Fruit פרי
כַּעֲנָבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר
מָצָאתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל
כְּבִכּוּרָה בִתְאֵנָה
בְּרֵאשִׁיתָהּ
רָאִיתִי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם
חושע ט:י
"Like grapes in the wilderness
I found Israel;
like the earliest fruit on a fig tree
in its first season
I saw your forefathers ."
Hosea 9:10
אֲבָל פֵּרוֹת הָרוּחַ הֵם
אַהֲבָה, שִׂמְחָה, שָׁלוֹם, אֹרֶךְ-רוּחַ,
נֹעַם, טוּב-לֵב, אֱמוּנָה
איגרת שאול אל הגלאטים ה:כב
"But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faith"
Galatians 5:22
Truth אמת
To translate is to interpret, and we all tend to filter what we perceive through what we already believe. Let's focus here on central themes in the Word of God:
וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ
וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם
שמות כה:ח
"And let them make for Me a sanctuary;
that I may dwell in them."
Exodus 25:8
וְהָיָה יְהוָה לְמֶלֶךְ
עַל-כָּל-הָאָרֶץ
בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא
יִהְיֶה יְהוָה אֶחָד
וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד
זכריה יד:ט
"And HaShem will be king
over all the earth;
on that day
HaShem will be One
and his name One."
Zechariah 14:9
Hebrew עברית
(from root ע.ב.ר - to cross over)
אֲנִי אֲנִי אָלֶף וָתָו
הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהָאַחֲרוֹן
הָרֹאשׁ וְהָהַשְׁלָמָה
התגלות כב:יג
"I am Alef and Tav,
the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the Completion"
Revelation 22:13
Alef א and Tav ת are the first and last of the 22 letters of the language through which God spoke the world into existence. Consider the foundational first four words of the Torah:
"In beginning God created Alef-Tav"
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת
Scripture begins with Bet ב, the second Hebrew letter. The first letter, Alef א, has a numerical value of one, is the only silent letter, and represents God existing before creation.
Formed from א to ת, the Torah exists at multiple levels of meaning and is impossible to fully translate into any other language. Whereas Christians use various versions of the Bible, there is one consistent Hebrew text safeguarded by Jews.
The Tanakh (Old Covenant/Testament) consists of Torah, Prophecy, and Writings which Jews view through the lens of Oral Torah and Rabbinic insights. Christians view these same scriptures through the lens of the Brit Chadashah (New Covenant/Testament).
The Word of God is the living and eternal foundation of faith for both Jews and Christians. Israel is chosen to be the example for other nations of people living connected with our Source. Messiah came in person to shine light to all. As we follow Yeshua, the Holy Spirit writes Torah on our hearts.
כִּי זֹאת הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר
אֶכְרֹת אֶת-בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
אַחֲרֵי הַיָּמִים הָהֵם
נְאֻם-יְהוָה
נָתַתִּי אֶת-תּוֹרָתִי בְּקִרְבָּם
וְעַל-לִבָּם אֶכְתְּבֶנָּה
וְהָיִיתִי לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים
וְהֵמָּה יִהְיוּ-לִי לְעָם
ירמיה לא:לב
“For this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel;
After those days,
says HaShem:
I will put my Torah in their inward parts,
and write it on their hearts;
and I will be their God,
and they will be My people.”
Jeremiah 31:32
Faith אמונה
Faith in God transcends religious tradition. Many Jews feel overwhelmed by rules and give up trying to be observant. Many Christians are content with “salvation” and lack motivation for spiritual growth. Yeshua, as the eternal Word, connects us with the Source of our souls.
הָאֱמוּנָה הִיא בִּטָּחוֹן בִּדְבָרִים אֲשֶׁר יֶשְׁנָם בְּתִקְוָה
כְּאִלּוּ הִתְמַמְּשׁוּ בְּפֹעַל
וְהִתְגַּלּוּת דְּבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָם נִרְאִים
אגרת אל העברים יא:א
"Faith is confidence in things that are in hope
as if they were fulfilled in reality,
and revelation of things that are invisible"
Hebrews 11:1
Repentance תשובה
Christians view humans as hopelessly tainted by original sin then perfectly purified by faith in Yeshua. Jews see us as created in the image of God and in need of Torah for guidance and spiritual elevation.
The word "sin" lumps together various Hebrew concepts including:
impurity טומאה, transgression פשע, iniquity עוון, missing the target חטא
The Torah details various offerings for different occasions:
thanksgiving תודה/מנחה, peace שלמים, missing the mark/inadvertent sin חטאת, guilt אשם, burnt/rising עולה
Christians teach that the sacrificial system was for the purpose of atonement for all sin and has been fulfilled by the blood of Messiah. Jews regard offerings more as tributes קרבנות for drawing near to God; personal repentance תשובה (including confession, correction, and amends to anyone harmed) is essential.
Sacrifices, like flowers for someone we have wronged, are meaningful only as expressions of genuine repentance. True devotion is what matters.
God is eternal life and all that is contrary to God leads to spiritual death. We are cleansed both by and for contact with the Divine.
וְיִכָּנְעוּ עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר נִקְרָא-שְׁמִי עֲלֵיהֶם
וְיִתְפַּלְלוּ
וִיבַקְשׁוּ פָנַי
וְיָשֻׁבוּ מִדַּרְכֵיהֶם הָרָעִים
וַאֲנִי אֶשְׁמַע מִן-הַשָּׁמַיִם
וְאֶסְלַח לְחַטָּאתָם
וְאֶרְפָּא אֶת-אַרְצָם
דברי הימים ב זיג-יד
“If my people who are called by My name will surrender,
and pray,
and seek My face
and turn from their wrong ways;
then I will hear from heaven,
and will forgive their sin,
and will heal their land."
2 Chronicles 7:13-14
Integrity צדק
Righteousness has always been by faith!
Faith manifests in justice, kindness, and humility.
הִנֵּה עֻפְּלָה
לֹא-יָשְׁרָה נַפְשׁוֹ בּוֹ
וְצַדִּיק
בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ יִחְיֶה
חבקוק ב:ד
"Behold puffed up
not upright is his soul in him;
but a righteous person
will live by his faith."
Habakkuk 2:4
הִגִּיד לְךָ אָדָם מַה-טּוֹב
וּמָה-יְהוָה דּוֹרֵשׁ מִמְּךָ
כִּי אִם-עֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט
וְאַהֲבַת חֶסֶד
וְהַצְנֵעַ לֶכֶת עִם-אֱלֹהֶיךָ
מיכה ו:ח
"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what HaShem requires from you,
to do justice,
and to love loving kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God."
Micah 6:8
בְּחֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת
יְכֻפַּר עָוֹן
וּבְיִרְאַת יְהוָה
סוּר מֵרָע
משלי טז:ו
"With lovingkindness and truth
iniquity is atoned for,
and in the fear of HaShem
turn from evil."
Proverbs 16:6
Appointed Times מועדים
The festivals ordained by God occur in a yearly cycle that resonates with the heavens and relates to the manifestations of Messiah. These feasts of Israel portray God's plan for His people.
First Coming:
Passover פסח - recognition of God, deliverance from slavery & death through blood
Unleavened Bread מצות - cleansing, redemption, rebirth into transformed life through water
First Fruits, Omer ביכורים ,עומר - resurrection, God's provision of new crop of bread from heaven as we grow in faith and prepare to enter promised land
Shavuot שבועות - giving of Torah (Word) and Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit)
Shabbat שבת - inner peace
Second Coming:
Rosh Hashanah, Memory of Shofar Shouts ראש השנה, זכרון תרועה - gathering, judgment, realignment
Yom Kippur יום כיפור - cleansing, atonement
Sukkot סוכות - dwelling
Shemini Atzeret, Simchat Torah שמיני עצרת, שמחת תורה - day 8 assembly, rejoicing in Word, renewal
Shabbat שבת - world peace