Weekly Torah Studies
Today's Torah
Portion:
The Hebrew Alphabet:
Tav (continued)
Tav (continued)
The Power of the Tav – To Live or Die
The gematria of CHet is 8 and the gematria of Nun is 50. The product of 8 x 50
= 400, which is the gematria of Tav. In Hebrew, letters like this have a
special relationship. Not only is their physical form related, but their
mathematic form is related as well.
The
Hebrew midrash teaches that the Tav is the letter used to mark the
foreheads of men in the last days. As it says (Ezekiel 9:4), And God said to him, "Pass though the
midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and mark a sign on
the foreheads of the men who sigh and moan for all the abominations that are
done within it."
What does "וְהִתְוִיתָ תָּו – and mark a sign" mean? Judgment begins at the House of Yah. This is symbolically represented as Jerusalem. Acts 1:8 records that the message of the early Christian Church started in Jerusalem. Similarly, in the Last Days, Judgment will begin at the House of God, and then proceed out to the world as it says in 1 Peter 4:17. First the message goes, then the Judgment, as Yahweh tells the sealing angel, “Go first to Jerusalem, and choose from among there the righteous and the wicked. And for every righteous person that is within, write a Tav of ink on his forehead; Tav [meaning] Tichyeh (he will live), so that he will survive. And for every wicked person that is there, write a Tav of blood on his forehead, Tav [meaning] Tamut (he will die).”
What does "וְהִתְוִיתָ תָּו – and mark a sign" mean? Judgment begins at the House of Yah. This is symbolically represented as Jerusalem. Acts 1:8 records that the message of the early Christian Church started in Jerusalem. Similarly, in the Last Days, Judgment will begin at the House of God, and then proceed out to the world as it says in 1 Peter 4:17. First the message goes, then the Judgment, as Yahweh tells the sealing angel, “Go first to Jerusalem, and choose from among there the righteous and the wicked. And for every righteous person that is within, write a Tav of ink on his forehead; Tav [meaning] Tichyeh (he will live), so that he will survive. And for every wicked person that is there, write a Tav of blood on his forehead, Tav [meaning] Tamut (he will die).”
We see this concept in the story of Jacob
and Esau’s encounter. In Parashah VaYishlach 32:6, Jacob instructs his
messengers to tell Esau, “…I have much livestock… and I am sending to tell
my lord to find grace (CHeiN)
in your eyes.” Besides for expressing a wish that Esau would look upon
him favorably, these words were also a request that Esau let Jacob live. Many
years earlier, Esau had vowed to kill Jacob in revenge for Jacob taking their
father’s blessing (that had originally been intended for Esau). These were not
empty words; their parents were so concerned for Jacob that they sent him to Laban,
far away from Esau, hoping that with time, Esau’s anger would abate and he
would forgive his brother. Now Jacob was returning home, and naturally he
wished to see if Esau still held a grudge. He therefore sent
gifts
to Esau, saying, “to find grace (CHeiN)
in your eyes.” He was looking for the CHeiN, which
would tell him that Tichyeh; Esau would let him live.
But the messengers returned with a report that “Esau was coming with 400 men” (verse 7). In response, Jacob became very frightened (verse 8), because the 400 showed that Esau's intent was the Tav of Tamut, “you will die.” When Jacob and Esau met, Esau said, “What did you intend by that whole camp that I met on the way here?”, to which Jacob replied, “To find grace (CHeiN) in my master’s eyes” (33:8). Jacob was saying that he was looking for CHeiN (grace), so that the Tav would be Tichyeh (you will live).
Genesis 32:9-20 “And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God
of my father Isaac, Yahweh which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and
to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:
I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth,
which Thou hast showed unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this
Jordan; and now I am become two bands. Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand
of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and
smite me, and the mother with the children. And Thou saidst, I will surely do
thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered
for multitude. And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came
to his hand a present for Esau his brother;
Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty
rams, Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty
she asses, and ten foals. And he delivered them into the hand of his servants,
every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and
put a space betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying,
When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? And
whither goest thou? And whose are these before thee? Then thou shalt say, They
be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold,
also he is behind us. And so commanded
he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this
manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him. And say ye moreover, Behold,
thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the
present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure
he will accept of me.”
Esau’s Message in Coming
to Meet Jacob with 400 armed men:
Judgment is coming. When we meet, you will
either find death, or grace.
Jacob’s Message in
the Droves of Animals: Notice among them,
details we will need to be final Israel, who as princes prevail with God and
receive the Tav of Grace instead of the Tav of Death.
200 female goats = Ez is the Hebrew word meaning “a female
goat” (Gen. 15:9) – it means “strength” – Two hundred is the Hebrew letter “Reysh” ר
which means “Highly exalted, Head, Most Important”.
·
This
was a meek acknowledgment of Esau’s strength. It was a gesture of respect. It
was also a humble reminder that Yahweh
is the true Head of all, including Esau.
20 male goats = the male goat
was a symbol of Atonement, it is an animal of Sacrifice and meant that Jacob
was at peace with Heaven. Twenty is the Hebrew letter Kaph כ, which
means “Covered, forgiven, Atoned,” and “Under His Wings”.
·
This
was a declaration that Jacob was fully at peace with Heaven. He was forgiven,
atoned for, covered, and Protected under Yahweh’s
Wings. Esau was being gently alerted to the fact that doing battle with Jacob
was doing battle with Yahweh.
200 ewes =
Rachel
is the ordinary Hebrew word for ewe, but is translated "sheep,". This
is a sheep which is not only female, but is suckling young and needs the
greatest protection – Again, two
hundred is the Hebrew letter “Reysh” ר which means “Highly exalted, Head, Most Important”.
·
This
was a humble gesture showing Esau that he was the Leader to which Jacob
approached as a meek servant. Jacob here reminded Esau that attacking him would
involve striking women with nursing infants.
20 rams = A ram means “exalted,
strength,” and “prince”. And again, twenty is the Hebrew letter Kaph כ,
which means “Covered, forgiven, Atoned,” and “Under His Wings”.
·
Twice
Jacob had humbly submitted himself to Esau. Now he lets Esau know that he also
serves the High Prince – and “as a prince, he had prevailed with Yahweh”.
30 female camels
with their babies
= Camel is from the Hebrew word gamal, meaning “to repay” or “requite.” Thirty is the Hebrew
letter Lamed ל,
which means “Teaching” “Learning” and that “the Shepherd has authority over His
sheep”.
·
Here,
Jacob lets Esau know that he has learned much from Yahweh the great Shepherd. Esau no longer needs to repay or requite
him for stealing his birthright. Also, there is a gentle reminder that Yahweh protects His sheep – which Jacob
includes himself among.
40 cows = Cows are called
kine, which in Hebrew
is parah, meaning
“fruitful”. Forty
is the Hebrew letter Mem מ, which means “LIVING WATER”, “CONCEALED” and “REVEALED”.
·
Here,
Jacob was informing Esau of the mighty promise of Yahweh, which rested upon him: Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless them
that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families
of the earth be blessed.” Esau would be fruitful and profit from blessing
Jacob. Jacob would come as a blessing in Esau’s life.
10
bulls
= Bulls or bullocks were sacrificial animals, representing Heaven’s most
expensive Gift, given for our Redemption and the high cost of sin. Ten is the
Hebrew letter yod י, which means “HAND” of God “WORKS” of Yahweh and point to the “TEN COMMANDMENTS”.
·
This
was Jacob’s acknowledgment that he had sinned. He doesn’t justify his actions
against Esau. But shows that Yah’s
Grace had covered him and cleansed him and done a new work in his life. Jacob
now lived in obedience to the Torah
of the Most High.
20 female donkeys = Donkeys, in
Bible times, symbolized wealth and peace, while horses symbolized wealth and
war. And again, twenty is the Hebrew letter Kaph
כ, which means “Covered, forgiven, Atoned,” and “Under His
Wings”.
·
Jacob
shows Esau that there is great prosperity for both of them in choosing the path
of Peace. Jacob after all, is under Yahweh’s
Protective Wings.
10 colts = The King James
Version uses the single word “colt” to translate the Hebrew word, pronounced bane (usually rendered into English as
"ben").
This word is found over 4,700 times in the
Hebrew Scriptures. The word literally means son or children -
hence the reason that it is translated nearly 3,000 times as "son"
and 1,500 times as "children." Again, ten is the Hebrew letter yod י,
which means “HAND” of God “WORKS” of Yahweh
and point to the “TEN COMMANDMENTS”.
·
Jacob’s
last message to Esau in the animal droves is this, “we are children, sons” of
the same father. We need to let God Work out His Will in our lives and
relationship (of which killing each other, isn’t God’s plan for brothers –
remember Cain and Abel).
Jacob
first experienced the Tav of Grace
instead of Death – from Yahweh,
directly:
Genesis 32:24-30 “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a Man
with him until the breaking of the day.
And when He saw that He prevailed not against him, He touched the hollow
of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled
with Him. And he said, Let Me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not
let thee go, except thou bless me. And He said unto him, What is thy name? And
he said, Jacob. And He said, Thy name
shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with
God and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked Him, and said, Tell me, I
pray thee, Thy Name. And He said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after My Name?
And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I
have seen God Face to face, and my life is preserved.”
Having embraced Jacob and reconciled with him, Esau tried to refuse the tribute, but Jacob responded, “No, I beg of you! If I have now found grace (CHeiN) in your eyes, then accept my tribute from me, inasmuch as I have seen your face, which is like seeing the face of a divine Being, and you were appeased by me” (32:10). Perhaps we can read this verse as follows: Jacob responded that he had found grace (CHeiN), therefore the Tav means Tichyeh. As to why Esau’s face would look like a Divine being, that part of the verse could be read, “…accept the tribute for we met. Like seeing the face of a Divine Being [was why] you were appeased by me”.
Jacob was alluding to the Tav
on his own face, which now said Tichyeh (and so retained the look of a
Divine Being) for he had CHeiN with
the CHet/CHokhmah, and thus Yahweh let him live. Jacob shows us this
in the next verse where he says, “…for God has been gracious to me (key
CHaNaNi Elohim).”
Jacob was alluding to the fact that
his NuN (50 + 6 + 50) was
whole (106 + 2 = 108). He had thus performed
his half of the equation (of CHeiN).
And the fact that Esau did not kill him showed that God “graced” (CHaNaNi) him with the other half (108), which made him complete (216) with his CHeiN (8 x 50), so that his Tav
(400) would say Tichyeh, and he would live. This is why
the Medrash quoted above states that
the Torah saves from all types of
troubles. Jacob learned Torah in the Beit Midrash of Shem
and Ever, which enabled him to complete the equation; thus his Tav
said Tichyeh, and he was saved.
On a still higher level, Jacob’s words were really a prayer to the Master of the Universe that his Tav (destiny) would be Tichyeh, to live, rather than Tamut, to die, since all things ultimately come from God. This is much like Queen Esther’s words to Achashverosh, which were actually a prayer to God requesting that “the 10” be hung on the gallows in the distant future, a request that only God could answer. At this level, when Esau said, “What did you intend by that whole camp that I met?” ... and Jacob replied, “to find grace (CHeiN) in my master’s eyes,” he is not referring to Esau at all, but to the Master of the Universe (and the divine Presence in this instance) since God is the only one who can bestow grace.
Now here’s where we see the letters of God’s Explicit Name as a function of every second. We live each day by the grace of God... or to put it another way... “you will live” (Tav/Tichyeh/400) each day by the grace of God. If you multiply your Tav (400) whatever it may be (with or without knowledge of God) times the number of letters in God’s Explicit Name (216) you get 86,400 (400 x 216 = 86,400) which is a very special number. It just happens to be the number of seconds in a 24 hour day.
In other words, we live each second, of each day, by the grace of God, whose Signature is quite literally a mathematic function of each and every one of those 86,400 seconds in a 24 hour day.
This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 61-80)
The Torah studies are provided in two formats for your convenience. The first option (below) is the blank worksheets for this week, which will allow you to print out the worksheets and hand-write the studies yourself. If you have less time, you may wish to read/print my completed Statute studies. The completed worksheets are the second option (below):
This week we will be studying Statutes 61-80, which are summarized below. Happy studying!
Statute 61-62 Summary:
(61) The priests are to burn incense before Yahweh (which represents prayer–Revelation 8:3-4) every morning and every evening. (62) The lamps (which represents our witness – Matthew 5:14 – being filled with Yahweh’s Spirit and abiding in YAH) are to be dressed every morning and freshly lit every evening.
Exodus 30:7-8 “And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
Exodus 30:7-8 “And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Yahweh throughout your generations.
Statute 63-64 Summary:
(63) The fire on the Altar of Burnt Sacrifice (representing the Cross) is always to be kept burning, day and night. (64) Priests are to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon it to Yahweh.
Leviticus 6:12-13 “And the fire upon the altar (of burnt sacrifice) shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings. The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”
Statute 65 Summary:
(65) Yahshua was the One Who laid aside the white “linen” of His perfect righteousness, put on my filthy robes and suffered for me outside the “camp.” It is by His humiliation and atonement that I am made clean and accepted by Heaven. This work of the Saviour is to bring about true repentance and sorrow for sin. The priest carried the ashes outside the camp to cause the people to think about the Saviour’s work of redemption. This is statute of remembrance. By beholding, we become changed. We are to cogitate Calvary daily.
Leviticus 6:10-11 “And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar. And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.”
(See also Hebrews 13:11-13) (Also note: ashes was a mark or token of grief, humiliation, or penitence - Nehemiah 9:1, Job 42:6)
Statute 66-68 Summary:
(66) We are not to allow anything unclean to come into the heart or home where Yahweh dwells. We are not to allow leprosy into our hearts or homes. Spiritually, leprosy is reprobation (because we lose our ability to perceive guilt when we choose to justify ourselves rather than repent from sin) (John 3:19-20). (67) We are not to allow an issue into our hearts or homes. Spiritually, the issue is pining or wasting away; as in being unthankful, embittered, or complaining (1 Corinthians 10:10). (68)We are not to allow our hearts or homes to be defiled by the dead. Spiritually, death is following lusts and fleshly desires (Hebrews 9:14).
Numbers 5:2-3 “Command the children of Israel, that they put out of the camp every leper, and every one that hath an issue, and whosoever is defiled by the dead: Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell.”
Statute 69 Summary:
(69) The priests of Yahweh are first to be sanctified in order to fill this role. Then they are set apart for holy use. (See Revelation 5:10).
Leviticus 21:8 “Thou shalt sanctify him (the priest of Yahweh) therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I Yahweh, which sanctify you, am holy.”
Statute 70 Summary:
(70) The priests of Yahweh are to be spiritually clothed in special garments for glory and beauty (see Ezekiel 16:14 and Ephesians 6:11-18).
Exodus 28:2-4, 40 “And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office… And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.”
Statute 71-72 Summary:
(71) Yahweh’s people are to never practice fortunetelling, nor have anything to do with magic. (72) Yahweh’s people are to never eat anything with the blood.
Leviticus 19:26 “Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.”
Statute 73-78 Summary:
(73) Yahweh’s people are to belong to Him wholly and completely, without any divided or competing affections. This is what it means to be perfect with Yahweh. (74) Godly parents are never to alienate their children, transitioning them in crossing over to the devil. (75) Yahweh’s people are to not consult sorcerers, nor practice sorcery. (76) Yahweh’s people are not to practice magic, nor consort with magicians. (77) Yahweh’s people are not to practice witchcraft, nor consult witches. (78) Yahweh’s people are not to consult with demon spirits, nor consort with those who do so.
Deuteronomy 18:10-13 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto Yahweh: and because of these abominations Yahweh thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with Yahweh thy God.”
Statutes 79-80 Summary:
Yahweh’s people are to dress in a way that clearly reveals their gender. (79) Men are not to dress like women. (80) Women are not to dress like men.
Deuteronomy 22:5 “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto Yahweh thy God.”
