This scripture was cited in a previous article entitled:

 “So if there’s no devil and demonic spirits,

explain the occult.”

At the end of that article, the reader was encouraged to read this text;  so this is the sequel to that article; please read through the three translations; a series of articles explaining this text will be posted later.

———————————————

Translations: 

[AST]  ArtScroll Tanach  –

[NASB] New American Standard Bible

1 Samuel 28:3-25   Saul and the Spirit Medium

[AST/ArtScroll Tanakh]   

3 Samuel had died and all Israel eulogized him and buried him in Ramah, 

in his hometown.  Saul had banished the necromancers and the Yidoni-diviners 

from the Land.

4 The Philistines mobilized, they came and encamped at Shunem, and Saul mobilized 

all Israel and they encamped at Gilboa.

5 When Saul saw the Philistine camp he was afraid  and his heart trembled greatly.

6 Saul inquired of HASHEM, but HASHEM did not answer him;  neither in a dream, 

nor through the Urim [VeTumim], nor through the prophets.

7 So Saul said to his servants, “Seek out a woman who practices necromancy, and 

I will go to her and inquire through her.” His servants said to him, “Behold there is 

a woman who practices necromancy in Endor.”

8 So Saul disguised himself; he donned different clothing, and he went [taking] two 

men with him. They came to the woman at night, and he said to her, “Please divine 

for me through necromancy,  and raise up whomever I shall tell you.”

9 But the woman said to him, “Behold, you surely know what Saul has done – that he 

has eliminated the necromancers and Yidoni diviner from the land – so why 

do you seek to entrap me, to have me killed?”

10 Saul then swore to her by HASHEM, saying, “As HASHEM lives, this thing 

will not be held against you as an iniquity.”

11 The woman asked, “Whom shall I raise up for you?” And he said, “Raise up Samuel 

for me.”

12 The woman then saw Samuel, and she screamed in a loud voice. The woman said 

to Saul, “Why did you deceive me? You are Saul!”

13 The king then said to her, “Fear not. What did you see?” The woman said to Saul, 

“I saw a great man ascending from the earth.”

14 He then said to her, “What does he look like?” She said, “An elderly man is 

ascending, and he is garbed in a cloak.” Saul realized that it was Samuel, and he bowed down upon 

his face to the ground and prostrated himself.

15 Samuel said to Saul, “Why did you disturb me, to raise me up?” Saul replied, 

“I am in great distress, and the Philistines are at war against me; God has turned away 

from me and does not answer me anymore, neither through the hand of the prophets 

nor in dreams – so I called upon you to inform me what should I do.”

16 Samuel then said, “But why do you ask me, since HASHEM has turned away 

from you and has become your adversary,

17 and HASHEM has done for Himself that which He spoke through me, for HASHEM 

has torn the kingship from your hand and given it to your fellow, to David?

18 Because you did not obey the word of HASHEM and did not carry out His wrath 

against Amalek, therefore HASHEM has done this thing to you this day.

19 And HASHEM will deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines; tomorrow 

you and your sons will be with me, and also the Israelite camp will HASHEM deliver 

into the hand of the Philistines.”

20 Saul quickly fell his full height to the ground and he was exceedingly frightened 

by Samuel’s words; also he had no strength for he had not eaten any food all the day 

and all the night.

21 The woman came over to Saul and saw that he was greatly terrified, and she said 

to him, “Behold, your maidservant heeded your voice and I put my life in my hand, 

and I listened to your words that you spoke to me.

22 Now you, too, listen to the voice of your maidservant. I will place before you a piece

 of bread so that you may eat,  so that you may have strength when you go on your way.”

23 But he refused, and said,  “I shall not eat.” His servants, and also the woman, 

urged him strongly, and he listened to their voice. He arose from the ground and sat on 

the bed.

24 The woman had a fattened calf in her house, she hurried and slaughtered it; and 

she took flour and kneaded it and baked it into matzos.

25 She set it before Saul and before his servants and they ate; and they arose and 

left that night.

[NASB/New American Standard Bible] 

 3 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah,

 his own city. And Saul had removed from the land those who were mediums and spiritists.

4 So the Philistines gathered together and came and camped in  Shunem; 

and Saul gathered all Israel together and they camped in Gilboa.

5 When Saul saw the camp of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart trembled greatly.

6 When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him,  either by dreams 

or by Urim or by prophets.

7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek for me a woman who is a medium, 

that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a 

woman who is a medium at En-dor.”

8 Then Saul disguised himself by putting on other clothes, and went, 

he and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; and he said,

 “Conjure up for me, please, and bring up for me whom I shall name to you.”

9 But the woman said to him, “Behold, you know what Saul has done, how 

he has cut off those who are mediums and spiritists from the land. 

Why are you then laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?”

10 Saul vowed to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no 

punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

11 Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, 

“Bring up Samuel for me.”

12 When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice; and 

the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? 

For you are Saul.”

13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid; but what do you see?”

 And the woman said to Saul, “I see a divine being coming up out of the earth.”

14 He said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, 

and he is wrapped with a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he 

 bowed with his face to the ground and did homage.

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” 

And Saul answered, “I am greatly distressed; for the Philistines are waging war

 against me, and God has departed from me and no longer answers me,

 either through prophets or by dreams; therefore I have called you, 

that you may make known to me what I should do.”

16 Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the LORD has departed from 

you and has become your adversary?

17 “The LORD has done accordingly as He spoke through me; for the LORD 

has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, to David.

18 “As you did not obey the LORD and did not execute His fierce wrath on Amalek, 

so the LORD has done this thing to you this day.

19 “Moreover the LORD will also give over Israel along with you into the hands 

of the Philistines, therefore tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.

 Indeed the LORD will give over the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines!”

20 Then Saul immediately fell full length upon the ground and was very afraid 

because of the words of Samuel; also there was no strength in him, for he had

 eaten no food all day and all night.

21 The woman came to Saul and saw that he was terrified, and said to him, 

“Behold, your maidservant has obeyed you, and I have taken my life in my 

hand and have listened to your words which you spoke to me.

22 “So now also, please listen to the voice of your maidservant, and let me set a 

piece of bread before you that you may eat and have strength when you go on your way.”

23 But he refused and said, “I will not eat.” However, his servants together with 

the woman urged him, and he listened to them. So he arose from the ground and

 sat on the bed.

24 The woman had a fattened calf in the house, and she quickly slaughtered it;

 and she took flour, kneaded it and baked unleavened bread from it.

25 She brought it before Saul and his servants, and they ate. Then they arose 

and went away that night.

On Shabbat May 26, [2012]. we devoted our Torah Study time to SHAVUOS ROADMAP, issued by Torah Mates: Exploring Judaism Together.  

If Jews today identify with the Israelites of that generation who left Egypt and gathered on Sinai,  we Sinaites likewise identify with the non-Israelites in the mixed multitude who witnessed the giving of the Torah by the God who identified Himself as Creator, and who gave His Name as YHWH.  

That generation of Israelites and non-Israelites gave their assent in one voice:  

“Everything that HASHEM has spoken we shall do!”  

We made this pledge on September 2010 when we realized Torah applied to Gentiles like us.  We agreed among ourselves that we should celebrate Shavuot along with Israel, albeit in a different manner — by reading and discussing the Torah portions relating to the Sinai event and ascertain its continuing significance in the life of a believer in the self-revealing God on Sinai–YHWH. [We have VAN@S6K to thank for sharing this roadmap which had been in his study file since 2010.]

Some excerpts which add more information to what was published in the earlier article titled:  TORAH and Pentecost.

 Since this was written by a Jew for Jews, whenever you read the word “Jew” — include us Gentiles as well, for YHWH is the God of the whole universe full of people, both Jew and gentile.  

Israel does not have an exclusive claim on YHWH, but we thank Israel for preserving the Torah in their Hebrew Scriptures so that we gentiles could discover the One True God Who chose them to be His “light to the gentiles.”  

Shavuos is the day to accept the Torah, just like the mixed multitude on Mount Sinai.  

I.  The Facts

• The period between Passover and Shavuos is called the Omer.  It marks the seven weeks between the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai (which is the event that Shavuos celebrates).  The 49 days of the Omer are verbally counted, and the 50th day of the Omer is Shavuos.  The word Shavuos means “weeks,” which refers to the counting of the seven weeks.
• Shavuos is also called:  Shavuos is mentioned in the Torah (the Five Books of Moses) as one of the three pilgrimage festivals, when the Jews gathered at the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.  These include Sukkos and Pesach as well.  The Torah (Numbers 28:26-31) instructs the Jewish people,

“Also in the day of the first fruits, when you bring a new meal-offering to the G-d in your Feast of Weeks, you shall have a holy assembly.  You shall not do any type of productive work.”

• “Atzeres,” which means the cessation or conclusion.  This is the name by which Shavuos is called in the Talmud. Some commentators explain that Shavuos is actually the end of a festive period that begins with Pesach.  Another explanation is that all productive work (besides certain food preparation) is prohibited.  Thus “Atzeres” refers to the cessation of work.
• Yom HaBikurim:  The Day of the First Fruits Shavuos was the time when the first fruits of the Seven Species were brought to the Holy Temple to be given to the Kohen (priest).
• Chag HaKatzir: The harvest festival
• In addition, the prayers on Shavuos refer to the holiday as Z’man Mattan Toraseinu:  the time of the giving of our Torah.

• Unlike the other festivals, Shavuos is not designated by date in the Torah.  Instead, the Torah instructs us to count 49 days from “the day after Shabbos.”  The Talmud explains this to mean the second day of Passover, which follows the first day of Passover, referred to as Shabbos.  These 49 days are designated as the Counting of the Omer, which, we discuss in our Pesach booklet.  The Torah commands us to verbally count these days one by one, according to a special formulation that keeps track of the days and weeks.
• This seven-week period is a time that is specially primed for spiritual growth and striving, since it is during this period that the Jews lifted themselves out of their slave mentality and prepared to become G-d’s “nation of priests.”  This is a reason why Shavuos, the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, was designated to follow the period of the Omer, rather than be fixed by calendar date.

II.  The Story of the Giving of the Torah

The Torah relates in minute detail the astounding events of G-d’s revelation of the Torah.  This momentous occasion, singular in all of the history of the world, was witnessed by at least 3 million men, women and children.  It seared a permanent imprint into their souls, which became the Jewish people’s “spiritual DNA” for all generations.  Parent to child, teacher to student, this knowledge has come down through the ages in a traceable chain.  Only approximately 100 intergenerational transmissions need be counted to get from Mount Sinai to your own family.  

But the Jew’s magnetic attraction to the truth found in the Torah is not just a product of teaching:  in reality, every Jew was present at its giving.  Our Sages teach us that every Jewish soul that ever existed or will exist in the future was present at Mount Sinai. The Torah we learn in our lifetimes resounds so strongly within us because we are not really learning new, foreign concepts.  Rather, we are merely reawakening something already embedded in our essence.  To a Jew, Torah has the sweet taste of home.  Below are some of the details of this world-altering event that brought moral structure to the entire world.

• The Jews had been traveling from Egypt for almost two months.  They encamped in the wilderness of Sinai, opposite the mountain.
• G-d proposed a covenant to Moses:  

“You have seen what I did to Egypt, and that I have borne you on the wings of eagles and brought you to Me.  And now, if you listen well to Me and observe My covenant, you shall be to Me the most beloved treasure of all people.  You shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

• Moses relayed G-d’s message to the elders, and without asking for any further clarification of what the covenant would demand of them, they agreed to accept it.
• G-d explained that he would appear in a thick cloud and speak so that all could hear His voice, thus reaffirming the people’s faith in Moses and his power of prophecy.  He described a three-day purification process that the people would have to undergo in order to be prepared to stand in such close proximity to G-d’s presence.  He also established the boundaries where they would be permitted to stand.

“On the third day when it was morning, there was thunder and lightning and a heavy cloud on the mountain, and the sound of the shofar was very powerful and the entire people that was in the camp shuddered.  Moses brought the people forth from the camp toward G-d, and they stood at the bottom of the mountain.  All of Mount Sinai was smoking because G-d had descended upon it in the fire; its smoke ascended like the smoke of the furnace and the entire mountain shuddered exceedingly. The sound of the shofar grew continually much stronger; Moses would speak and G-d would respond to him with a voice” (Exodus 19:16-19)

• “Moses went up to the mountain, but G-d told him to descend again and warn the priests and the people not to trespass over the boundaries that had been set, “lest Hashem burst forth against them.” (Exodus 19:22)
• God issued the Ten Commandments in the hearing of all those assembled.  The experience was so intense that the people begged Moses to act as an intermediary for them.

 “You speak to us and we shall hear; let G-d not speak to us lest we die.” (Exodus 20:16)  

G-d then taught the Torah to Moses, a process which took 40 days.  This included the laws transmitted orally and expounded upon in the Talmud.

The Famiy Legacy

The Torah is called “Morasha Kehillas Yaakov – the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob,” which in simple English means the inheritance of the Jewish people.  Given in public to the entire nation, it has never been the exclusive property of the learned or the elite of our people.  It belongs to every Jew, and the Torah itself ensures that it will remain so with this commandment transmitted from Moses to the people of Israel:

“Only beware for yourself and greatly beware for your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have beheld. Do not remove this memory from your heart all the days of your life.  Teach your children and your children’s children about the day that you stood before the Lord your G-d at Chorev (Sinai) . . .” (Deuteronomy 4:9-13)

The Torah can be learned at any level.  The smallest children and the most phenomenal geniuses have all found themselves at home in Torah study.

III.  The First Fruits

The First Bite

Little is as tantalizing as the first bite of a tasty delicacy.  For a farmer, the ripest and choicest of his fruits are enticing indeed.  He has labored hard for an entire year, plowing, planting, pruning, tending and harvesting, and his natural tendency would be literally enjoy the fruits of his labors.

The Torah teaches, however, that in the midst of one’s experiencing the sense of satisfaction over a job well done, a person must shake himself awake.  He must instill in his heart the immense gratitude due to G-d for giving him his success.  For a farmer, especially, it should be clear that all the plowing, planting and pruning in the world cannot guarantee a crop.  Weather, insects and dozens of other variables can easily render his efforts useless.

The same is true for every person trying to make a livelihood in this world. The best business deal can go sour, the most talented professional can lose a job.  Effort comes from people, but success comes from Above.

This is the lesson of the First Fruits, an awe-inspiring and festive ritual that coincides with Shavuos.  It was a colorful, magnificent outpouring of thankfulness to G-d which took place at the Holy Temple.  Below is a description of how the First Fruits, known as Bikurim, were brought to Jerusalem each year.

Our “Thanksgiving Parade”

The process began when the farmer entered his fields and saw that his produce was beginning to ripen.  Bikurim were taken from the seven species that are designated specifically as blessings of the Land of Israel:  wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.  When the farmer noticed the first fruit from these species ripening, he tied a string or ribbon around it and declared, “This is for Bikurim.”  Once thy were reeds, but the wealthy landowners brought theirs in baskets of silver or gold.

When the time to travel to Jerusalem arrived, those leaving from each location would gather together and set out in the morning in a festive procession accompanied by music.  The group was preceded by a bull whose horns were decorated with gold and whose head was adorned with a wreath.

When they approached Jerusalem, they sent messengers into the city to announce their arrival.  The city’s dignitaries would come to greet them, and even hired workers were permitted to interrupt their tasks to welcome them.  Everyone paid homage to those involved in this joyous mitzvah.

As they proceeded to the Temple Mount, they were accompanied by the music of a flute.  On arrival at he Temple Mount, each person would hoist his own basket onto his shoulder.  Even those wealthy men whose offerings had been carried by servants up to that point would now bear their own basket to the Temple court.  Each person would bring his basket to the Kohen (priest) in the Temple, and recite a declaration of gratitude to G-d for redeeming the Jewish people from slavery and giving us the Land of Israel.  The statement concludes: “He brought us to this place.  He gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold I have brought the first fruits of the land that Thou O L-rd hast given me.”

The person would then leave his basket and bow before G-d.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

Imagine you were there — standing beneath the towering peak of Mount Sinai, the sky thick with clouds and pierced by bolts of lightning.  A shofar blast grows louder and louder, and the very ground beneath your feet trembles with awe.  A voice resounds, striking so deeply within you that you feel your soul depart.  

“I am the L-rd, your G-d,” 

it pronounces, and you know in your very bones that this is the ultimate truth.

It may be a far cry from standing in your neighborhood synagogue listening to your cantor chant the holy words that were spoken to the Jewish people on the first Shavuos.  However, with a little mental focus, a little vision and an open heart, you, too, can feel the receiving of the Torah on Shavuos.  After all, your soul was present at Mount Sinai.

Here is a brief summary of the concepts included in the Ten Commandments:

1.   I am the L-rd your G-d . . . ” (recognizing G-d)
2.   Prohibition against idol worship
3.   Prohibition against using G-d’s name in vain – especially in an oath
4.   Remembering Shabbos and keeping it holy
5.   Honoring parents
6.   Prohibition against murder
7.   Prohibition against adultery
8.   Prohibition against stealing or kidnapping
9.   Prohibition against testifying falsely
10.   Prohibition against coveting other people’s family or property

It is worthwhile to note that while most congregations stand while the Ten Commandments are being chanted, the great sage,  Maimonides objected to this custom.  That is because the Torah actually contains 613 commandments, and the Jewish people are required to keep them all with equal vigilance.  He feared that by standing for the reading of these ten particular commandments, people would conclude that they are the most important ones and all others are secondary.  In truth, however, there are no “minor” commandments.

First, Derech Eretz

There were seven weeks between the Jews’ departure from Egypt and their arrival at Mount Sinai.  Our Sages teach us that giving the Jews the Torah was the real object of taking them out of slavery.  G-d did not want to simply set us free to become a nation like all others; He wanted us to be His agents on earth, helping to nudge the world toward its ultimate state of G-dly perfection.  You might wonder then, if receiving the Torah was the goal, why the delay?  Why did G-d not give it to us as soon as we reached safety?

One answer comes from the words “Derech eretz before Torah,” from Pirkey Avos (3:17)., a compilation of our Sages’ ethical teachings.  Derech eretz is a term that literally means “the way of the land.”  It is usually understood to mean good character –consideration, responsibility, honesty and so forth.  The Sages tell us that a person has to develop these traits in order to properly learn, absorb, and live by the Torah.  Torah is not merely a philosophy a person can study on an intellectual plane; it is meant to be a way of life.

Do First, Ask Questions Later

When G-d created the physical world we see all around us, He also created a spiritual world filled with mysterious forces and powers that execute G-d’s will.  The English word “angels” is used to identify some of these forces, but these are not the type of “angels” popular culture depicts as cherubs with wings and harps.  In Hebrew, angels are called malachim, which means “messengers.”  They are messengers of G-d’s will, and therefore, they have no will of their own.

This sharply distinguishes them from man, who was given his own will and spends most of his lifetime trying to rein it in and direct it properly. Though his level of devotion to G-d’s will is usually much lower than that of an angel, his distinction is that he himself achieves this level.  There was, however, one time in Jewish history when our people rose to the level of the malachim, and that was at the giving of the Torah.

When G-d offered the Torah to the Jewish people, Moses transmitted His offer to the elders of Israel and they responded with the words, “na’aseh v’nishma,” which means “we will do and we will hear.”  In other words, they made the commitment to accept the Torah, to learn and abide by G-d’s will, before they even heard what the Torah actually contained.  They had become, at least for this time, like the angels, desiring only to be an instrument of G-d’s plan.

This flash of spiritual loftiness has remained the paradigm for Jews ever since.  Although we are obligated to inquire into, learn, study and understand our religious laws and ethics, we are also always aware that a complete understanding of G-d’s ways is beyond human intelligence.  Our first commitment is to do and then to seek understanding of what we do.  The Sages teach us that each word — “na’seh” and “nishma” — is a crown upon the head of every Jew–two crowns of honor, which the Jewish people wear with pride as they bear the Torah’s message throughout the ages.

Tailor Made

King Solomon taught in Proverbs, “Teach each child according to his way . . .”   A good teacher knows that different children learn differently. This is, in fact, G-d’s own teaching technique which has been passed down through the ages.  The Sages teach that when the Jewish people heard the Ten Commandments, each heard G-d’s word according to his own level of understanding.  The message that imprinted itself upon each person was the same message, but it was transmitted in a way that exactly suited each person’s learning style and level of understanding.  To this day, G-d’s method sets the paradigm for how Torah should be taught.  If the student hasn’t learned, then the teacher hasn’t taught.

One Man, One Heart

The Torah relates that when the Jews arrived in the Sinai wilderness, they set up camp.  The word used for encamping, however, is in the singular form, rather than the plural form that would normally be used for a group of people.  Rashi explains that the singular form conveys a message — that the Jewish people were in a state of complete unity.  They were “as one man with one heart,” united in their desire to receive G-d’s Torah.

The unity of the Jewish people is a force of immense power.  The times in our history when we were united have always brought us Divine favor and protection.  Times of fragmentation and strife have always brought disaster.  Most notably, the destruction of the Second Temple and the exile in which we remain are traced to the lack of unity that prevailed in that period and which, unfortunately, continues today.

Obviously, however, people are all very different from each other and the tendency to see “different’ as “wrong” is a very strong human inclination.  But as the Jews at Sinai proved, when everyone’s eyes are lifted toward Heaven, their hearts are in the right place as well.

Dairy Delights

The dietary laws themselves are a perfect example of the Jewish people’s willingness to act in accordance with the words na’aseh v’nishma” (see Do First, Ask Questions Later).  Attempts to explain the laws as health measures (i.e., Jews have been spared certain diseases carried by pork and shellfish) may illustrate some benefits of keeping kosher, but they are far from conclusive reasons.

On a deeper level, kosher laws cause a person to think before he eats.  Kosher slaughtering provides the most painless death possible to the animal.  Keeping dairy separate from meat forces us to recognize the distinction between life and death, even of a lower creature.  By avoiding eating predatory animals, we distance ourselves from cruelty.  Culturally, the dietary laws ensure that the Jewish people cannot completely meld into the society around them, thereby losing their identity and abandoning their G-d-given role in the world.

Yet none of these benefits fully explains the dietary laws. They are simply G-d’s prescription for the health and well-being of the Jewish soul

Rabbi Kalman Packouz  in his weekly electronic column Shabbat Shalom [Aish HaTorah] reminded his Jewish readers that May 26 this year is the biblical feast “Shavuos.”    

Interestingly, the dictionary definition of Pentecost refers to the Christian festival first before mentioning its original Biblical [TNK] roots which is an indicator of either the definer’s perspective, though more likely an unconscious influence of the religious-political power that wielded its global domination, whether coercively or persuasively, over centuries.

 |ˈpentəˌkôst; -ˌkäst|noun

• one of the prominent feasts in the Catholic liturgical year.
• the Christian festival celebrating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the disciples of Jesus after his Ascension, held on the seventh Sunday after Easter.• the day on which this festival is held. Also called Whitsunday. 
• the Jewish festival of Shavuoth.
• ORIGIN Old English pentecosten, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek pentēkostē (hēmera) ‘fiftieth (day)’ (because the Jewish festival is held on the fiftieth day after the second day of Passover).

So let’s straighten out some facts:

• Starting with the spelling . . . Shavuot or Shavuos [in Ashkenazi usage], Shabhu’oth [in Classical Hebrew];
• And the meaning . . .literally “Weeks,”
• In Biblical history, it occurs 50 days after the exodus from Egypt, when the mixed multitude reach Mount Sinai; 7 days in a week multiplied by 7 weeks is 49, Shavuot is celebrated on the 50th day, usually falling in the month of Sivan in the Biblical calendar [late May or early June in the Gregorian calendar];
• Since it relates to the exodus, it is directly linked to the Pesach or Passover, when the counting of days connects with the second day of Passover, the counting of the omer [ancient Hebrew dry measure, 10th of an ephah];
• The significance of why it becomes part of the commandments in YHWH’s 7 Feasts in Leviticus 23 is to commemorate the giving of the Torah to the mixed multitude of Israelites and non-Israelites who were assembled at Mount Sinai [Leviticus 23].

But back to Rabbi Kalman Packouz’s reminder, he says the Jewish celebration of Shavuot today includes festive meals at night and during the day, and that they have a custom to stay up all night studying the Torah. Such study, he says, is “exciting, exhilarating, exhausting.”

He poses the question:  What is the Torah that causes such devotion and appreciation?

Here are excerpts from Rabbi Packouz’s article:

• The word “Torah” means “instructions” and “Toras Chaim” means “instructions for life.” If one gives a present, an mp3 player for example, it comes with an instruction booklet on how to use it. The more complex the gift, the more detailed the instruction book. Life is the greatest gift and the Torah is the “user manual” — the instructions on how to get the most out of life and enjoy it to the fullest.
• The Almighty not only entered into a covenant with the Jewish people to protect us and ensure our survival, He also gave us instructions on how to best use our time on this planet to perfect ourselves ethically and spiritually as well as create the ultimate relationship with the Almighty. That’s the Torah that we so excitedly dance with on Simchas Torah and so enjoyably study on a daily basis whenever possible.

The Torah that we Sinaites have recognized as YHWH’s revelation are only the five books attributed to Moses:  

In their Hebrew titles:

•  Bere’shiyth [Genesis]
• Shemoth [Exodus]  
• Wa’iyqrah [Leviticus] 
• Bemidbar  [Numbers] 
• Dabariym [Deuteronomy]

Rabbi Packouz however explains the Jewish recognition of “Written” Torah which includes the whole Hebrew Bible in its tripartite classification in the acronym TNK [Torah, Nevi’im, Ketuvi’im] and their acceptance of the commentary on the Torah by Jewish sages over centuries in the “Oral” Torah.  Their justification for the Oral is that while the Written Torah gives statutes, ordinances, commandments, laws, these have to be reinterpreted in more detail to adapt to changing times, circumstances, applications.  While this makes sense and helps clueless readers, such interpretations also tend to go overboard specially in the application part.  

• The Torah has two integrated parts — the written Torah and the Oral Torah. The written Torah refers to Tanach, a Hebrew acronym for Torah,Nevi’im (prophets), Kesuvim (writings). The Torah, or Chumash (the Hebrew word for “five” referring to the Five Books of Moses, the Pentateuch), contains — Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
• The Prophets include: Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and then the 12 Minor Prophets: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nachum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi.
• The Writings include: Psalms (Tehilim), Proverbs (Mishlei), Job (Iyov). It also contains the 5 Megillos (scrolls) that we read on the holidays: Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim) — read on Pesach, Ruth — read on Shavuos, Lamentations (Eicha) — read on Tisha B’av, Ecclesiastes (Koheles) — read on Succos, Esther — read on Purim. The writings conclude with: Daniel, Ezra/Nehemia and Chronicles (Divrei Hayamim).

Along with the Written Law, the Almighty gave the Oral Law — the explanation for the words of the Chumash. It was given orally to ensure the accuracy of transmission. A father or teacher would make sure that his son or student correctly understood the meaning of the verse. This worked well until the Jewish people were almost destroyed 2,000 years ago. Then Rebbie Yehuda HaNasi compiled the Mishnah, the Oral Teachings. He organized 63 tractates in the Six Orders of Mishnah: 1. Zeraim (Seeds) — agricultural laws and prayers 2. Moed (Festival) — Jewish holidays and Sabbath 3. Nashim(Women) — marriage and divorce 4. Nezikin (Damages) — civil and criminal law 5. Kodshim (Holy Things) — sacrificial rites, the Temple, dietary laws 6.Tohorot (Purities) — laws of spiritual purity and impurity.

One of the 613 commandments is that every Jew should write a Sefer Torah (Torah scroll) to learn. The commandment can be fulfilled through purchasing a printed book of the Torah. I highly recommend the Artscroll Stone Chumash available at your local Jewish bookstore, atJudaicaEnterprises.com or by calling toll-free to 877-758-3242. One cannot love what he does not know; one cannot do what he has not learned.

It is amazing. The same book that is studied by first graders is being studied by our greatest and oldest scholars. There is tremendous depth and wisdom in its words. Our Sages tell us that there are 70 levels of understanding to the Chumash. It is not only our heritage, but the life source for the Jewish people which has ensured our uniqueness and our survival. It belongs to you; go and learn!

Rabbis write primarily for Jews, understandably, but we Gentiles can learn a lot from their websites.

 If one line from this article should resonate in the reader’s mind with regard YHWH’s Torah, it is this:

“One cannot love what he does not know;

one cannot do what he has not learned.”

YHWH’s Torah was given through the Israelites to be made known to all mankind, so the article’s last line applies to all, Jew and gentile, to the mixed multitude on Mount Sinai:

 “It belongs to you; go and learn!”

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