It
is important to view the biblical texts and institutional interpretations in their
chronological order. Exodus was written before Deuteronomy.
Judaism existed before Catholicism,
and Catholicism existed before Protestantism.
The ancient Hebrew text has no chapter and verse markers. The Ten
Sayings are not numbered. The biblical texts themselves force
people to talk about them or ignore clear differences between
them. Continue reading at –
VALUES reflect the way we do things, the way we act,
the way we speak, the way we think, and the way we behave. Values are
estimations of worthwhileness, not of worth. Value is what makes us wealthy. Values are
what make us human. Talk
of VALUES ignores money Read
more at -
https://mailchi.mp/cd08f0fbe639/our-future-depends-on-elevating-values-above-value
In
the first story in Genesis, we read God’s vision for all people. It describes a
human community that live by TOV Wisdom and Values. In our society today, individualism,
self-interests, individual rights, and wealth are among the highest values. In
my opinion, people helping each other, by taking collective actions that are
mutually inclusive and that measure TOV, would make life in America safer and
better. Continue reading at -
Exploring
Our Biblical Heritages is a science-based educational approach for reading the
Bible. The Biblical Heritage Center, Inc. is not a religious organization,
therefore we do not require people to accept, adopt or believe an institutional
theology. We do expect those who participate with others in our explorations to
agree to follow this guideline:
My belief system will
be large enough to include all facts,
open enough to be
examined and questioned,
and flexible enough to
change if errors or new facts are discovered.
This
guideline creates the open and safe environment required for exploring the biblical
text. It also gives all participants permission to examine and question each
other’s beliefs and a plan for what happens if errors or new facts are
discovered.
Beliefs About the Bible
All
Explorers of Biblical Heritages have beliefs about Bibles, while most Explorers
also have beliefs based on the words in their Bible. Unlike Bible studies that
take place in religious institutions, our explorations have participants that
range from religious people to atheists. Religious people and atheists both
have beliefs about Bibles, but they are usually polar-opposite beliefs. Religious
people have beliefs about God based on words of their Bibles, while atheists do
not.
Belief about Bibles
range from believing
“the Bible is the
inerrant infallible Word of God”
to believing “all
Bibles are total fiction.”
One
fact that all Bible readers agree on is -- “Bibles are books with words.”
Another fact is that there are rules that govern how those words are understood
and communicated. Without those rules, the communication process would not
work. We created linguistic models to guide Explorers as they work with the
words in Bibles (or anywhere else).
1.
Identify the Source (author or speaker).
2.
Identify the Receptor (reader or hearer).
3.
Identify the Symbols or Sounds (language).
4.
Identify the Bundle of Associations attached to the symbols or
sounds (Source’s culture, time period, geographical location, personal
experiences).
5.
Identify the Context (the environment in which a word or phrase
appears).
Developing
the Exploring Skills above will transform your understanding of the
words of in your Bible. Using these skills, you will see things that you wouldn’t
have been able to see before. Below are a couple of examples I discussed in
previous Exploring Our Biblical Heritages Educational Emails.
1.
In the context of Genesis 1:1-2:4a, ELOHIYM (Hebrew word) is the “creator
of the heavens and the earth.” ELOHIYM is translated “God,”
but ELOHIYM describes a type of entity. In
this context the name of the ELOHIYM is not revealed. In other
words, god’s name is not “God.”
2.
In the context of Genesis 2:4b-3:24, YAHWEH ELOHIYM
(Hebrew words) is the “planter of the Garden in Eden.” Yahweh
is the name of this ELOHIYM. The Hebrew words were translated
into English as LORD God (King James Version), Jehovah
God (American Standard Version), Jehovah Elohim (Darby’s
English Translation), Lord God (Douay
Rheims Bible), and Yahweh God
(World English Bible). We usually translate it “Yahweh the ELOHIYM”
or “Yahweh the god.”
3.
In the context of Genesis 1:1-2:4a, ADAM (Hebrew word) is “one
human male and one human female.” This ADAM is able
to function as “a producer of a new human life.” This ADAM
is also used to describe the collective we call “mankind.”
4.
In the context of Genesis 2:4b-3:24, ADAM (Hebrew word) is “one
male human.” He is incapable of producing a new human life.
Genesis
1:1-10:32 is an ancient Hebrew wisdom text. The Source (author
or speaker) used the Hebrew words ELOHIYM and ADAM in
two different contexts that resulted in their meanings being changed. Readers
must be aware of the Hebrew words to discover the wisdom principles the Source
embedded in those contexts.
In
my opinion, being aware of information like this is not only very important, it
is an essential requirement for accurately understanding the words that 2.5
billion people base their beliefs on. What do you think?
If You Think Exploring
Our Biblical Heritages
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I
closed my
previous email with Yahweh cursing the snake and then
turning his attention to Eve. Before I continue with the story, I want to pause
and point out some things you must keep in mind as the story continues.
The
commandment Yahweh gave Adam stated that “in the day you eat of the
forbidden fruit dying you will die.” The Hebrew phrase translated “dying
you will die” does not mean “you will fall over dead,” it
means “the process of dying will begin.” Adam ate the forbidden fruit,
and that process began.
The
first act of justice in the Bible happened when Yahweh asked Adam if he had
eaten the forbidden fruit. He questioned Adam and listened to his answer. He
questioned Eve and listened to her answer. He cursed the snake. Now Yahweh is
going to reveal the consequences of their actions, beginning with Eve.
1.
I will greatly multiply your hardship, pain and suffering in general.
Her life is going to change dramatically from what it has been. Yahweh doesn’t
reveal specifically what those changes will be, but He describes three things
she has not experienced yet.
2.
I will greatly multiply your pregnancies. Because Adam ate
the forbidden fruit, not Eve, the process of dying has begun. New lives are required
to replace the lives of Adam and Eve when they die, if mankind is to survive.
3. In hardship, pain and suffering you shall bring forth children. This is related to her functions as a mother and Adam’s
functions as a father. It is not connected to childbirth, but to process of
raising children. Keep this mind as you read the stories of their children – Cain,
Abel and Seth.
4.
Your desire shall be to your man. Eve’s
desire for the forbidden fruit exceeded her desire for Adam. Yahweh’s words are
correcting that situation.
5.
He shall rule with you.
At the beginning of this story, we were told that Adam and Eve will be tested
to see whether they will “act together.” Instead they acted as individuals and
did things that harmed their own lives. Yahweh’s words are correcting that
situation.
Be
sure to note that Eve was not cursed. Numbers 2, 3, 4 and 5 are directly related to
God’s blessing of the humans in the first story. The man and woman are
equal to and adequate for each other in every way, but they have specific functions
related to their genders that are related to reproducing and raising children.
Now
Yahweh turns His attention to Adam. The first thing Yahweh does is state the
offense Adam committed – “You listened to the voice of your woman and ate fruit
of the tree I commanded you, “you shall not eat.” Next Adam learns the consequences
of his actions.
1.
Cursed is the ground because of you. Be sure to
note that the ground is cursed, not Adam.
2.
By hardship, pain and suffering you shall eat of it all the days of your
life. Adam’s life changed just like Eve’s.
3.
The ground will grow thorns and thistles for you. In
response to the curse, Adam will have to deal thorns and thistles among the
plants he requires for food.
4.
You shall eat the plants of the field and by the sweat of your
face you shall eat bread. Adam and Eve’s new diet will include food
that had previously been the food of animals.
5.
You shall return to the ground from which you were taken, because
you are dirt and to dirt you shall return. Adam now knows that his
destiny is to return to the ground from which he was taken and that is
somewhere outside of and west of the Garden.
Adam
and Eve stood before Yahweh and heard His words together. At that point in time,
they had no way of knowing what those words meant or how dramatically their
lives would change. I will continue the story in my next email.
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for people to receive these educational emails. We are funded by donations from
individuals who value these emails. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Click Here to Donate Online or mail your donation
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and Thank You!
Jim
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(Originally published April 9, 2015.)
One
of the fun things I do is work with couples in planning their weddings. Like
many things, I use this as an opportunity to teach, observe, listen and learn
about relationships. We are social creatures which means, we need others for
our very survival, technology aside. Almost all of our needs -- physical, emotional, psychological -- are
met through interaction with others. In Genesis, the first thing identified as
not being TOV (Good) is for a human
to be alone.
I
tell each couple that, though marriages may be made in Heaven, the Maintenance needs to be done here on earth!
Relationships must be maintained -- especially
the one we have with ourselves. There was a recent post on FB with the
following quote of Lucille Ball -- "Love
yourself first and everything else falls into line." Being that this
is an issue I've struggled with myself, I understand it's easier said than
done.
When
I use the term, "Love",
I'm not referring to an emotion or a feeling. I'm speaking about "acceptance." Accepting of oneself
requires a basic understanding that we, as human beings, have worth. Again,
Genesis 1 tells us we are a reflection of the Creator. In truth, we are a bag
of mud, mixed with some chemicals and minerals, but it's the "spirit reflection" that makes us unique and binds us all
together.
Self-Love means we do
concrete acts that are required to show that we care about ourselves -- not to the exclusion of others nor striving
to improve and grow -- but that we accept ourselves as we are at the
present time with all our flaws, warts and mistakes. It is only then that we will
truly be able to "love our neighbors
as ourselves."
We
are constantly bombarded with messages that maintain one underlying theme -- self-worthlessness.
These messages are the product of professional propaganda creators, aka "spin doctors", who work in the
advertising industry. Central to their addictive persuasive message is a subtle
appeal: We (reader, hearer or viewer) are
seriously inadequate. We drive the wrong car, use the wrong deodorant, wear the
wrong clothes, have less than perfect skin, drink the wrong beer and so on. We
are bordering on worthless, but this can be cured by buying the "right"
products. This is our "unnatural"
reality.
Let
us stop for a moment and look at our yardstick of self-worth. My Standard of Self -Worth comes from
inside me. It is the time-tested values I learned from my parents and from my Jewish
tradition – it is the TOV Standard. Whatever I do is matched to thoughts, words and actions which Protect
Life, Preserve Life, Make Life More Functional and Improve the Quality of Life.
I do not drive the right car, wear the right clothes, have the perfect body, or
perfect skin. I absolutely refuse to let someone else determine my worth by their
standard.
One
of the most important lessons I've learned is this -- my self-worth comes from my understanding of the "Spirit
Reflection" I was given and how many lives I touch for TOV, for Good, for
Life and for Peace. What are you
Worth?
Choosing Life By
Doing TOV!
Rabbi
Jeffrey Leynor
Helping People Examine Their Beliefs
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In my email Nations
Will Guard the Way of Yahweh With Abraham’s Sons I discussed Genesis 18:19:
For I have noticed and observed him,
in order that he may instruct his children and his house after him,
that they guard the way of Yahweh,
to do TZEDAQAH and MISHPAT;
in order that Yahweh may bring upon Abraham
that which He has spoken concerning him.”
God chose Abraham because
of, and because he will, do this.
Abraham will teach his children how to guard the way of Yahweh
by doing acts of TZEDAQAH and MISHPAT
(justice).
That is the first time
the word MISHPAT (justice) appears in the Bible. From
this point on, TZEDAQAH and MISHPAT will appear
together many times. The “Way of God” requires learning and doing
both TZEDAQAH and MISHPAT, not just one. The
prophet Jeremiah delivers a very similar message (9:23-24):
Thus says Yahweh:
“Do not let
the wise man boast in his wisdom,
Do not let not the mighty man boast
in his might,
Do not let the rich man boast in his
riches;
But let him
who boast boast in this,
That he
understands and knows Me,
That I am Yahweh doing
CHESED, MISHPAT, TZEDAQAH in the earth.
For in these I take pleasure in,”
says Yahweh.
MISHPAT is one
of the three core values in the Jewish Scriptures. Doing
acts of MISHPAT is one of the ways humans imitate God and
reveal His image to the world.
MISHPAT is a very
ancient word, and it is one of those Hebrew words that using one English word
to translate it doesn’t accurately reveal its meaning. Two English words,
however, lay the foundation for understanding it – judge and
govern. MISHPAT is used to describe “a justly
ordered society,” which is also one of the foundational values of
Judaism. The prophets railed against the absence of MISHPAT in
the days of kings who abused their power.[1]
The
rabbis repeatedly extol the society whose courts insist on justice
and whose officials enforce justice to protect human rights.
Imperfect justice was preferred to no justice at all. Jews were exhorted
to accept the overly harsh laws of the Romans rather than to live under a
government without laws.
And you have made men
as the fishes of the sea,
as the creeping things
that have no ruler over them.
(Habakkuk 1:14)
Why were people
compared to the fishes of the sea?
Because in the case of
the fishes of the sea,
the larger one swallows
the smaller one;
so, too, in the case of
men:
were it not for the
fear of government,
the stronger would
swallow the weaker.
(Avodah Zarah 46)
When
a judge renders a decision in accordance with the law of the Torah he is imitating
one of God’s attributes -- God is just. Therefore, the
judge should not waver in his execution of justice, especially when two
litigants come before him.
An act of mercy to one
party may be an act of injustice to the other.
Those
who come before the judge are expected to imitate the other attribute of God — His
mercy. People are required to go beyond the line of strict
justice and to live in accordance with those greater ideals that
the court cannot enforce – CHESED and TZEDAQAH.
In his relations with
his fellow man,
a person should be
guided by compassion and trust
rather than by the
literalness of justice.
Exodus 21:1-24:8 is called “Mishpatim” and it lays down basic civil law, including rules of
damages, torts and ethical obligations to help the needy, and includes
agricultural laws and rules about festivals. It represents the
transition from the Tribes of Israel into the Nation
of Israel in the Jewish Scriptures.
Today,
mishpat is the modern
Hebrew word for law. A mishpatan is a lawyer. The Israeli civil courts are called batei mishpat lshalom – “courts for making peace between people.” Mishpat Ivri is the name for those areas of traditional Jewish law
that can be applied to the areas usually covered by secular legal systems. Mishpat Ivri has standing in Israeli courts today.[2]
CHESED, TZEDAQAH
and MISPHAT are the pillars of the message and movement of the
Jewish Jesus. They are primary belief models and core values of our Biblical
Heritages. I will discuss CHESED in the next email.
Choosing
Lives 1st by Doing TOV,
Jim
Myers
Helping People Examine Their Beliefs
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[2] The Language of Judaism by Simon Glustrom © 1988; Jason Aronson, Inc. Northvale, NJ; p. 399.
