Beth Yeshua Messianic
Congregation
Shabbat Service, Saturday May 4, 2013
An Introduction to Up Coming Bible
Studies at Beth Yeshua
Torah, Haftorah and B’rit Chadasha
http://www.bethyeshua-idaho.com/
Before We Go to Our New Studies
of the Scripture Readings
It would be important for me first
to define the terminology of what I
will be saying before I give a
“drash” on the “parsha.”
We MUST Realize: The Bible AS A
WHOLE is a Hebraic Work – from
B’resheet, to Revelation!
The Autographs Were ALL Penned
by Hebrews (except perhaps the
Books of Luke and Acts who were
penned by Luke, a historian, who
was possibly not a Hebrew, but
initially a convert to Judaism).
Therefore to Understand
the Entire Bible,
We MUST approach it from
the Hebraic perspective…
Even Rabbi Sha’ul’s (Paul’s)
EVEN the Writings of Shaliach Sha’ul
(Apostle Paul) – who was trained by
Rabbi Gamliel, the grandson of Rabbi
Hillel of the Pharisaical school of Hillel!
Acts 22:3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but
brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel
according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers,
being zealous for God as all of you are this day.”
He Wrote His Epistles to NONJewish (Greek) Ecclesiae in Koine
Greek
That is: As a Hebrew writing from a
Hebrew World-view (Hebrew thinking)
to Greeks to their Greek World-view
(Greek thinking).
Whenever there is a Translation
From one World-view to another OR
from one Language to another, there is
ALWAYS “Something lost in the
translation.”
We Shall See This as We Go
Through the Study of the Word!
The message today is NOT about
subject…it is to define the terminology
and approach that we shall be using as
we go through the D’rash of the
Parshot each Shabbat.
Those of You Who Have Attended…
…Messianic or Traditional synagogues
or our Wednesday Evening Torah
Studies before probably know these
terms, but for those who have not, I
must do this before I go any further.
Please be Patient With Me…
I am asking those who know the
following material to please be
patient as I define these terms for
those who don’t.
To Those Who Are Hearing These
Things for the First Time…
I am NOT Saying, “Just Trust Me…”
I am saying that I’ll be able to answer
the questions you may have in time
and you won’t be disappointed.
BUT, We HAVE to Define Terms
FIRST
Or, I shall lose people at the very
beginning when I begin to use Hebrew
Terms!
The Words “Parsha” (singular) or
(“Parshot” –plural)
Are transliterations of the Hebrew
words into English, so it can be
spelled differently. They can also
be spelled – parashah (sing.) and
parashot or parashiyot (pl.)
Definition of a “Parsha”
Formally means a section (portion)
of a biblical book in the Masoretic
text of the TaNaKh.
The Word TaNaKh…
…Is an Acronym made from the
First Letters of Three Hebrew
Words.
(An acronym is an abbreviation formed
from the initial components in a phrase or
a word.)
We use Acronyms in our own
language: for example - IBM for
International Business Machines or
CEO for Chief Executive Officer of a
Corporation.
TaNaKh
T = Torah – “Instruction/Teaching”
– NOT “Law”
N = Neviim – “prophets”
K = Kethuvim – “writings”
Yeshua Speaks of These Three
Divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures
Luke 24: 25 He said to them, “Foolish
people! So unwilling to put your trust in
everything the prophets spoke! 26 Didn’t
the Messiah have to die like this before
entering his glory?” 27 Then, starting with
Moshe and all the prophets, he explained
to them the things that can be found
throughout the Tanakh concerning himself.
Luke 24:44
Yeshua said to them, “This is what I
meant when I was still with you and
told you that everything written about
me in the Torah of Moshe, the
Prophets and the Psalms had to be
fulfilled.”
Divisions of the TaNaKh
The division of the text into parashot
for the biblical books is independent
of chapter and verse numbers, which
are not part of the Masoretic
tradition. Parashot are not numbered,
but have special names.
You Will See the Hebrew Names of
the Biblical Books
In the Complete Jewish Bible, by Dr.
David Stern, and perhaps versions, you
will see TWO NAMES for EACH BOOK of
the Hebrew Scriptures (known by many
Christians as the “Old” Testament) – I
prefer the term “Older” Testament.
The Hebrew name of the Book…
…is derived from a Hebrew word
or words generally found in the
first paragraph of that Book.
For Instance:
The First Book of the Bible is the
Hebrew
word
B’resheet
(B’rayshith), meaning “In (B’) the
Beginning (resh from rosh head).”
Alongside of the Hebrew word
B’resheet/B’rayshith is the word
Genesis - from the Latin Vulgate,
in turn borrowed or transliterated
from the Koine Greek word
(meaning “origin”).
In The Christian Bible
The Hebrew Scriptures (“Older”
Testament Books) are entitled by their
names which originated from the
Septuagint (LXX - Koine Greek
translation of the “Older” Testament).
The Septuagint - LXX
…is an ancient translation of the
Hebrew Bible and some related
texts into Koine Greek, dated as
early as the late 2nd century BCE.
Meaning of the Word Septuagint
The Septuagint derives its name
from
the
Latin
versio
septuaginta
interpretum,
“translation of the seventy
interpreters,”
or
simply
“translation of the seventy.”
The Septuagint - LXX
The traditional story is that Ptolemy II sponsored
the translation by seventy or seventy-two Jewish
scholars for use by the many Alexandrian Jews
who were not fluent in Hebrew but fluent in Koine
Greek, which was the lingua franca of Alexandria,
Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean from the
death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE (before
the Common Era) until the development of
Byzantine Greek around 600 CE (Common Era).
A version of the legend is found in the Tractate
Megillah of the Babylonian Talmud:
“King Ptolemy once gathered 72 Elders. He placed
them in 72 chambers, each of them in a separate
one, without revealing to them why they were
summoned. He entered each one's room and said:
"Write for me the Torah of Moshe, your teacher."
God put it in the heart of each one to translate
identically as all the others did.”
Tractate Megillah, pages 9a-9b. The Talmud identifies fifteen specific unusual
translations made by the scholars, but only two of these translations are found in the
extant LXX (Roman numerals for the number 70).
The Septuagint (LXX) is the
Translation of the TaNaKh…
…That is MOSTLY (if not always)
quoted by the Writers of the
Apostolic Writings (“Newer”
Testament).
Weekly Torah Portion
“Parashat ha-Shavua (week)”
Popularly known just as parashah (or
parshah)
As With Each Book of the Bible, Each
weekly Torah portion adopts its name
from one of the first unique words in the
Hebrew text.
Dating back to the time of the Babylonian
captivity (6th century BCE), public Torah
reading mostly followed an annual cycle
beginning and ending on the Jewish holiday
of Simchat Torah, with the Torah divided into
54 weekly portions to correspond to the
lunisolar Hebrew calendar, which contains
up to 55 weeks, the exact number varying
between leap years and regular years.
Annual Cycle of Torah Readings
The annual cycle of parashot takes
us all the way from B’rayshith
(Genesis)
1:1
to
Devarim
(Deuteronomy) 34:12 in one year.
In a Strictly Solar Calendar
We know there are 52 weeks in a
solar year – with every 4th year (leap
year) adding one day to the month
of February.
But because there are always 54
Weekly portions, we will see some
Shabbats that have TWO Parashot!
As we would have today, since our
assigned parashot readings are
B’har (“on the mountain”) and
B’chukotai (“By (“on” or “in”) My
statutes”).
However, In Our Congregation
Since Simchat Torah (“Joy of the
Torah”) last year (2012) we have
been following the triennial cycle.
[There was also an ancient triennial
cycle of readings practiced in some
parts of the world.]
The Triennial Cycle
Many congregations have implemented
an alternative triennial cycle in which
only one-third of each weekly parashah
is read in a given year; the parashot
read are still consistent with the annual
cycle but the entire Torah is completed
over a three year period.
In Other Words:
We are STILL reading the SAME
PARSHOT as those reading the
Annual Cycle, BUT we are reading
only the final 1/3 of that SAME
Parsha, instead of the WHOLE
Parsha!
So Today, We Read
The LAST 1/3 of a Double
Parsha.
We Read the end of Parsha
Bechukotai – V’yikrah
(Leviticus) 27:1-34.
Since We Completed the Book of
V’yikrah (Leviticus)
It is Traditional, when completing
any book of the Torah to say the
words,
“Hazak, Hazak, V’Nit’chazek”
“Be Strong, Be Strong, and let us be
Strengthened!”
As We Have Done Today, after the
Reading of the Torah Portion
On each Sabbath and on Jewish
festivals and fast days in the
Synagogue, the parsha reading
is followed by the reading of the
Haftarah.
The Word Haftarah or Haftoroh
Which means "parting," "taking
leave", plural haftarot) is a series of
selections from the books of Nevi'im
("Prophets") of the Hebrew Bible
(TaNaKh) that is publicly read in
synagogue as part of Jewish religious
practice.
Thematically Linked
Typically, the haftarah is thematically
linked to the parasha (Torah portion)
that precedes it.
The theme may be based upon subject
matter or on a “remez” (hint) found in
the parasha. (We will investigate those
terms when we talk about Hermeneutics
in future Bible Studies.)
The Origin of the Haftorah
Reading…
…Is lost to history, and several theories
have been proposed to explain its role
in Jewish practice, suggesting it arose in
response to the persecution of the Jews
under Antiochus Epiphanes which
preceded the Maccabean revolt,
wherein Torah reading was prohibited.
BUT We DO KNOW that Our Lord
Yeshua Read from the Haftorah
In Luke 4:16-22 - Now when he went to
Natzeret, where he had been brought up,
on Shabbat he went to the synagogue as
usual. He stood up to read, and he was
given the scroll of the prophet Yesha‘yahu.
Unrolling the scroll, he found the place
where it was written…
“The Spirit of Adonai is upon me; therefore he
has anointed me to announce Good News to the
poor; he has sent me to proclaim freedom for the
imprisoned and renewed sight for the blind, to
release those who have been crushed, to
proclaim a year of the favor of Adonai.”
After closing the scroll and returning it to the
shammash, he sat down; and the eyes of
everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him.
He started to speak to them (D’rash):
“Today, as you heard it read, this
passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!”
Everyone was speaking well of him and
marveling that such appealing words
were coming from his mouth. They
were even asking, “Can this be Yosef’s
son?”
Finally, We Read from the Apostolic
Writings (“B’rit Chadasha”):
The traditional synagogue (those who
don’t believe in Yeshua) does not have
such a reading.
They read only from the Torah portion
and Haftorah portion.
We read from ALL Three:
1. The Torah,
2. Haftorah and
3. “B’rit Chadasha” (Apostolic writings
or “Newer” Testament)
We in the Messianic Community
…have various Readings taken from the
Apostolic Writings; but nothing that is
universal among our Community at
large.
At This Congregation
We follow with one of the
Apostolic Readings that the
Complete Jewish Bible has at the
end of a parsha.
Now, Let’s Take a Moment to
Explain the Terms “B’rit Chadasha”
In the Hebrew the word “B’rit”
means “covenant” or “cut.”
“B’rit Chadasha”
In ancient times, when a covenant was
made, clean, undamaged animals
and/or birds were slaughtered and the
covenant makers would walk between
the pieces to emphasize the
seriousness of the covenant (see
Genesis 15).
In Short:
Blood was shed in the making of
the Covenant as the parties were
literally placing their own lives on
the line (as that of the clean
animals and/or birds) if they broke
that Covenant.
In Shemot (Exodus) 24:4-8
After God made the Covenant at Mount
Sinai with Israel, the words of the Lord
were written down by Moshe, sacrifices
were made, the blood of the covenant
was sprinkled on the book and on the
people.
“This is the blood of the
covenant…”
Moshe then said, “This is the blood of
the covenant which Adonai has made
with you in accordance with all these
words.”
The Covenantal Meal
Exodus 24:8-11 Then God called up
Moshe, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu and
seventy leaders of Israel to the
mountain where they “saw the God of
Israel” and ate a covenantal meal.
The Covenantal Meal
After the Covenant was made
between two parties, a celebratory
meal was eaten.
Similarly, At Yeshua’s Last Supper He
Ratified the “New” Covenant!
Matthew 26:26 While they were eating
(Covenant Meal), Yeshua took a piece of
matzah, made the b’rakhah, broke it, gave it
to the talmidim and said, “Take! Eat! This is
my body!” 27 Also he took a cup of wine,
made the b’rakhah, and gave it to them,
saying, “All of you, drink from it!
“…this is my blood, which ratifies
the New Covenant…”
28
For this is my blood, which ratifies the
New Covenant, my blood shed on behalf
of many, so that they may have their sins
forgiven.
Similarly, A Hebrew Infant Baby
Boy
Enters into a “B’rit Milah” ("covenant
of circumcision”) as an infant when he
is 8 days old by a *mohel.
*A mohel (Hebrew: ,‫מוהל‬plural mohalim, pronunciation moy'el, mo'hel, Aramaic
mohela, "circumciser") is a Jewish person trained in the practice of brit milah, the
"covenant of circumcision."
Blood is shed by the infant boy.
AND In like manner of ancient
covenant making, the brit milah is
followed by a celebratory meal.
Again, with a Covenant (“B’rit”/
“Cut”)
Blood is Shed and a Celebratory Meal
is eaten!
Now, We Examine the Word “New”
Hebrew word “Chadasha” means “New” or
“Renewed.”
In the Hebrew, the “New Moon” which signifies
the beginning of a New Month is called the
“Rosh” (head) “Chodesh” (New, or Renewed).
Rosh Chodesh or Rosh ḥodesh
Beginning of the Month; lit. Head of the
Month) is the name for the first day of
every month in the Hebrew calendar,
marked by the appearance of the new
moon.
The New Moon in the Hebrew
Calendar
Is marked by the day and hour
that the new crescent of light is
observed on the Moon.
Light Must Be Observed
Genesis 1:14
And God said Let there be lights in the
firmament of the heaven to divide the
day from the night and let them be for
signs (֙‫ ְלאֹ תֹת‬lə·’ō·ṯōṯ) and for seasons
(‫ּול ֣מֹועֲ ִ֔דים‬
ְ
ū·lə·mō·w·‘ă·ḏîm* Strongs 4150) and for days and years.
Same Word – Moeday/Moedim –
Appointed Times!
Leviticus 23: 1 ADONAI said to Moshe, 2
"Tell the people of Isra'el: 'The
designated times (‫ מֹועֲ ֣די‬mō·w·‘ă·ḏê
Strongs 4150) of ADONAI which you are
to proclaim as holy convocations are my
designated times (‫ מֹועֲ ֣די‬mō·w·‘ă·ḏê
Strongs 4150).
Therefore the LIGHTS in the
Heavens Determine the
Designated Times of the lord
Which brings up a critical question:
“When is the MOON a LIGHT?
ONLY When the Sun Shines its
LIGHT Upon it!
Since The MOON does
produce its own light!
NOT
Biblical Phases of the Moon
Contrasted with the Astronomical
Definition of New Moon
Which is not visible to the naked eye!
Astronomical Phases of the Moon
NOTE: In Genesis 1:14
God said, “Let there be lights in the
firmament of the heaven…”
• He Didn’t say, “Let there be darks in the
firmament of the heaven…”
So, in Ancient Israel, the “New” or
“Renewed” Moon Was to be SEEN
or Observed!
When this was witnessed by TWO
WITNESSES and established by the
Sanhedrin, a NEW Month (Rosh Chodesh)
was proclaimed!
Why “Renewed”?
When We See the Appearance of a “New
Moon” it doesn’t Mean that the Moon
which we saw last previously was
dissolved into nothing and a “New” Moon
was created to replace it.
It simply means that the Moon now has a
sliver of light from the Sun upon it and the
lunar cycle is started all over again.
Likewise, “Chadasha” Means
“Renewed”
In that the Covenant that God Made
with us at the Mountain of Sinai is
“Renewed” by the Blood of Messiah
Yeshua, Who instituted this New
Covenant by His shed blood on the
Cross.
This Completes the Definition of
the Terms Concerned With the
Readings
I am going to finish by defining the
term “drash” or “mid-rash,” since
after the readings I shall give a
Drash or Midrash of that parsha.
We Will Be Going Into This Subject
Further
When We Get into Interpreting the
Bible During One of Our pre-Topical
Bible Studies.
However, for a brief explanation, I shall
define these two terms.
The Word “Drash” (to “Dig,” “to
inquire,” or “to seek”)
“Drash” or “Derash” is a method of
exposition of scriptural verses, similar to a
Bible Commentary or a sermon. An
allegorical or homiletical application of a
text. Its’ purpose is to help people
understand a passage of Scripture better.
This is a species of eisegesis - reading
one’s own thoughts into the text - as
opposed to exegesis, which is extracting
from the text what it actually says.
The implied presupposition is that the
words of Scripture can legitimately become
grist for the mill of human intellect, which
God can guide to truths not directly
related to the text at all.
Sha’ul (Paul) Uses This in Galatians
4:21-31
Tell me, you who want to be under law, do you not
listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham
had two sons, one by the bondwoman and one by
the free woman. But the son by the bondwoman
was born according to the flesh, and the son by
the free woman through the promise. This is
allegorically speaking, for these women are two
covenants:
The Word “Midrash” (“Dig Deeper”)
Is Hebrew word referring to a method of
exegesis of a Biblical text. Midrash
(Hebrew: ‫; מדרש‬plural midrashim) is a
Hebrew term for the body of homiletic
stories told by Jewish rabbinic sages to
explain passages in the Bible.
Midrash is a method of interpreting
biblical stories that goes beyond
simple distillation of religious, legal, or
moral teachings.
It fills in gaps left in the biblical
narrative regarding events and
personalities that are only hinted at.
So, With This Introduction
Next Shabbat We Shall Begin our
Readings with parsha B’Midbar
(Numbers).
After the Reading of the Word (Torah,
Haftorah, and B’rit Chadasha) I will be
giving a Drash on those readings.