably the first three\u2014date from Second Temple times, in the fourth century B.C.E. Even the later blessings were almost certainly in use during Yeshua\u2019s lifetime. The final editing took place about the year 100 C.E., at the direction of the patriarch Gamaliel, head of Judaism in the Land (Israel).
\nYeshua taught his talmidim (disciples) how to pray (Matt. 6:9\u201313), saying in effect, \u201cStart by declaring who God is; follow this by sanctifying God\u2019s name. Only then mention your personal needs.\u201d This pattern is entirely in keeping with the Shemoneh Esreh. We begin by proclaiming who God is, what he is, and what he has done, before making any petitions. Truly, Yeshua was teaching his followers to pray in tune with the voice of the Jewish people.
\nOver the next few chapters, we will look more closely at these eighteen b\u2019rakhot.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
What are my priorities as I approach prayer? Do I take time to compose myself, to recall who God is? Do I come before him with devekut (devotion) and respect? He is my Father, yes, but he is \u201cin heaven.\u201d He is far above and beyond me. I do not come to him by right. I come as a privilege, by invitation, by a path that he himself has cleared. What an honor! Surely some silence, some clearing of the mind, is in order before I burst into speech.
\nHow do I order my prayers for myself and others? Do I plunge straight into my burdens and needs? Do I follow the godly pattern of beginning with what will please God?
\nAs I come to the end of my prayer time, I might use words like the last verse of Psalm 19. They express the desire that my thoughts, my words, and indeed my whole life might be different because I have been in communion with the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nMy prayer priorities will reflect my life\u2019s priorities!<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall declare your praise.<\/p>\n
Our Father in heaven!
\nMay your Name be kept holy.
\nMay your Kingdom come,
\nyour will be done on earth as in heaven.
\nGive us the food we need today.
\nForgive us what we have done wrong,
\nas we too have forgiven those who have wronged us.
\nAnd do not lead us into hard testing,
\nbut keep us safe from the Evil One.
\nFor kingship, power and glory are yours forever. (Matt. 6:9\u201313)<\/p>\n
\u201cBlessed are you, O Lord our God and God of our fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, mighty, and revered God, the most high God \u2026 O King, Helper, Savior, and Shield. Blessed are you, O Lord, the Shield of Abraham\u201d (Amidah 1).<\/p>\n
Chapter 13<\/p>\n
Who Makes the Dead Live<\/p>\n
\u05de\u05d7\u05d9\u05d4 \u05d4\u05de\u05ea\u05d9\u05dd
\nM\u2019hayeh HaMetim<\/p>\n
Thy might is eternal, O Lord,
\nWho revives the dead,
\nPowerful in saving,
\nWho makes the wind to blow and the rain to fall,
\nWho sustains the living with loving kindness,
\nWho revives the dead with great mercy,
\nWho supports the falling, heals the sick, frees the captive,
\nAnd keeps faith with the dead;
\nWho is like Thee, Almighty, and who resembles Thee,
\nO King who can bring death and give life,
\nAnd can make salvation blossom forth.
\nAnd faithful art Thou to revive the dead.
\nBlessed art Thou, Lord, who makes the dead live. (Amidah 2)<\/p>\n
Life after Death in Tradition<\/p>\n
The second b\u2019rakhah of the Amidah expresses belief in God the giver of life to the dead. Maimonides felt bound to enshrine a doctrine of Resurrection in his thirteenth principle: \u201cI believe with perfect faith that there will be a Resurrection of the dead at the time when it shall please the Creator, blessed be his Name, and exalted be the remembrance of him for ever and ever.\u201d The rabbis have taught that nature itself demonstrates, through the seasonal coming of rain to bring the dead seed to life, that the Creator is a God of Resurrection (Hertz, The Authorised Daily Prayer Book with Commentary 133\u201334). He is a God we can trust for this life. We can also trust him for what lies beyond the grave. He was mighty to save in history, and he lovingly sustains us now. We can trust him to remember and to redeem \u201cthose who sleep in the dust.\u201d His protection, says Hertz, \u201cdoes not cease at the portals of the grave. He is mightier than death, and in his eyes the dead have not died\u201d (Hertz, The Authorised Daily Prayer Book with Commentary 133).
\nThis particular b\u2019rakhah became a test of orthodoxy. Who knew if a visiting teacher had heretical views? See if he will recite the second b\u2019rakhah. The doctrine of Resurrection became an important point of division between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. A Sadducee would hesitate to proclaim, \u201cGod quickens the dead.\u201d Sha\u2019ul used this division. \u201cBrothers,\u201d he cried when standing trial before the Sanhedrin, \u201cI myself am a Parush [Pharisee] and the son of P\u2019rushim [Pharisees]; and it is concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am being tried!\u201d (Acts 23:6). The Talmud states that \u201call of Israel shares in the future world\u201d (Av. 1:1). It also says that \u201cthe righteous of all nations of the earth share in the future world\u201d (San. 10:2). It goes even further. Those who deny this doctrine will not qualify for the world to come. \u201cThese are they that have no share in the world to come: he that says that no Resurrection of the dead is taught in the law\u201d (San. 10:1).<\/p>\n
Life after Death in the Tanakh<\/p>\n
References to life after death occur throughout the Tanakh. Moses quoted God as saying, \u201cI put to death, and I make alive\u201d (Deut. 32:39). David cried to God in faith, \u201cYou will not abandon me to Sh\u2019ol, you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss\u201d (Ps. 16:10). Hosea seems to have believed that there is a life after death. \u201cCome, let us return to ADONAI. \u2026 After two days, he will revive us; on the third day, he will raise us up; and we will live in his presence\u201d (Hos. 6:1\u20132). Daniel specifically predicted an awakening beyond the grave: \u201cMany of those sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken\u201d (Dan. 12:2). Perhaps Job attained the peak of resurrection faith. From the depths of degradation and loss, he declared, \u201cI know that my Redeemer lives \u2026; so that after my skin has been thus destroyed, then even without my flesh, I will see God. I will see him for myself\u201d (Job 19:26\u201327).
\nAs recorded in Sanhedrin 90b, Rabban Gamaliel (90 C.E.) cited three scriptural proofs of the Resurrection:<\/p>\n
The Sadducees asked Rabban Gamaliel, \u201cHow can it be proved that God will revive the dead again?\u201d He answered: \u201cFrom the Torah, from the prophets, and from the writings. From the Torah: God said to Moses, \u2018Behold, you are about to sleep with your fathers; then you will rise\u2019 (Deut. 31:16). From the prophets: \u2018Thy dead shall live, thy bodies shall rise\u2019 (Is. 26:19). From the writings: \u2018May your palate be like the best wine that goes down for my lover smoothly and makes the lips of the sleepers (or: deceased) murmur\u2019 \u201d (Song of Solomon 7:9). (Lapide 61)<\/p>\n
Tzidduk HaDin (The Righteousness of God\u2019s Judgment)<\/p>\n
One might think that suffering and despair would kill hope for the future. Indeed, we know that many have lost faith because of the Holocaust. However, Pinchas Lapide claims that belief in Resurrection grew out of the experience of suffering. \u201cIf God is all-just, and all-merciful, then death in this world cannot be the final end\u201d (54). This is the tone of the words spoken in a house of mourning.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you \u2026 who are kind and deals kindly, true God and Judge, who judges with righteousness and in judgment takes [the souls of men to yourself] \u2026 We are your people and your servants, and in all circumstances it is our duty to give thanks to you and to bless you. O you who repairs the breaches in Israel, may you also repair this breach in Israel, granting us life. (Ber. 46b)<\/p>\n
It is, after all, the mourners who proclaim that most sublime expression of faith, the Kaddish. This includes the words \u201cBlessed, praised and glorified, exalted and extolled; lauded, honored, and acclaimed be the name of the Holy One, who is ever to be praised, though far above the eulogies and songs of praise and consolation that human lips can utter; and let us say: Amen\u201d (Siddur Lev Chadash 524). In acknowledging \u201cthe righteousness of God\u2019s judgment,\u201d we express faith in the outcome. \u201cLet his great Name be blessed forever and to all eternity.\u201d That is our response to the recitation of the Kaddish in the house of mourning.<\/p>\n
Modern Doubts<\/p>\n
Doctrine is one thing; interpretation is another. The Enlightenment and the Age of Reason have left their mark on Judaism as well as on Christianity. The question often asked now is, what do the words \u201caffirming the Resurrection\u201d really mean? Friedlander voiced the problem: \u201cAs imperfect as is our conception of a creation from nothing, so imperfect is our notion of the Resurrection of the dead\u201d (164). Admittedly, nature demonstrates that God gives life to the dead. But for traditional Judaism, how this will work out is a mystery. Is a pious optimism the best there is?<\/p>\n
The Resurrection of Yeshua<\/p>\n
Yeshua taught about Resurrection. God is the God of the living and also the God of Avraham (Abraham), Yitz\u2019chak (Isaac), and Ya\u2019acov (Jacob). It follows that the patriarchs must themselves be alive (Mark 12:26).
\nYeshua also demonstrated the power to raise the dead. Others, however, had done that\u2014for example, the prophets Elijah and Elisha. Yeshua promised eternal life to those who believed, but this was not a foreign notion to a people who believed in an afterlife. Resurrection was, after all, an issue between the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
\nWhat set the early talmidim on fire for God was the bodily Resurrection of Yeshua himself, never to die again. This is what the Ruach haKodesh energized them to preach: \u201cGod has raised him up and freed him from the suffering of death; it was impossible that death could keep its hold on him\u201d (Acts 2:24). \u201cGod raised up this Yeshua,\u201d proclaimed Kefa (Peter). \u201cAnd we are all witnesses of it!\u201d (Acts 2:32). This Resurrection was everlasting! Here, then, was a real guarantee of eternal life.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
Yeshua rose from the dead during the Passover week, at the time of the waving of the firstfruits. Sha\u2019ul spoke of the risen Yeshua as \u201cfirstfruits\u201d (1 Cor. 15:20). He was the token, the assurance of the harvest of Resurrection life to come. We can know that we will live because Yeshua rose and lives. The Resurrection of Yeshua has proved the validity of his messiahship and of his claims to be the giver of eternal life. As Job said, \u201cI know that my Redeemer lives \u2026 I will see him for myself\u201d (19:25, 27). This is the certainty that we have, that we may enjoy, that we must share.
\nThe Resurrection is the hope that has fortified believers in Yeshua through the centuries. We can endure now because the light beyond the darkness is not just a desperate hope or a yearning. It is a certainty based on a historical fact\u2014the Resurrection of Yeshua the Messiah.<\/p>\n
ADONAI is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
\nHe has me lie down in grassy pastures,
\nhe leads me by quiet water,
\nhe restores my inner person.<\/p>\n
He guides me in right paths
\nfor the sake of his own name.
\nEven if I pass through death-dark ravines,
\nI will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
\nyour rod and staff reassure me.<\/p>\n
You prepare a table for me,
\neven as my enemies watch;
\nyou anoint my head with oil
\nfrom an overflowing cup.<\/p>\n
Goodness and grace will pursue me
\nevery day of my life;
\nand I will live in the house of ADONAI
\nfor years and years to come. (Ps. 23)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Thank you, living Lord, that your Son did not just die but he rose to life and he lives. Thank you for the assurance this gives mefor myself and for my loved ones who have died in you. Thank you for the strength this certainty gives me to endure whatever comes today.
\nI know that my Redeemer lives, that we will see him, that we will be with him.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord, who makes the dead live.<\/p>\n
Chapter 14<\/p>\n
Blessed Be His Name<\/p>\n
\u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05da \u05e9\u05de\u05d5
\nBarukh Shemo<\/p>\n
Thou art holy, and Thy name is holy,
\nAnd those who are holy shall praise Thee every day.
\nBlessed art Thou, Lord, the holy God. (Amidah 3)<\/p>\n
The preeminent characteristic of God is holiness. J. H. Hertz comments, \u201cIn the sublime strains of the third benediction, God is hailed as the Holy God of a Holy People, and his holiness is proclaimed on earth as it is in heaven\u201d (The Authorised Daily Prayer Book with Commentary 136). Because God is holy, his name is holy. For the Jewish people, a name is not merely a label but an indication of the bearer\u2019s character. In the case of God, his name is so identified with his person that one speaks of him as HaShem (The Name). That is why the name of God is worthy of special reverence.<\/p>\n
The Many Names of God<\/p>\n
God has revealed himself to his people in many ways. His names, therefore, are numerous. He is Elohim (God supreme), El Shaddai (the Almighty), Adonai Tzva\u2019ot (the Lord of hosts), and haMakom (the Place). He is haKadosh (the Holy One), Av haRahamim (Father of mercies), and Av she baShamayim (Father in heaven). He is Havayah\u2014the ineffable, unspeakable Name by which he revealed himself to Moses\u2014the timeless One, who was and is and will be forever.
\nThere are other names. In The Rabbinic Anthology, we read these words:<\/p>\n
God said to Moses, \u201cThou desirest to know my Name. I am called according to my deeds. When I judge my creatures, I am called Elohim; when I wage war against the wicked, I am called Sabaoth; when I suspend judgment for a man\u2019s sins, I am called El Shaddai (God Almighty); but when I have compassion upon my world, I am called Yahweh, for Yahweh means the attribute of mercy, as it is said, \u2018Yahweh, Yahweh (the Lord, the Lord), merciful and gracious\u2019 (Exod. 34:6).\u201d\u2026. This is the meaning of the words, \u201cI AM that I AM,\u201d namely, \u201cI am called according to my deeds.\u201d (6)<\/p>\n
Kiddush HaShem<\/p>\n
Kiddush haShem (sanctification of the Name) is of great importance in Judaism. We sanctify God\u2019s name as a congregation when we rise to recite the Amidah, especially in the third b\u2019rakhah. We do so, as well, as we strive to live holy lives. That is Israel\u2019s calling\u2014to sanctify God\u2019s Name in word and deed among the nations. \u201cThe more we fear and love God, the deeper and more intense is our feeling of reverence for everything which is connected in our thoughts with the Name of the Almighty \u2026 this feeling of reverence \u2026 finds expression in our conduct\u201d (Friedlander 276).
\nIsrael\u2019s special obligation is to sanctify the Name in the eyes of the nations. This is a serious responsibility. God\u2019s people fulfill it when they conduct themselves in uprightness, justice, and lovingkindness, making God and his ways attractive to others.<\/p>\n
Chillul HaShem<\/p>\n
When godly attributes are lacking, people commit Chillul haShem (profanation of God\u2019s name). Saying God\u2019s name needlessly falls into this category. According to Rabbi Johanan ben Barokah, profanation of the name is \u201ca sin which includes not merely impious speech but any act or word which offends against the majesty of God\u201d (Av. 4:5). The Rabbinic Anthology cites this comment on Leviticus 19:15: \u201cA judge who perverts justice \u2026 defiles the land, profanes the name of God, causes the Shechinah to depart, Israel to fall by the sword, and to be exiled from their land\u201d (384). So serious is Chillul haShem that the Talmud holds it to be a greater sin than idolatry (San. 106a).
\nEric Lipson wrote that \u201cKiddush haShem displays, both to Jew and Gentile, commitment to God, and his word. Chillul haShem breaks down the relationship between Jew and Jew, between God and his Am Segullah (Special Treasure)\u201d (unpublished).<\/p>\n
Shem L\u2019Vatala (Saying the Name in Vain)<\/p>\n
So holy is the Tetragrammaton (\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4), that to speak it with phonetical correctness is considered by many to be equivalent to taking God\u2019s name in vain. Indeed, the Talmud states that such a person loses his share in the world to come (San. 90a). Rather than risk Chillul haShem, many would prefer to say \u201cAdonai\u201d or simply to use the term \u201cHaShem.\u201d Although it is possible that the Jewish sages transmitted the original pronunciation to their disciples, the practice of saying the name eventually ceased, so today no one knows the true pronunciation with certainty. There is some doubt about when this prohibition began. There was a time when even the common people were encouraged to use the name openly and freely. The Mishnah records these words: \u201cIt was ordained that a man should greet his friends by mentioning the Name\u201d (Ber. 9:5). There have been stories of certain Baale Shem (Masters of the Name) who knew the pronunciation and used it to perform miracles, but orthodoxy does not recognize these tales as truth.
\nHirsch taught that, if any of the names of God have unnecessarily and inappropriately passed one\u2019s lips, one should add a phrase expressing respect, such as \u201cBlessed be his glorious Name forever\u201d (452). The making of a b\u2019rakhah inappropriately is considered to be Shem l\u2019vatala. An example of this impropriety would be making the motzi (blessing over bread) and then not eating bread. One should immediately say, \u201cShem k\u2019vod malkhuto l\u2019olam va-ed\u201d (\u201cBlessed is his glorious name, whose kingdom is forever and ever\u201d).<\/p>\n
Blessing the Name<\/p>\n
Barukh Shem and Barukh atah haShem are expressions of praise and thanksgiving to the Almighty. In blessing the Name, we are blessing God, the bearer of the Name. The second part of the Sh\u2019ma, following the words:
\n\u05e9\u05de\u05e2 \u05d9\u05e9\u05e8\u05d0\u05dc \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4 \u05d0\u05dc\u05d4\u05d9\u05e0\u05d5 \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4 \u05d0\u05d7\u05d3
\nSh\u2019ma Yisrael, Adonai Eloheynu Adonai Echad (Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God, the Lord is One) is:
\n\u05d1\u05e8\u05d5\u05da \u05e9\u05dd \u05db\u05d1\u05d5\u05d3 \u05de\u05dc\u05db\u05d5\u05ea\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e2\u05d5\u05dc\u05dd \u05d5\u05e2\u05d3
\nBarukh Shem k\u2019vod malkhuto l\u2019olam va\u2019ed (Blessed be his Name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.
\nSometimes, when we hear the Shem recited in a b\u2019rakhah, we respond under our breath, \u201cBarukh Hu u\u2019varukh Sh\u2019mo\u201d (\u201cBlessed be He, and blessed be his Name\u201d). We wish, not to interrupt the proceedings, but to share in and identify with the speaker\u2019s reverence for God. It is common, when speaking God\u2019s Name, to add the words \u201cBlessed be his Name.\u201d Maimonides does this in his Principles. As the congregation is called to prayer with the words \u201cBarukh et Adonai\u201d (\u201cBless the Lord\u201d), we respond, \u201cLet the Lord\u2019s Name be blessed.\u201d Likewise, as the scroll is returned to the ark after the reading of Torah, the reader says, \u201cLet them praise the Name of the Lord, for his Name alone is exalted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Messiah\u2019s Name<\/p>\n
In the Talmud, we read that Messiah\u2019s Name existed before the sun and the stars (Pes. 54a). That is another way of proclaiming the preexistence of Messiah. The B\u2019rit Hadashah (New Testament) puts it like this: \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning\u201d (John 1:1\u20132). The most frequently used name for Messiah in the Tanakh is \u201cSon of David.\u201d The blind Bar-Timai called Yeshua by this name when he cried: \u201cSon of David! Have pity on me!\u201d (Mark 10:47). No wonder they tried to silence him. The words were of revolutionary significance. The title also connotes the setting up a righteous kingdom.
\n\u201cRedeemer\u201d is another messianic title (Isa. 59:20). It reveals the promise of deliverance, setting free\u2014indeed, the payment of a price. The first b\u2019rakhah in the Amidah includes the words \u201cGod \u2026 will bring a redeemer to their children\u2019s children for his Name\u2019s sake.\u201d \u201cWe had hoped that he would be the one to liberate Isra\u2019el!\u201d wailed the two on the Emmaus road (Luke 24:21). The risen Yeshua replied, \u201cDidn\u2019t the Messiah have to die like this before entering his glory?\u201d (v. 26). He claimed to come on a mission of seeking and saving (19:10), of deliverance (4:21). These were redemptive tasks!
\nAccording to Klausner, Messiah\u2019s name is also \u201cPeace\u201d (462), referring to the passage in Isaiah that speaks of the coming of a Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:5[6]). Ginsburgh points to the words \u201cThey shall place my Name on the people of Israel\u201d; these words follow \u201cMay ADONAI lift up his face toward you and give you peace\u201d (Num. 6:26\u201327). He suggests the words mean that \u201cPeace\u201d is itself a name of God (143). Perhaps Sha\u2019ul was thinking of this when he claimed that \u201che himself is our shalom [peace]\u201d (Eph. 2:14). His claim was that Yeshua not only gives but is shalom.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
The name Yeshua\u2014Adonai saves\u2014comes from two Hebrew words: \u201csalvation\u201d and \u201cGod.\u201d Yosef (Joseph) was told to give the child this name because \u201che will save his people from their sins\u201d (Matt. 1:21). Salvation was his preeminent calling; he came to seek and to save the lost. \u201cSavior\u201d is his most precious name to us, as we respond in love to what he has done to achieve our salvation. One day every knee will bow in honor of that name and every tongue will acknowledge him to be ADONAI (Phil. 2:10\u201311). Ultimately, all will recognize him as \u201cKING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS\u201d (Rev. 19:16). Until then, he commands his disciples to immerse new believers into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Ruach haKodesh. We bear his name as a sign that we belong to him.<\/p>\n
My soul and my flesh wait for Him and pant after Him,
\nMy Joy and my Portion, my Cup and my Maker,
\nWhom when I remember and mention, I feel
\nThat nothing is more fitted for my soul\u2019s happiness
\nThan blessing the Name of the Eternal God. (Gabirol, Prayer)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
\u201cThe breath of every living being blesses thy Name, O Lord our God. The spirit of all flesh continuously glorifies and exalts thy remembrance, O our King. From everlasting through eternity thou art God. Besides thee we have neither king, redeemer nor savior, freeing and delivering, upholding and showing tender mercy at all times of trouble and distress. Indeed we have no king but thee\u201d (Birkat Hashir).<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who sent your Son, Yeshua\u2014Savior, Redeemer, Adonai.<\/p>\n
Chapter 15<\/p>\n
The Gracious One, Who Abundantly Forgives<\/p>\n
\u05d4\u05e0\u05d5\u05df \u05d4\u05de\u05e8\u05d1\u05d4 \u05dc\u05e1\u05dc\u05d5\u05d7
\nChanun HaMarbeh liSloach<\/p>\n
Maimonides\u2019 Eleventh Principle speaks of obedience, sin, and punishment: \u201cHe, the exalted One, rewards him who obeys the commands of Torah, and punishes him who transgresses its prohibitions.\u201d
\nOur God is holy and he demands holiness of his people. However, we fall far short of the standard and therefore merit judgment. But our God is also merciful and loves to forgive. Is there a conflict in the mind of God? Our hope is that God\u2019s attribute of mercy will overcome his attribute of justice, so that forgiveness will prevail. In the sixth blessing of the Amidah we pray:<\/p>\n
Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned,
\nPardon us, our King, for we have transgressed,
\nFor Thou art a pardoner and forgiver.
\nBlessed art Thou, Lord, Gracious One who forgives abundantly.<\/p>\n
The Forgiving God<\/p>\n
The path to selikhah (forgiveness) is teshuvah (turning, or repentance). \u201cCause us to return, O our Father, unto thy Torah \u2026 bring us back in perfect repentance unto thy presence. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who delightest in repentance\u201d (Amidah 5). Repentance is always appropriate. This is particularly the case at the time of the fall festivals. According to Jewish tradition, God weighs our good deeds against the bad on Rosh HaShanah, but his final decision is in abeyance until Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Those whose destinies are in doubt have ten days in which to achieve true repentance and so be inscribed in the book of life. Hirsch tells us that the fruit of Yom Kippur should be \u201cconfession, repentance, forgiveness, and atonement of sins\u201d (391).
\nIn ancient times, forgiveness was linked to blood sacrifice. The early chapters of Leviticus describe the ordinances for such sacrifices. However, since the destruction of the Temple, it has been impossible to practice the sacrificial ritual. Therefore, the rabbis have ordained that \u201cthree things avert evil decrees: prayer, charity, and repentance\u201d (Cohen 115).
\nThe most beautiful expression of repentance, confession, and forgiveness is Psalm 51. David was facing the gravity of his sin with Bathsheba. His actions would have repercussions in many lives and for many years to come. But primarily, he had sinned against God. He was asking for forgiveness, and that was no light thing. It would mean the complete blotting out of his sin. Though the consequences of his sin could not be undone, David asked for a new beginning in his relationship with God:<\/p>\n
In your great compassion, blot out my crimes. Wash me completely from my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin\u2026. Create in me a clean heart, God; renew in me a resolute spirit\u2026. Restore my joy in your salvation. (Ps. 51:3\u20134[1\u20132], 12[10], 14[12])<\/p>\n
Many selikhot (penitential prayers) are used primarily on solemn days. On the eve of Yom Kippur, the Kol Nidre liturgy contains a comprehensive litany of prayers of confession. A series of equally comprehensive pleas for forgiveness follows. God\u2019s repeated response is \u201cSalakhti\u201d (\u201cI have forgiven\u201d).
\nHere is a poem that is sometimes recited on Yom Kippur. Traditionally, it is ascribed to Yomtov of York in 1190, the year of the massacre of the Jews of York, England. That was a significant place and date for Jewish people to be considering the subject of forgiveness!<\/p>\n
Raise to thee this my plea, take my prayer,
\nSin unmake for thy sake and declare,
\n\u201cForgiven!\u201d<\/p>\n
Tears, regret, witness set in sin\u2019s place;
\nUplift trust from the dust to thy face\u2014
\n\u201cForgiven!\u201d<\/p>\n
Voice that sighs, tear-filled eyes, do not spurn;
\nWeigh and pause, plead my cause, and return
\n\u201cForgiven!\u201d<\/p>\n
Yea, off-rolled\u2014as foretold\u2014clouds impure,
\nZion\u2019s folk, free of yolk, O assure
\n\u201cForgiven!\u201d<\/p>\n
The Duty of Forgiveness<\/p>\n
God\u2019s nature is to have mercy and to forgive. Therefore, we, too, must practice forgiveness. Torah instructs us clearly, \u201cDon\u2019t take vengeance on or bear a grudge against any of your people\u201d (Lev. 19:18). Rabbinic teaching is also unequivocal. \u201cYour forgiveness must be real and complete, so that no trace of rancour remains in you\u201d (Hirsch 56). Forgetting must accompany forgiving. \u201cYour God requires you to forget, therefore forget\u201d (Hirsch 56).
\nSometimes it is hard to forgive. In such cases, we need to go to the offending person and discuss the matter face to face in a reasonable way (Hirsch 439). It takes two sides to restore a relationship. The offending party must be ready to admit the wrong and to ask for forgiveness. The offended party must be ready to accept the apology and not nurse a grievance (Cohen 243). In the matter of forgiveness, said the sages, \u201ca man should always be soft as a reed and not hard like a cedar\u201d (Taan. 20b). Our prayer is \u201cTeach us \u2026 to be generous both to forgive and to accept forgiveness\u201d (Siddur Lev Chadash 202). Similarly, Colossians 3:13 states, \u201cBear with one another; if anyone has a complaint against someone else, forgive him. Indeed, just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.\u201d
\nOne problem is particularly relevant to the Jewish people. Telushkin faces it by stating that no one can forgive crimes committed against someone else (351\u201352). Recalling Leviticus 6, he says that even God will not forgive sins committed against another person unless the guilty one has made restitution. This is the standard answer given to those who say, \u201cIsn\u2019t time that the Jewish people forgave for the Holocaust?\u201d Jonathan Sacks countered this thinking during a televised Rosh HaShanah message: \u201cOnly if we have the courage to forgive will we have the strength to break free of the prison of the past.\u201d My not forgiving you ultimately hurts me more than it hurts you.
\nYeshua spoke much of forgiveness. \u201cForgive your brother from your [heart],\u201d he said (Matt. 18:35). Forgiveness is no shallow, easy exercise. I must practice it repeatedly and wholeheartedly. I must forgive not only my brother but my enemy too. Our example is Yeshua, who cried, \u201cFather, forgive them; they don\u2019t understand what they are doing\u201d (Luke 23:34).<\/p>\n
Forgive and Be Forgiven<\/p>\n
The rabbis teach us that there is a link between forgiveness given and forgiveness received. \u201cHe who foregoes retaliation, his sins are remitted; when his pardon is asked, he grants it\u201d (Yoma 23a). \u201cWhose sin does God forgive? He who forgives sins\u201d (Rosh HaShanah 17a). Yeshua showed that he was clearly within this tradition when he said, \u201cForgive, and you will be forgiven\u201d (Luke 6:37). The reverse is also true. \u201cThe man who declines to forgive, preserves the enmity and is glad when misfortune befalls the other person, becomes thereby the guilty party and God\u2019s anger is turned away from the other and directed towards himself\u201d (Cohen 244). Likewise, says Yeshua, \u201cIf you do not forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will not forgive yours\u201d (Matt. 6:15).
\nHirsch goes even further, stating that we should not wait for the apology! \u201cBe easily appeased as soon as your brother asks for forgiveness \u2026 he who soon forgives is soon forgiven. If you are really good \u2026 you will forget hurts and insults without pardon being asked of you\u201d (56).<\/p>\n
Yeshua and Forgiveness<\/p>\n
Yeshua\u2019s teaching about giving and receiving forgiveness was not new. Where he broke fresh ground was in claiming the authority to forgive sins. Wasn\u2019t this God\u2019s prerogative alone? That was what upset people. Who was this man who presumed to forgive sins (Luke 7:49)?
\nYeshua linked forgiveness with love. \u201cThe woman loves me much because she has been forgiven much,\u201d he said to Shim\u2019on (Simon) the Pharisee. \u201cI tell you that her sins\u2014which are many!\u2014have been forgiven, because she loved much\u201d (see Luke 7:39\u201347). When we love, we will forgive. When we have received forgiveness, we will love.
\nThat is why we love our Messiah Yeshua. He has procured our forgiveness. He has fulfilled the meaning of the Levitical blood sacrifices. Hence, \u201cin union with him, through the shedding of his blood, we are set free\u2014our sins are forgiven\u201d (Eph. 1:7). God has forgiven because of what Messiah did. Therefore, we must forgive one another. We have no right to withhold forgiveness (4:32).<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
Forgiveness is perhaps the most precious gift that God gives to me in the Messiah. It was an expensive gift. Will I reject it because I cannot bring myself to forgive a wrong done to me? I may have been harboring a grievance against someone for years; how, then, can I claim forgiveness for myself?<\/p>\n
Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done,
\nand then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
\nDoes anyone harbor anger against another,
\nand expect healing from the Lord?
\nIf one has no mercy toward another like himself,
\ncan he then seek pardon for his own sins? (Eccles. 28:2\u20134 NRSV)<\/p>\n
All sin is ultimately against God, and so we have to deal with him about it. David expressed it perfectly: \u201cAgainst you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil from your perspective\u201d (Ps. 51:6[4]).<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Father, I want to forgive that person who hurt me. Please give me your gracious spirit of forgiveness so that I may do so. And Lord, forgive me my sins, for I forgive everyone who has wronged me.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord, who is gracious and abundantly forgives.<\/p>\n
Chapter 16<\/p>\n
The True Judge<\/p>\n
\u05d3\u05d9\u05df \u05d4\u05d0\u05de\u05ea
\nDayan HaEmet<\/p>\n
Look upon us in our suffering,
\nAnd fight our struggles,
\nRedeem us speedily, for thy Name\u2019s sake,
\nFor Thou art a mighty Redeemer.
\nBlessed art Thou, Lord, Redeemer of Israel. (Amidah 7)<\/p>\n
The seventh b\u2019rakhah in the Amidah recognizes the reality of suffering. We all experience seasons of darkness and bewilderment. We all struggle with burdens from time to time and have to fend off despair. These experiences are a part of life. The Siddur Lev Chadash puts it like this: \u201cIf the duration of sorrows and the patience with which they are borne ennoble, the Jews can challenge the aristocracy of every land\u201d (265).<\/p>\n
Blessings in Suffering<\/p>\n
The rabbis have always taught that one may accept suffering as a mark of God\u2019s special love (Cohen 64). In The Mystery of Pain, S. Alfred Adler (1875\u20131910) noted, \u201cThey call God\u2019s chastisements the blessed scourgings of love\u201d (Hertz, Jewish Thoughts 296). Therefore, it is appropriate to thank God for our sufferings. They are God\u2019s precious gift, sent to be the means of our development. Hirsch taught that one should examine oneself to see if the suffering was a deserved punishment. If one could find no sin, he offered another explanation. \u201cKnow that your sufferings are chastisements of love that God sends upon you because He loves you and because you love Him, in order to reinforce your love of God, to exalt you by trial, to perfect you and, when you are perfected, to set you up as a pattern\u201d (39). Even the Messiah needed to be made \u201cperfect [that is, able to accomplish his goal] through suffering\u201d (Heb. 2:10 NIV). Likewise, we understand that \u201ceven gold is tested for genuineness by fire. The purpose of these trials is so that your trust\u2019s genuineness \u2026 will be judged worthy of praise, glory and honor at the revealing of Yeshua the Messiah\u201d (1 Pet. 1:7).
\n\u201cDon\u2019t speak impulsively\u2014don\u2019t be in a hurry to give voice to your words before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; so let your words be few\u201d (Eccles. 5:1[2]). Better by far to learn to make a b\u2019rakhah for the bad as for the good: \u201cADONAI gave, ADONAI took; blessed be the name of ADONAI\u201d (Job 1:21). For good experiences one may say, \u201cBlessed are you \u2026 who are good and dispenses good,\u201d while for bad ones the words are \u201cBlessed be the true judge\u201d (Ber. 9:5). The thought behind this is that when we make a b\u2019rakhah we are not only saying \u201cthank you\u201d; we are also expressing the strength of our relationship with the Almighty (Forst 24).
\nIt is not easy to attain such heights of spirituality in practice. Often we settle for the second best of resignation. If we can endure suffering with silent resignation, at least we will avoid bitterness. \u201cWhen to bear our griefs becomes our part, let faith and hope exhort us\u2014God knows best\u201d (Green, \u201cResignation\u201d).<\/p>\n
The Purpose of Suffering<\/p>\n
If one views suffering as purposeful rather than random, it is easier to endure. The Hebrew word for suffering (jisur) comes from the same root as that for instruction (musar). The Baal Shem Tov taught that suffering makes us more sensitive and compassionate (Newman 485). Other rabbis have put it differently. The Kobriner said that one should take it as a bitter medicine prescribed by the doctor to promote healing (Newman 483). The Bratzlaver\u2019s explanation for suffering was this: \u201cMan is born, not to enjoy the world and its pleasures, but to labor for his eternal life. Tribulation is one of the tools intended for this purpose\u201d (Newman 126).
\nSacks tackles the problem that this outlook raises for Judaism today. He reminds us that we can look back to the Egypt experience and know that it pointed to the Promised Land and nationhood. However, he says, \u201cso far, it is not apparent to all Jewry just what the Holocaust points to. This is part of the continuing pain and bewilderment\u201d (Sacks 154).
\nChastening can also be a positive experience, as several analogies make clear. Salt is one example. As salt sweetens meat, says the Talmud, so chastenings can purge iniquities (Ber. 5a). Heat offers another analogy. \u201cAs oil is made good only by heating, so only through sufferings does Israel repent\u201d (Montefiore and Loewe 165). Still another analogy is pressure. \u201cAs the olive yields its oil only by hard pressure, so the Israelites do not return to righteousness except through suffering\u201d (Montefiore and Loewe 95). Hirsch suggests that suffering may even be a privilege, a mark of approval: \u201cTo those who are capable of improvement God gives suffering in order that they may improve themselves\u201d (31). The Tanakh supports this view of suffering. Scripture gives us the image of the refiner of silver. \u201cYou, God, have tested us, refined us as silver is refined\u201d (Ps. 66:10). The rabbis call such sufferings \u201cchastenings of love\u201d (Ber. 5a).<\/p>\n
Suffering as Atonement<\/p>\n
Some forms of suffering\u2014notably plagues and childlessness\u2014have been regarded by some as \u201can altar of atonement\u201d (Ber. 5b). They may secure forgiveness even as the sacrifices did in Temple times (Cohen 113). However, in Jewish thought, there is strong resistance to the idea of vicarious suffering, though Cohen acknowledges that sometimes it seems the good do suffer for the sins of the wicked (Cohen 125).
\nLouis Jacobs explains that God has so ordered things that our deeds influence and affect others. \u201cIs not this very fact a constant reminder that God wants man to belong to his fellows and possess a sense of responsibility to them?\u201d (Jacobs, Principles 366). He cites two Bible passages. The first is Abraham\u2019s cry: \u201cWill you actually sweep away the righteous with the wicked?\u201d (Gen. 18:23). The second Bible passage is Aaron\u2019s protest: \u201cOh God, \u2026 if one person sins, are you going to be angry with the entire assembly?\u201d (Num. 16:22).<\/p>\n
Enduring, Not Enjoying, Suffering<\/p>\n
Even those who are righteous experience pain. God does not expect us to enjoy suffering (Ber. 5b). He allows us\u2014even expects us\u2014to weep. This is the reason why the days after the death of a loved one are set aside for grieving. We should not attempt to offer easy comfort while a loss is fresh and raw.<\/p>\n
Suffering as Punishment<\/p>\n
Some rabbis have suggested that suffering may be a punishment for the neglect of Torah. \u201cEveryone who is able to occupy himself with Torah and does not do so, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings upon him dreadful sufferings to stir him\u201d (Simeon ben Lakish, Ber. 5a). The belief that there is no suffering without iniquity is based on the conviction of the fundamental justice of God. Maimonides was a proponent of this view. His Eleventh Principle states, \u201cHe, the exalted One, rewards him who obeys the commands of the Torah, and punishes him who transgresses its prohibitions.\u201d
\nThose who hold this view are aware of the difficulty with it: why do the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper? The problem becomes less acute if one sees reward and punishment as being carried out in the next world as well as in this one. Then \u201cthere is reward and punishment both in this world, and in the next \u2026 reward and punishment are both corporeal and spiritual\u201d (Jacobs, Principles 361). The rabbinic writings cover a broad spectrum of viewpoints in discussing this subject. Jacobs\u2019s comment is this: \u201cTo attempt even to cover the whole range of rabbinic views on the subject of reward and punishment is virtually an impossible task\u201d (Principles 355).<\/p>\n
The Problem of Suffering<\/p>\n
Question: \u201cMy God, my God, why are my sighs hidden from you?\u201d
\nAnswer: \u201cIt is not in our power to explain either the prosperity of the wicked or the afflictions of the righteous\u201d (Av. 4:19).
\nWe do not know why these things happen.
\nAs for the Holocaust, it is \u201ca mystery wrapped in silence\u201d (Sacks 139). \u201cWe are not yet ready to say where it belongs in the drama between God and his people\u201d (Sacks 141). Sometimes God is active in affliction. Sometimes he is passive, allowing person to afflict person, and so the innocent suffer (Sacks 148\u201349).<\/p>\n
The Right Response to Suffering<\/p>\n
We cannot escape suffering, but we can seek to find strength to live with it and to find God in it. \u201cPeople are born for trouble as surely as sparks fly upward\u201d (Job 5:7). \u201cEvery man on earth must encounter tribulations and pain. If he takes refuge from them in the Lord, he will be comforted\u201d (Newman 126).<\/p>\n
All who are sick at heart and cry in bitterness,
\nLet not your soul complain in grief.
\nEnter the garden of my songs, and find balm
\nFor your sorrow, and there sing with open mouth.
\n(Siddur Lev Chadash 267)<\/p>\n
God Suffers with Us<\/p>\n
\u201cThe divine countenance is etched with the suffering of all humanity, and we feel the comfort of knowing we are not alone\u201d (Siddur Lev Chadash 267). God is seen as suffering with his people Israel\u2014weeping over their tribulations (Sacks 148). \u201cGod still lives,\u201d said Hirsch. \u201cHe is your God, and as the twinkling of the stars shines through the roof of foliage [the sukkah] so does He with His watchful eye embrace you in lovingkindness, behold your suffering, behold your tears, hear your sighs and know your cares\u201d (125).
\nIn times of suffering, we need to hold fast, trusting that God has not abandoned us and will not fail us. Sometimes this is very difficult. Sacks, in his wrestling with the problem of the Holocaust, admits that we may never understand, but he counsels us to remember the words of Isaiah 55:8: \u201c \u2018My thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,\u2019 says ADONAI\u201d (146\u201347).<\/p>\n
Helping One Another Through Times of Suffering<\/p>\n
The sense of mishpochah (family, or community) is strong among Jewish people. In healthy communities, we take comfort and strength from one another during difficult times. Sometimes, our pain is such that faith struggles to survive and, if we were alone in it, we would fall:<\/p>\n
The night is dark
\nAnd I am blind.
\nThe wind tears the stick
\nfrom my hand. (Leivick, The Night is Dark)<\/p>\n
When someone else comes alongside to walk with us and share the load of pain, it becomes more bearable:<\/p>\n
I hear the touch
\nof someone\u2019s hand:
\nAllow me to carry
\nyour heavy load. (Leivick, The Night is Dark)<\/p>\n
Yeshua: Anointed to Heal, Liberate, and Comfort<\/p>\n
Isaiah had assured Israel of God\u2019s continuing concern and their eventual deliverance (Isa. 61:1\u20133). At the beginning of his ministry, Yeshua identified himself with these words of comfort and promise (Luke 4:18\u201321). He was reinforcing the prophet\u2019s message and stating that the promise was now turning into actuality. As the next three years unfolded, his claims must have seemed somewhat thin, but his Resurrection validated them convincingly. He who triumphs over death can indeed assure us that suffering does not have the last word.
\nYeshua was no stranger to suffering. In his life, he experienced misunderstanding, loneliness, disappointments, and persecution. In his dying, he endured unspeakable torment. Yet he could say, \u201cHow blessed are those who mourn!\u2026 How blessed are those who are persecuted!\u2026 How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me!\u201d (Matt. 5:4, 10\u201311). How can suffering be a blessing? Surely it is just something we have to accept and endure as best as we can. No! \u201cRejoice,\u201d says Yeshua, \u201cbe glad, because your reward in heaven is great\u201d (Matt. 5:12). As we share in his sufferings now, we can be sure that we will share in his glory in the time to come. That is a certainty, not a vague hope.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
The rabbis taught extensively about the reasons for suffering and about the right way to respond. Yeshua, our crucified Messiah, gives us more. He is a companion in our pain. He has been there; he understands, he feels, and he identifies with us. Yeshua, our risen Messiah, offers us the possibility of turning disaster into victory, of being transformed by our sufferings. Yeshua, our glorified Messiah, holds out to us the certainty that one day all of our experiences will make sense. I can do more than passively endure; I can triumph.
\nGod is indeed the true Judge. I can trust him with my life now. I can trust him with my eternal well-being.<\/p>\n
Be still before ADONAI;
\nwait patiently till he comes.
\nDon\u2019t be upset by those whose way
\nsucceeds because of their wicked plans.
\nStop being angry, put aside rage,
\nand don\u2019t be upset\u2014it leads to evil. (Ps. 37:7\u20138)<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, it is in the darkness that I most appreciate your light. It is in the emptiness that I most appreciate your presence. It is in the devastation that I most appreciate your order and your ways. It is in my failure that I most appreciate your victory, my Lord and my God.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord, the true Judge.<\/p>\n
Chapter 17<\/p>\n
Who Causes the Horn of Salvation to Flourish<\/p>\n
\u05de\u05e6\u05de\u05d9\u05d7 \u05e7\u05e8\u05df \u05d9\u05e9\u05d5\u05e2\u05d4
\nMatz\u2019micha Keren Yeshuah<\/p>\n
Speedily cause the offspring of David, thy servant, to flourish, and let his horn be exalted by thy salvation, because we wait for thy salvation all the day. Blessed art thou, O Lord, who causest the horn of salvation to flourish. (Amidah 15)<\/p>\n
Messiah\u2019s Coming<\/p>\n
The fifteenth b\u2019rakhah of the Amidah concerns the coming of the Messiah. He is anointed to bring salvation. This longed-for salvation is associated with the liberation of the Jewish people from oppression. It will accompany a return to HaEretz (The Land), the restoration of the Davidic dynasty, and the rebuilding of the Temple. However, the mission of Messiah will be more far-reaching. He will come \u201cto redeem Israel from its servitude and from all its tribulations and to bring salvation to all humanity through the salvation of Israel\u201d (Klausner 12). No one can know when Messiah will come. It is not permissible either to calculate or to manipulate Scripture to deduce the date of his coming (Jacobs, Principles 368).
\nThe Messiah is a crucial figure within Judaism, and his coming to the world is an all-important hope. As Maimonides\u2019 Twelfth Principle states, \u201cI believe with perfect faith in the coming of the Messiah and, though he tarry, I will wait daily for his coming.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Person and Personality of Messiah<\/p>\n
The Talmud states that Messiah is one of seven things created before the world came into being (Pes. 54a). Nevertheless, he is most definitely human, not God. Klausner denies emphatically that Messiah is divine. His character, he says, \u201cgoes beyond the realm of human nature\u201d (465). Therefore, \u201chis kingdom is definitely a kingdom of this world\u201d (466). Jacobs goes further. He states that the Messiah will not be a redeemer, because only God can redeem. The Messiah-king will be \u201conly the leader of the redeemed people who will execute justice and righteousness upon earth\u201d (Principles 373).
\nThe personality of the Messiah will be exemplary. He will achieve the highest heights of humanity in character and in deeds. Sanhedrin 93b states that Isaiah is speaking of Messiah in the following verses: \u201cThe spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord\u201d (see Isa. 11:2). Klausner\u2019s comment on this passage is that he \u201cwill inherit the six gifts of the Holy Spirit\u201d (467). This is how we will recognize him when he comes.<\/p>\n
A Suffering Messiah?<\/p>\n
Christians find it difficult to understand why Jewish people do not recognize the messiahship of Yeshua from the words of the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah. Though traditional Judaism has not been comfortable with the idea of a suffering Messiah, it has recognized such a concept in the past. It is present in the \u201ctwo Messiahs\u201d idea. Messiah ben Joseph will suffer and die, whereas Messiah ben David will triumph and reign (Klausner 496\u201397). Most rabbis do not see Isaiah\u2019s suffering servant in messianic terms. Rather, they identify him as the nation of Israel.<\/p>\n
The Messianic Age<\/p>\n
The Messiah will usher in an era of righteousness and peace. This expectation is so strong that over the course of the centuries many have fixed their hopes on the messianic age rather than on the Messiah himself. What we should look for, people have argued, is a regime of political freedom, moral superiority, social justice, and above all\u2014peace. This peace will be for the whole human race, not only Israel. However, the Talmud clearly associates the messianic age with a person and sees his eventual coming as beyond doubt (Ber. 1:5).
\nThe scenario one can deduce from the Tanakh begins with a time of judgment and suffering in punishment for sin (the \u201cbirth pangs\u201d of the Messiah). Then follows a time of national repentance. After this, the Messiah will come and gather a remnant of the exiles. Messiah will abolish war, establishing a reign of righteousness, justice, and mercy. Some have associated this time with the giving of sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, with the lame leaping and the mute singing (Isa. 35:5\u20136). In other circles, there has been strong resistance to the idea of a miracle-working Messiah. By the time of Yeshua, the expectation was that Elijah would come first. Perhaps he would even be the one to anoint the Messiah. Hence, the custom developed of leaving an empty chair and a full cup for Elijah at the Passover seder.<\/p>\n
The Messianic Idea<\/p>\n
The messianic hope includes political as well as spiritual longings. Hence, says Klausner, the idea of two Messiahs developed. Mashiach ben Joseph will be the political leader, and Mashiach ben David the spiritual deliverer (11). However, there have been other voices. Hillel declared, \u201cThere shall be no Messiah for Israel, because they have already enjoyed him in the days of Hezekiah\u201d (San. 99a). Others have strongly disputed that view. In recent times, Jonathan Sacks has said that the messianic idea is central to Judaism. It \u201cdictates a life lived toward the future, just as the concept of revelation dictates a life lived toward the past. Judaism is defined between the twin poles of memory and anticipation\u201d (91).<\/p>\n
Yeshua, the Messiah<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout the Jewish Messiah, Judaism is defective; without the Christian Messiah, Christianity does not exist at all\u201d (Klausner 530). Klausner\u2019s comment is most perceptive. To believers in Yeshua, his messianic identity is not just one idea among many; it is central. He is everything, the only means of our salvation. He is the only object of our adoration. That is why we call ourselves \u201cMessianic.\u201d
\nIn the B\u2019rit Hadashah, we see the partial fulfillment of many of the promises of the Tanakh as well as the expectations of rabbinic tradition. The fulfillment is partial because there is more to come. When Messiah returns, he will complete the picture.
\nShim\u2019on knew he was holding the Messiah in his arms. \u201cI have seen with my own eyes your yeshu\u2019ah [salvation]\u201d (Luke 2:30). Yeshua himself claimed to be the anointed one spoken of by the prophet Isaiah (Luke 4:18\u201321).
\nSome acknowledged Yeshua\u2019s messiahship by naming him \u201cSon of David.\u201d That was the most common title for the Messiah. They believed that the miracles spoke for themselves (Matt. 9:27). Both Shim\u2019on Kefa (Simon Peter) and Marta (Martha) were among this number. When brought to a point of decision, they responded with the declaration \u201cYou are the Mashiach, the Son of the living God\u201d (Matt. 16:16).
\nYeshua used Kefa\u2019s declaration to lead straight into teaching about his coming suffering and death. He wanted them to understand that, in the short term, the path led downhill.
\nAfter his resurrection, he rebuked the two on the Amma\u2019us (Emmaus) road: \u201cFoolish people! So unwilling to put your trust in everything the prophets spoke! Didn\u2019t the Messiah have to die like this before entering his glory?\u201d (Luke 24:25\u201326). He then backed up his words from different parts of the Tanakh.
\nThe Ethiopian eunuch found the words of Isaiah 53 remarkable. \u201cIs the prophet talking about himself or someone else?\u201d he asked Philip. There was no question in his mind but that the subject of the text was an individual. Philip was quite clear in his answer. \u201cBeginning with that passage, he went on to tell him the Good News about Yeshua\u201d (Acts 8:32\u201335).
\nYeshua hinted at his preexistence in the words \u201cBefore Abraham came into being, I AM!\u201d (John 8:58). Yochanan understood this truth. \u201cThe Word was \u2026 with God in the beginning\u2026. The Word became a human being and lived with us\u201d (John 1:2, 14).
\nPeople marveled that no one ever spoke like this man before (John 7:46). His miracles offered evidence of his nature. When Yochanan the Immerser\u2019s followers came to Yeshua to ask if he was the expected one, he sent them back with a clear message. \u201cGo, tell Yochanan what you have been seeing and hearing: the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara\u2019at [leprosy] are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, the Good News is being told to the poor\u201d (Luke 7:22).
\nTraditional expectations of Messiah differed from reality. The writer to Messianic Jews (Hebrews) states that the one who was with God before creation, and who provided purification for sins, was God\u2019s own Son (Heb. 1:2\u20133). Yochanan wrote that the one who was with God in the beginning, and who lived among us, was no less than God Himself (John 1:1).
\nYeshua taught at length about the messianic kingdom, but he saw it in less earthly terms than Judaism finds acceptable. For him, the kingdom was not primarily concerned with this world (John 18:36). The kingdom is within and among ordinary people in everyday situations (Luke 17:21). For many Jewish people, seemingly locked into a cycle of disaster and pain, that is not good enough. The promise of inner peace is meaningful when you have it but incomprehensible when you do not (John 14:27).
\nYeshua\u2019s identity as Messiah makes complete sense only in the context of the future. The promises have not all been fulfilled. The world is not at peace. The visible Christian Church, to its shame, has often brought more pain than gain to the Jewish people. The New Covenant of Jeremiah has not been fully revealed. We wait for another messianic coming. \u201cThis Yeshua, who has been taken away from you into heaven, will come back to you in just the same way as you saw him go into heaven\u201d (Acts 1:11). The messianic age that is coming will be glorious beyond all imagining (1 Cor. 2:9). On the throne will be the Messiah\u2014Yeshua. This is the hope that messianic believers\u2014both Jewish and non-Jewish\u2014embrace.
\nThe proclamations and events surrounding his birth were startling. His claims, his character, and his deeds defied explanation. His teaching, his death, and his resurrection were unique. All these speak of one who was either a charlatan or the genuine article. Others have written at length to prove that Yeshua is the Messiah. It is not the purpose of this book to add to their number. The important question is this: if we believe that the case for his messiahship has been proven, what are the implications for our lives?<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
If it is true that \u201cGod has made him both Lord and Messiah\u2014this Yeshua\u201d (Acts 2:36), then nothing can ever be the same again. Our focus is now on a person who suffered and died to procure our forgiveness and our life. All our hopes now rest on him whose name is \u201csalvation.\u201d He is our only security. One day he will return to establish the messianic kingdom of righteousness and peace. In the meantime, he claims total authority over us as Lord.
\nThe question \u201cWho am I?\u201d absorbs many in Western society. This question is insignificant beside the larger question \u201cWho is Yeshua?\u201d If he is who he claimed to be, then he deserves to be the center and focus of our lives. Then the question \u201cWho am I?\u201d will lose its urgency. I am who I am in him. Ultimately, nothing else matters.<\/p>\n
A child is born to us,
\na son is given to us;
\ndominion will rest on his shoulders,
\nand he will be given the name
\nPele-Yo\u2019etz El Gibbor
\nAvi-\u2018Ad Sar-Shalom
\n[Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God,
\nFather of Eternity, Prince of Peace]. (Isa. 9:5[6])<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Yeshua, my Messiah, my Savior, and my Lord, be the center of my life. Be the voice I hear in the night, the light I see in the morning. Be the hand I reach out to, the treasure I hold most dear. Be all to me and be in all for me.<\/p>\n
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sent Yeshua, your Son, to be our Savior, our Redeemer\u2014our Messiah.<\/p>\n
Chapter 18<\/p>\n
Who Restores His Divine Presence to Zion<\/p>\n
\u05d4\u05de\u05d7\u05d6\u05d9\u05e8 \u05e9\u05db\u05d9\u05e0\u05ea\u05d5 \u05dc\u05e6\u05d9\u05d5\u05df
\nHaMachazir Sh\u2019khinato l\u2019Tzion<\/p>\n
Favorably receive, O Lord our God, Thy people Israel and their prayer,
\nRestore the worship to Thy Temple in Zion,
\nReceive with love and favor the offerings of Israel and their prayer,
\nAnd may the worship of Thy people Israel always be favorably received by Thee.
\nMay our eyes behold Thy return to Zion in mercy.
\nBlessed art Thou, Lord, who restores His Divine Presence to Zion. (Amidah 17)<\/p>\n
A Love Affair<\/p>\n
\u201cOver and over again in the Talmud,\u201d states Abraham Cohen, \u201cstress is laid upon the intimate and unique relationship that exists between God and His people\u201d (62). This special relationship is one of the threads running through the entire Bible. God describes Israel as \u201cmy firstborn son\u201d and \u201cthe very pupil of my eye\u201d (Exod. 4:22; Zech. 2:12[8]). In a time of failure, God\u2019s cry to Israel was \u201cOf all the families on earth, only you have I intimately known\u201d (Amos 3:2). Talmudic claims about the uniqueness and intimacy of the relationship between God and Israel rest upon the Tanakh. It is a love relationship. At its best, the love is on both sides: \u201cThe rabbis believed that God and Israel were united by a passionate love on both sides\u201d (Montefiore and Loewe 58). At times, there even seems to be a suggestion that God\u2019s continuing love is contingent upon Israel\u2019s continuing love. \u201cYou have made me the only object of your love in the world, so I shall make you the only object of my love in the world to come\u201d (Ber. 6a).<\/p>\n
God\u2019s Love for Israel<\/p>\n
God has demonstrated his love for Israel in many ways. His redemptive acts at the Exodus from Egypt were for a specific purpose\u2014that he might live among his people. \u201cThey are to make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them\u201d (Exod. 25:8). The Sh\u2019khinah was a mark of his favor, the visible representation of his presence. His people possess a confident expectation that God will restore his presence. \u201cBlessed are you, O Lord,\u201d says the seventeenth b\u2019rakhah of the Amidah, quoted above, \u201cwho restores your divine presence to Zion.\u201d
\nGod showed his love to Israel in another way\u2014he entrusted them with the Torah at Sinai. \u201cBeloved are Israel, for they were called children of the All-present \u2026 for unto them was given the desirable instrument [Torah]\u201d (Av. 3:18). Israel sees this mark of trust and love as a great privilege as well as a responsibility.
\nGod will always be a faithful lover, true to his covenant and his promises. \u201cThe Lord our God and the God of our fathers for all eternity \u2026 the Strength of our lives, the Shield of our deliverance\u201d (Amidah 18). He will always be there for us when we call upon him. \u201cThou art a God who hears prayers \u2026 Thou hearest the prayer of Thy people Israel with compassion\u201d (Amidah 16). The liturgy is full of this confidence. No matter what disasters befall, the certainty of God\u2019s faithfulness to Israel looks to the ultimate future. \u201cAll Israel has a share in the world to come\u201d (San. 10:1), because the love of God for Israel is an \u201ceverlasting love\u201d (Jer. 31:2[3]), a mother love (Isa. 49:15). What love could be more permanent? What love could be stronger?
\nMany have asked, why did God choose this particular people? The Tanakh makes it clear that the choice was not based on merit. Was it favoritism? The rabbis have felt it necessary to offer some sort of explanation that does not present God as unjust. According to Jewish tradition, the Torah was first offered to all the other nations but they, one after another, refused the privilege. Only then did God turn to little Israel, who accepted the burden (Cohen 65).<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s Love for God<\/p>\n
Israel has had a deep sense of gratitude for being God\u2019s chosen people. This gratitude is accompanied by a sense of privilege for being entrusted with Torah: \u201cBy the light of Thy presence have you given us \u2026 a Torah of life\u201d (Amidah 19). The proper response to love is love: \u201cYou are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources\u201d (Deut. 6:5). Among the Hasidim, joy, dance, and spontaneity characterize worship and demonstrate the love of God. However, most rabbis have taught that we show love for God by our observance of Torah (Cohen 142). They are referring to the entire Tanakh as well as the talmudic tradition. In other words, what we do is of more value than what we feel or believe. Yeshua taught, \u201cIf you love me, you will keep my commands\u201d (John 14:15). Likewise, we read, \u201cFaith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead\u201d (James 2:17).<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s Longings<\/p>\n
Israel\u2019s longings arise from the promises of the Tanakh. Central to these longings have been those promises concerned with the land of Israel. Telushkin puts it this way: \u201cThe land is central to the relationship between God and the Jews\u201d (567). This yearning for the land has echoed through two thousand years of exile. Judah Halevi, the twelfth-century Spanish poet, expressed it lyrically: \u201cMy heart is in the East, and I am in the furthermost West. How then can I taste what I eat? And how can food be sweet to me \u2026 while Zion is in fetters \u2026 and I am in Arab chains?\u201d (My Heart is in the East) Even for those who were able to travel to the Land, there was no comfort in seeing its desolation.<\/p>\n
We raised our eyes to see her but could not recognize her, so wasted did she look. She had lost her shape, her form was gone; she was bound in chains and weighed down by her fetters. We raised our voices in lament for the desecration of Mount Moriah. (\u201cLament for Zion,\u201d anonymous tenth-century poem)<\/p>\n
That longing still finds expression in the familiar words spoken toward the close of the Passover seder: \u201cL\u2019 shanah haba\u2019ah b\u2019Yerushalayim\u201d (\u201cNext year in Jerusalem\u201d).
\nThe Temple is central to the longing for the land and the city: \u201cRestore the worship to Thy Temple in Zion\u201d (Amidah 17). With the rebuilding of the Temple will come the return of God\u2019s presence to Zion. \u201cThe name of the city will be ADONAI Shamah [ADONAI is there]\u201d (Ezek. 48:35). The Messiah will come and establish the reign of righteousness (Amidah 15). Then will come the peace and justice for which Israel has so long cried. \u201cEstablish peace, well-being, blessing, grace, loving kindness, and mercy upon us, and upon all Israel Thy people\u201d (Amidah 19). \u201cRule over us, Thou alone, O Lord with kindness and mercy, and vindicate us in the judgment\u201d (Amidah 11). The Jewish people long for peace in a world where they have never been safe. They long for justice in a world where they have always been the oppressed. They long for their Land in a world where they have for so long been wanderers and seen as intruders, \u201clike a vessel nobody wants\u201d (Hos. 8:8).<\/p>\n
The Meaning of Chosenness<\/p>\n
Chosenness is not favoritism. God loves the entire human race: \u201cThat the righteous of all peoples will inherit the bliss of the Hereafter is the accepted doctrine of rabbinic Judaism\u201d (Cohen 71). God\u2019s choice of Israel does not mean that he hates or rejects everyone else. Neither do Jewish people believe that Israel is superior in any way: \u201cChosenness has nothing in common with doctrines of racial or ethnic superiority\u201d (Telushkin 298).
\nGod made his purpose clear to Abraham: \u201cBy you all the families of the earth will be blessed\u201d (Gen. 12:3). Isaiah reissued the charge: \u201cI will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth\u201d (Isa. 49:6). God chose Israel to be a beacon to the peoples of the world, to be the medium through which God\u2019s blessing would reach out to all. Sometimes the darkness of suffering has obscured the vision. However, it has never been totally forgotten. Isidore Epstein stated, \u201cBefore our ancestors took their stand at the foot of Mount Sinai to receive the Law, they were invited to become not only a holy nation but also a kingdom of priests, acting as priests for the rest of mankind\u201d (89). Included in the priestly ministry has been guarding and sharing Torah as well as being a witness to the unique, holy, righteous God. These have been Israel\u2019s supreme gifts to the world. \u201cWe must indeed regard it as a great privilege to have been chosen by God to be the principal builders of his kingdom \u2026 but this privilege carries with it great responsibilities\u201d (Epstein 93\u201394).<\/p>\n
Chosenness Is Uncomfortable Sometimes<\/p>\n
An old Yiddish proverb goes like this: \u201cYou have chosen us from among all nations\u2014what, O God, did you have against us?\u201d Tevye, in Fiddler on the Roof, protested to God, \u201cOnce in a while, can\u2019t you choose someone else?\u201d
\nChosenness was never intended by God to be the passport to an easy life. It has always carried enormous responsibilities and demanded the highest standards for Israel. God testified to his people, \u201cOf all the families of earth, only you have I intimately known. That is why I will punish you for all your crimes\u201d (Amos 3:2). The people who represent God as his priesthood must be like him; otherwise, the world sees a distorted image. God has had to work on his people: \u201cI have refined you, \u2026 tested you in the furnace of affliction\u201d (Isa. 48:10). Suffering has been the lot of Israel. Recognizing this, the rabbis have ruefully acknowledged, \u201cThree precious gifts did the Holy One, blessed be he, bestow upon Israel, and all of them he gave only through the medium of suffering. They are Torah, the land of Israel, and the World to Come\u201d (Ber. 5a).<\/p>\n
Yeshua and the Jewish People<\/p>\n
Yeshua came to the Jewish people embodying the fulfillment of all their hopes\u2014for themselves and for the world. Some of this fulfillment has been experienced already; other aspects are yet to come. We see him weeping over Jerusalem because he is Jewish and he loves Jerusalem. We see him touching and transforming Gentiles as well as Jews because he loves all people. His Father sent him, \u201cso that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life\u201d (John 3:16).
\nThis universal mission, however, did not cancel Israel\u2019s calling. Sha\u2019ul saw clearly that Israel\u2019s task was unfinished. Israel\u2019s \u201ccasting Yeshua aside\u201d has led to the bringing of many Gentiles into the Kingdom. Just think, he argued, what Israel\u2019s receiving him will mean! Surely that will be nothing less than \u201clife from the dead\u201d (Rom. 11:15). This is not just a pious hope. Israel surely will receive Messiah Yeshua, the Savior, and \u201call Isra\u2019el will be saved\u201d (Rom. 11:26).
\nSome may wish that Israel would simply disappear. Many in the Church claim to have displaced Israel as God\u2019s chosen people. However, the B\u2019rit Hadashah lends no credence to these imaginings, for \u201cGod\u2019s free gifts and his calling are irrevocable\u201d (Rom. 11:29). Israel remains God\u2019s chosen.<\/p>\n
For Thought<\/p>\n
Being a Jewish believer in Yeshua can be confusing. The Jewish community says, \u201cThat\u2019s impossible. You cannot be Jewish and believe in Jesus.\u201d The Church alternates between a sentimental \u201cHow wonderful\u201d and an insensitive \u201cNow that you believe, you\u2019re no longer Jewish.\u201d No wonder that Messianic Jews frequently seek the company of other Messianic Jews. Being Jewish is a communal experience. However, let us not lose sight of the purpose of choice. In these days, why is God calling out this Messianic Jewish remnant? How can this minority within a minority fulfill his purposes, not only within Israel, but also among the worldwide Body of Messiah? We need to wrestle with these questions.<\/p>\n
This is what ADONAI says,
\nwho gives the sun as light for the day,
\nwho ordained the laws for the moon and stars
\nto provide light for the night,
\nwho stirs up the sea until its waves roar\u2014
\nADONAI-Tzva\u2019ot is his name:
\n\u201cIf these laws leave my presence,\u201d says ADONAI,
\n\u201cthen the offspring of Isra\u2019el will stop being
\na nation in my presence forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is what ADONAI says:
\n\u201cIf the sky above can be measured
\nand the foundations of the earth be fathomed,
\nthen I will reject all the offspring of Isra\u2019el
\nfor all that they have done,\u201d says ADONAI. (Jer. 31:34\u201336[35\u201337])<\/p>\n
A Prayer<\/p>\n
Lord, help me to see, from your perspective, what is happening in the land of Israel. Show me and the community of which I am a part our role in the Body of Messiah, so that we may soon see the fulfillment of all your purposes.<\/p>\n
May your blessing rest upon your people Israel. May the light of your presence, your Sh\u2019khinah, hover over us. You have given us so much. You have given the world so much through us. May we be a true reflection of your holiness, your righteousness, your graciousness, and your love. Restore, O Lord, your people Israel to yourself, and grant us your peace. Blessed are you, O Lord, who will restore your divine presence to Zion.<\/p>\n
Final Thoughts\u2014Cultivating a Heart for God<\/p>\n
May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be acceptable in your presence, ADONAI, my Rock and Redeemer. (Ps. 19:15[14])<\/p>\n
\u201cA b\u2019rakhah is not a mindless incantation\u201d (Forst 67). Attitude is all-important. These concluding words of the Amidah, from the last verse of Psalm 19, reaffirm the conviction that words alone are not enough; the attitude of my heart and my inner thought life must also be pleasing to God. The Amidah ends with a time of silent prayer that has inspired many gems of devotional thought. We find some of them in b\u2019rakhot 16b and 17a. Rabbi Eleazar said, \u201cMay it be thy will, O Lord our God \u2026 that the reverence of thy Name be ever the longing of our heart.\u201d Rabbi Alexander expressed this thought more poetically. \u201cMay it be thy will, O Lord our God, to place us in a corner of light and not in a corner of darkness; and may our hearts not grow faint, nor our eyes dim.\u201d This reminds us of the words of Yeshua: \u201cI am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life\u201d (John 8:12). Listen to Rabbi Chiyya: \u201cMay thy Torah be our occupation, and make us wholehearted in reverencing thee.\u201d It is not enough to merely abstain from evil; we must be proactive and do what is good (Ps. 34:15[14]). Perhaps best known is the prayer of Mar ben Rabina, which became incorporated into the concluding meditation during the fourth century C.E.:<\/p>\n
My God, guard my tongue from evil, and my lips from speaking with deceit.
\nLet my soul be silent to them that curse me; yea, let my soul be as the dust unto all.
\nOpen my heart to thy Torah, and let my soul pursue thy commandments.
\nAnd all who think evil against me, quickly annul their designs and frustrate their intentions.<\/p>\n
Guarding the Tongue<\/p>\n
Silence under persecution is not easy, as Jewish people have had ample opportunity to discover. Messianic Jews have often experienced the pain of being seen as outcasts by the Jewish community. For those who experience rejection because of their faith, Yeshua has a word: \u201cBlessed are those who are persecuted because they pursue righteousness!\u201d (Matt. 5:10).
\nLashon hara (an evil tongue) is a major cause of disruption in human relationships. Donin states, \u201cThere is nothing more crucial to the true spiritual life and the establishment of harmony among people than controlling the tongue\u201d (105). As we have just prayed for the peace of all Israel (Amidah 19), we recognize our own required contribution to that peace in the community. James was in tune with Jewish thought when he wrote, \u201cAnyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing\u201d (James 1:26).
\nLater, an additional prayer was added to the concluding words of the Amidah:<\/p>\n
Do it for the sake of thy Name, for the sake of thy might, for the sake of thy holiness, for the sake of thy Torah. In order that thy loved ones may be saved, save me through thy might and answer my prayer. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to thee, O God my Strength and my Redeemer. May he who makes peace in the heavens, make peace for us and for all Israel, and say Amen.<\/p>\n
Devekut<\/p>\n
The root of the word devekut means to cling, to cleave, or to keep close. Forst translates it as \u201cattachment to God\u201d (25). In Deuteronomy 11:22, we read that God requires his people to love the Lord, to follow all his ways, and to cling to him. Yeshua reckoned that the commandment to love God with all one\u2019s heart, soul, and strength is the greatest of all the mitzvot (Matt. 22:37\u201338).
\nThere has been some discussion about the meaning of the instruction to cling to God. Ibn Ezra\u2019s interpretation was that devekut is something that will not be achieved until death. Maimonides taught that most of us can achieve devekut only in the private place of prayer. Nachmanides, on the other hand, said that the commandment is for now, that devekut means being mindful of God and his love all the time, in every area of life. Whatever we are doing, he said, we are conscious of being in the presence of God. Sacks comments, \u201cThe suffusion of man\u2019s social existence with his covenantal intimacy with God is for Nachmanides a this-worldly possibility.\u201d It was the Hasidim, however, who brought the possibility of achieving devekut into the lives of ordinary members of the community. They believe it is possible for every Jewish person to know right now what it is to cling to God (Sacks 240\u201341).
\nSha\u2019ul, like Ibn Ezra, shows an awareness that there is a dimension of spiritual experience we cannot know until after our death: \u201cTo go off and be with the Messiah\u2014that is better by far\u201d (Phil. 1:23). However, Sha\u2019ul kept his feet firmly planted on the ground. For him, as for Nachmanides, it was important that, while one studies Torah and engages in public worship, everything one does or says should be in the Lord\u2019s name (Col. 3:17).
\nDevekut has been the goal of the Jewish people. The Talmud exhorts us to read and study Torah, not as a means to an end, but purely as an act of love. This is what it means to have God\u2019s words written on the table of one\u2019s heart (Nedarim 62a). It is part of the New Covenant promise, of which Yeshua claimed to be the fulfillment. Only God himself can write his Torah on our hearts. However, he needs our cooperation, our desire, our love\u2014in short, our devekut. The poet Judah Halevi put it like this:<\/p>\n
Ever since you were the home of love for me,
\nmy love has lived where you have lived. (The Home of Love)<\/p>\n
When I am far from you my life is death;
\nbut if I cling to you, my death is life. (For the Day of Atonement)<\/p>\n
The early Hasidim believed that devekut was a missing dimension in traditional Judaism. They saw a difference between studying Torah and living a life of attachment to, and love for, God. The one is of the mind, while the other is of the heart. The mind can be cold; the heart should burn with enthusiasm for God. For the Hasidim, devekut means that \u201cideally man should always have God in his thoughts, seeing beneath appearances only the divine vitality which infuses all things\u201d (Jacobs, Hasidic Prayer 21).
\nYeshua taught that, because he is one with the Father and we are one with him, we are one with the Father (John 14:20). For Messianic believers\u2014Jewish and Gentile\u2014Yeshua transforms that ideal of oneness with God into reality.<\/p>\n
Knowing God<\/p>\n
Our goal is to \u201cknow\u201d God. Bar Kappara stated that Proverbs 3:6 is a brief passage of Scripture upon which all the principles of Torah depend: \u201cIn all your ways acknowledge [know] him, and he will level your paths\u201d (Ber. 63a). The b\u2019rakhot are a form of prayer. They are central in the life of the religious Jewish person. Prayer is itself an indication of the desire to know God in all one\u2019s ways.
\nSha\u2019ul testified that he gave up everything of value in this life for the goal\u2014\u201cto know him\u201d (Phil. 3:10). For Sha\u2019ul, knowing Messiah meant entering into the \u201cfellowship of his sufferings\u201d and \u201cthe power of his resurrection.\u201d \u201cKnowing,\u201d in this sense, is not cerebral. It is an intimate relationship, as between a husband and a wife.<\/p>\n
Drawing Near<\/p>\n
True prayer is surely a drawing near to God. Listen to Judah Halevi again:<\/p>\n
I have sought to come near to you,
\nI have called to you with all my heart.
\n(Lord, Where Shall I Find You?)<\/p>\n
Hirsch encourages us \u201cto strive through love to draw near to God\u201d (359). He ties that drawing near with obedience to Torah. This is how we cling to God, how we know him\u2014by walking in his ways.
\nJudaism teaches that this is the purpose of humanity\u2019s creation\u2014to glorify God by the manner in which we live our lives. Luzzatto put it like this: \u201cThe chief function of man in this world is to keep the mitzvot, to worship God, and to withstand trial.\u201d He went on to say, \u201cAll man\u2019s strivings should be directed towards the Creator, blessed be he\u201d (Leviant 559). Drawing near is more than feeling; it is doing. \u201cThe goal of all creation is the clinging of man to godliness\u201d (Forst 26).
\nGod promises to respond to us when we draw near. \u201cCome to me,\u201d says Yeshua, \u201c\u2026 and you will find rest for your souls\u201d (Matt. 11:28\u201329). The tearing of the curtain before the Most Holy Place means, in one word, access. We may draw near, though not because we are acceptable in ourselves. Our Messiah opened the way when he gave his life for us.<\/p>\n
Devekut and Holiness<\/p>\n
Holiness is not an abstract idea. It is an objective practice \u201cembodied in the concrete, the finite\u201d (Sacks 273). We draw near as we recite the b\u2019rakhot. In doing so, we should be devoting our whole lives to God. \u201cAll our acts can be imbued with holiness\u201d (Forst 26). That is sanctification indeed. \u201cLet all thy actions be for the Name of Heaven,\u201d said R. Jose (Av. 2:17). Nothing has any worth unless we do it to serve God. Believing in God, submitting to God, and practicing the mitzvot are inseparable. \u201cIf you love me,\u201d said Yeshua, \u201cyou will keep my commands\u201d (John 14:15). It is as simple as that! \u201cFaith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead\u201d (James 2:17).
\nThe leaders of the Safed movement saw devekut differently. Their searching for God was a matter of great intensity. They felt they could only carry out this search in solitary contemplation. They practiced withdrawal, not only from society, but also from the body, seeking an ecstatic experience. This is not typical of Judaism, which sets a high value on the practice of the mitzvot in community. For the religious Jewish person, \u201ceternity is not a refuge into which he wants to escape. It is something he wants to incorporate into the world\u201d (Sacks 273). Yeshua taught the value of private prayer, but not as a purely subjective activity. Prayer is a means of making contact with God, so that he can have his way in our lives and in his world. God taking pleasure in me is far more important than me taking pleasure in God.<\/p>\n
Devekut and Awe<\/p>\n
Another aspect of devekut is awe of God. This awe should suffuse the whole of life. Ideally, there is never a moment when we are not conscious that God is in heaven and we are on earth. This is particularly true when we study the Torah or address God in prayer. \u201cB\u2019rachos [blessings] are inextricably tied to the awe and reverence that man is to experience in his relations to the Creator\u201d (Forst 26). That is why we ought not to make a b\u2019rakhah while doing something else. We should not interrupt a b\u2019rakhah. Even our \u201camen\u201d should be neither perfunctory nor hurried.
\nYeshua, the Son of God, fell on his face when he prayed in Gethsemane. Nothing could be more indicative of respect\u2014of awe. He had continuous, open access to El Shaddai. He had an intimate relationship with Adonai Elohim, addressing him as Abba (Dad). Yet, he bowed to the ground before the Father. Obedience flows from awe and respect, and so we hear him say, \u201cNot what I want, but what you want\u201d (Matt. 26:39).
\nDo we hold God in awe? Our attitude and obedient lives will reveal it.<\/p>\n
Who Can Bless God?<\/p>\n
You who live in the shelter of \u2018Elyon,
\nwho spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai,
\nwho say to ADONAI, \u201cMy refuge! My fortress!
\nMy God, in whom I trust!\u201d \u2026<\/p>\n
Because he loves me, I will rescue him;
\nbecause he knows my name, I will protect him.
\nHe will call on me, and I will answer him.
\nI will be with him when he is in trouble.
\nI will extricate him and bring him honor.
\nI will satisfy him with long life
\nand show him my salvation. (Ps. 91:1\u20132, 14\u201316)<\/p>\n
So, Let Us Bless the Lord!<\/p>\n
Fount of my life! I bless thee while I live,
\nAnd sing my song to thee while being is mine!
\n(Halevi, Song of the Oppressed)<\/p>\n
My soul and my flesh wait for him and pant after him,
\nMy Joy and my Portion, my Cup and my Maker,
\nWhom when I remember and mention, I feel
\nThat nothing is more fitted for my soul\u2019s happiness
\nThan blessing the Name of the eternal God. (Gabirol, Prayer)<\/p>\n
Bless ADONAI, my soul!
\nEverything in me, bless his holy Name! (Ps. 103:1\u20132)<\/p>\n
@book{Lipson_2004,
\nplace={Baltimore, MD},
\ntitle={Blessing the king of the universe: transforming your life through the practice of biblical praise},
\npublisher={Messianic Jewish Publishers},
\nauthor={Lipson, Irene},
\nyear={2004}}<\/p>\n
Exportiert aus Verbum, 15:33 3. April 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
<<< Chapter 1 Pray As Yeshua Did Asked to fill in a form including a little box marked \u201creligion,\u201d Yeshua would unhesitatingly have checked the box marked \u201cJewish.\u201d He was not a Christian. \u201cChristian\u201d was the name given to his early followers after Gentiles started believing in large numbers (Acts 11:26). Yeshua was born, lived, … <\/p>\n