Weekly Torah Studies
Today's Torah
Portion:
The Hebrew Alphabet:
Aleph and Tav
Aleph and Tav
Aleph Tav
Aleph and Tav are powerful in and of themselves,
but, together, they are even more so. These two letters are written in the
first verse of the first chapter of the written Scripture. In the account of
the Creation:
Genesis
1:1
New
International Interlineal Hebrew-English Bible
"In
the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1(NIV)
Tav Aleph
These two letters are Aleph and Tav read from right to left. As we have already seen, Aleph is the
first letter of the 22 Hebrew alphabet, Tav
is the last letter.
Hebrew letters are not like the letters of today.
One character has a lot to tell about. The Torah
teachers knew this that even if the Torah
is as old as Moses, it is still telling of things never known before. A letter
has a number equivalent, and a picture word.
It is interesting to note that Aleph Tav is found at the center of the
first verse; Genesis 1:1. It is untranslated, and independent of the rest of
the words because Genesis 1:1 still conveys the message while Aleph Tav is silent.
Now here is the picture equivalent
of the letters Aleph Tav.
An
Ox and a Cross!
An Ox is a symbol for strength/
head/ leader/ God. The cross symbolizes Covenant/completion/mark/ finished/perfection.
Zechariah
12:10 prophesied about the coming Messiah. Here again we see Aleph Tav after the word “me”.
New International
Interlineal Hebrew-English Bible
“They will look on me, the One
they have pierced..." Zechariah 12:10(NIV)
Snapshot from the video "Meditate on God's Word and Receive Grace Upon Grace" by Joseph Prince
Numbers 15:36 spoke of the tassel as
symbolic of the person GOD. The woman who had been bleeding for 12 years was
healed when she touched the hem of Yahshua’s
garment (Matthew 9:20-22). The hem of Jewish men’s’ garments have tassels (tzit tzit) on them. Here we see Aleph Tav again in the original text
written after the word “remember”.
New International
Interlineal Hebrew-English Bible
Aleph Tav is like a verification signature
or seal of the Author. It appears in significant places that may be
calling attention to the Author. We are only scratching the surface in the
study of Aleph Tav. Aleph Tav is all over the written Scripture
(Old Testament of the Bible), about 7,000x more!
And now, with this understanding of the Hebrew letters, we are ready to begin studying the Statutes at a greater depth. As we look up key words and search out the deep meanings to be found in the Torah, remember that the Hebrew words get their meanings by adding the meanings of each individual letter which forms the word.
This Week's Torah Studies: (Statutes 81-100)
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 81-100, which are summarized below. Happy studying!
Statute 81-83 Summary:
(81)Do not tattoo your body in any way, nor inscribe anything which honors
Babylon into your flesh. (82) Do not intentionally cut or gash your body. (83) Do not do
anything to honor people (dead or living), by permanently altering your body.
Leviticus 19:28 “Ye shall not make any cuttings
in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks
upon you: I Am Yahweh.”
Statute 84 Summary:
(84) Do not wear clothing or any form of apparel that mixes linen with wool.
Linen and wool are not ever to be worn together at the same time.
Deuteronomy 22:11 “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.” (See also Leviticus 19:19.)
Deuteronomy 22:11 “Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woollen and linen together.” (See also Leviticus 19:19.)
Statute 85 Summary:
(85) Do not cut or trim your hair or beards in a way which honors the dead or
is associated with Babylon (see Leviticus 19:26-28 for context). YAHWEH wants
us to look like we belong to Him at a glance – no mixed messages.
(Note: Many believe that this statute means men cannot trim their beards or shave at all.
This statute does not mean that we cannot cut our hair or trim our beards at
all – Mephibosheth was an Israelite. We know that he normally trimmed his
beard, because the Bible says he did not trim it while David was in exile and
this was unusual, as a sign of mourning - 2 Samuel 19:24-25)
(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)
Leviticus 19:27 “Ye shall not round
the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.”
Statute 86-88 Summary:
(86) YAHWEH’s people and leaders are not to amass weaponry nor plan to protect
themselves with military might. (87) We are also not to do anything that causes our
brethren to return to Egypt (spiritually represents bondage to sin) in order to
find security. (88) We are never to go back to the sins of Egypt, which we have
forsaken in following Yahshua.
Deuteronomy 17:16 “But he shall not multiply
horses to himself, nor cause
the people to return to Egypt, to the end
that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as Yahweh hath said unto you,
Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.”
Statute 89 Summary:
(89) YAHWEH’s Children are to never make alliances, leagues, bargains, or
enter into covenants with the common people of the world. Such compacts make it
easy to slip into idolatry.
Exodus 34:14-15 “For thou shalt worship
no other god: for Yahweh, whose name is Jealous,
is a jealous God: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a
whoring after their gods,
and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his
sacrifice.”
Statute 90 Summary:
(90) YAHWEH’s people are not to hang out with, marry, keep house with, or
settle down with those who worship false gods. Keeping such ones on our
property brings their blame upon us, causing us to be caught by the enemy’s
trap.
Exodus 23:33 “They (people who worship false gods) shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against Me: for if
thou serve their gods, it
will surely be a snare unto
thee.”
Statute 91-96 Summary:
(91) Anointing is only to be done with Holy Anointing Oil, made from the
Biblical formula: olive oil, myrrh, sweet cinnamon, sweet calamus, and cassia. (92) Holy
Anointing Oil is used to anoint and dedicate a building which is to be set
apart as YAHWEH’s House. (93) Holy Anointing Oil is used to anoint and dedicate
people who are to be set apart as priests in YAHWEH’s ministry. (94) Holy Anointing
Oil is never to be put upon the flesh of a common (uncleansed) man. (95) The recipe
for Holy Anointing Oil may never be reproduced for any common use (like
perfume). (96) Once something or someone has been set cleansed and set apart for
holy use with this anointing oil, it and they may not be used for any unholy
purpose.
Exodus 30:23-33 “Take thou also unto thee principal spices,
of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon
half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty
shekels, And of cassia five
hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an
hin: And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the
apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the
testimony, And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his
vessels, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering with all his
vessels, and the laver and his foot. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. And
thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office.
And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy
anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make
any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be
holy unto you. Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of
it upon a stranger, shall
even be cut off from his people.”
Statute 97 Summary:
(97) We are not to be partial with those called to YAHWEH’s priesthood, simply
because the person is not from “around here.” If another of Heaven’s “7000” who
“have not bowed the knee to Baal” moves to our area and desires to serve YAHWEH
in our priestly ministry circle, we are to welcome such a one and treat him and
share with him as a full priest of YAHWEH. (See Mark 9:38-40).
Deuteronomy 18:6-8 “And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he
sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which Yahweh shall choose;
Then he shall minister in the
Name of Yahweh his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before
Yahweh. They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the
sale of his patrimony.”
Statutes 98 Summary:
Yahshua is our Heavenly High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16). He will only
“marry” a Bride (people) who are spiritually virgins. As a shadow picture of
this beautiful truth, (98) a high priest in YAHWEH’s service may only marry a
virgin, who is a Torah-keeper and full believer.
Statutes 99-100 Summary:
(99) The Lamb, representing Yahshua’s Blood and Sacrifice, must be offered
(prayerfully claimed over our sins) twice daily: morning and evening. (100) The
oblation or thank offerings (meal and drink offering), representing our
acceptable living sacrifice (fully living or dying for Yahshua) is also to be
offered twice daily. This means that YAHWEH’s people are to recommit their
lives as living sacrifices twice a day, a gift which naturally follows our
claiming of His Blood as our perfect Lamb.
Numbers 28:3-7 “And thou shalt say unto them (Israel), This is the offering made by fire which ye
shall offer unto Yahweh; two
lambs of the first year without spot
day by day, for a continual
burnt offering. The one lamb shalt thou
offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even; And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the
fourth part of an hin of beaten oil. It is a continual burnt offering, which
was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto Yahweh.
And the drink offering
thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place
shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto Yahweh for a drink offering.”
