[This was first posted in 2012, timed for Father’s Day celebration every year. This reflects a simple reading and discussion by Sinaites of the problems within families that practice favoritism. To this original perspective are now added commentary from the three sources we have chosen to feature: Pentateuch and Haftorahs, ed. Dr. J.H. Hertz; RA/Robert Alter; and EF/Everett Fox whose translation we have chosen for this website: The Five Books of Moses.—Admin1.]

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Jacob, Jacob, did you not learn from your father Isaac?

Favoritism creates problems not only for a favored child but also for their siblings; did you not learn from your personal experience? And now you’re doing exactly what your father had done, except you face a more complicated family situation, what with 12 sons with 4 mothers desiring your favor upon their sons.

You’ve always loved Rachel most, except she was barren for so long but when God enabled her to conceive, how could you not resist favoring her miraculously-brought-about firstborn Joseph?

How difficult is it for a parent to be perfectly fair, enough to give each child equal treatment and opportunity? Not difficult, not impossible, for it is a matter of choice and wisdom. There are parents who succeed to the great benefit of their children; though usually the first-born and the last-born get special attention simply from being bookends in the procreation process, no wonder the in-between sometimes feel neglected. It is a balancing act, pops and moms!

This family dynamics is universal, so Jacob and Isaac are no exceptions. It is one thing to have a favorite, it is another to show it to the point of demoralizing other children just as deserving of parental attention. Abraham comes through as equally loving of Ishmael and Isaac despite the behavior of the mothers; the succeeding patriarchs failed in that respect and caused problems for the next generation.

Here are a few preliminaries which always help understand the biblical text, (we thank YHWH for timing our existence in this modern age of information technology, where encyclopedic help is available at the click of a computer key, and unless we have some further insights to contribute, we simply select and reorganize already available material when it is relevant):

From: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_(son_of_Jacob)

Hebrew: יוֹסֵף ‎, Standard Yosef Tiberian Yôsēp̄;
“May Yahweh add”;^[1] Arabic: يوسف‎, Yūsuf ) i
an important person in the Hebrew Bible, where he connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

The Joseph story has been told and retold so much that there is almost nothing left to be added, so it is best to read through the Hebrew rendering if only to correct wrong perceptions you might have picked up from hearing the same story retold in different media, particularly through stage and film productions that pick up the basic plot and embellish for entertainment, such as:

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Webber, “a humourously musical retelling of the Biblical story” with perfectly cast clean-living Mormon entertainer Donny Osmond playing Joseph (one of the no-bad-record figures like Joshua, Caleb, Daniel).

And of course, avoid it as we’d like to, here is a sample of the Christian retelling and its reinterpretation for New Testament prophetic fulfillment —

[Source; gracethrufaith.com/childrens-stories-for-adults/joseph-and-his-coat-of-many-colors/]

Tell Me A Story, Daddy — Parables are heavenly truths put into earthly context and the Bible abounds with them. The ones Jesus told are mostly stories He devised for the purpose, but the Lord told Paul that He often orchestrated real life events in Israel to help teach us about Him (Rom 15:4 & 1 Cor: 10:11). Put the Heavenly Players in place of the earthly ones to gain the lesson and see the Old Testament come alive as never before.

Jacob and his family represent Israel,
Joseph the Messiah,
and Pharoah the Father.
Joseph’s gentile bride is the church
and Egypt the world.
The seven good years are the Age of Grace
during which the Gentile Bride is taken,
the 7 bad years the Tribulation period
where the Messiah is revealed to Israel.
The land of Goshen is the Kingdom Age.

We’ve just scratched the surface here; there are over 100 clear truths being modeled. The rest is up to you. And now you know the adult version.

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Oh well . . . . nevertheless, thanks to such popularization of ancient biblical narratives, people who normally would not read the TNK nevertheless get exposed to the tribal saga of the divinely set-apart people of Israel.

It was a surprise to discover that a familiar name in the list of literary masters, the German writer Thomas Mann whose must-read book is The Magic Mountain had written what he considered his greatest work:

Joseph and His Brothers (Joseph und seine Brüder) is a four-part novel by Thomas Mann, written over the course of 16 years. Mann retells the familiar stories of Genesis, from Jacob to Joseph (chapters 27–50), setting it in the historical context of the Amarna Period.

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Deception has plagued Jacob the deceiver throughout his life from the time—

he deceived his father;
he was deceived by Laban,
and now his sons will deceive him.

Was he ever aware that the brothers resented his favored son? Could Joseph, knowing he’s favored, have been more secretive about his dreams, since even his father reacted negatively to the one about the sun and moon and 11 stars (hint, hint). Yes, he could have, but then we readers would never have known he did have such prophetic dreams and the Divine Hand orchestrating these events for the fulfillment of the prophecy given to Abraham as early as Genesis/Bereshith 15:11-16—

11 Vultures descended upon the carcasses, but Avram drove them back.
12 Now it was, when the sun was coming in , that deep slumber fell upon Avram- and here,
fright and great darkness falling upon him!
13 And he said to Avram: You must know, yes, know that your seed will be sojourners in a land
not theirs; they will put them in servitude and afflict them for four hundred years.
14 But the nation to which they are in servitude-I will bring judgment on them, and after that
they will go out with great property.
15 As for you, you will go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good ripe-age.
16 But in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite has not
reached full-measure heretofore.

Too much familiarity with the text sometimes makes us, readers, miss important details such as this: Abraham’s seed will find themselves in bondage in a foreign land but the foreign power that has subjugated them will face divine judgment.

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Here is Everett Fox’s introduction to the chapters that focus on Joseph:

YOSEF (37-50)

THE STORIES ABOUT THE LAST PATRIARCH FORM A COHERENT WHOLE, leading some to dub it a “novella.” It stands well on its own, although it has been consciously and artfully woven together into both the Yaakov cycle and the entire book.

Initially, the tale is one of family emotions, and it is, in fact, extreme emotions which give it a distinctive flavor. All the major characters are painfully expressive of their feelings, from the doting father to the spoiled son, from the malicious brothers to the lustful wife of Potifar, from the nostalgic adult Yosef to the grief-stricken old Yaakov. It is only through the subconscious medium of dreams, in three sets, that we are made to realize that a higher plan is at work which will supersede the destructive force of these emotions.

For this is a story of how “ill”—with all its connotations of fate, evil, and disaster—is changed to good. Despite the constant threat of death to Yosef, to the Egyptians, and to Binyamin, the hidden, optimistic thrust of the story is “life,” a word that appears in various guises throughout. Even “face,” the key word of the Yaakov cycle which often meant something negative, is here given a kinder meaning, as the resolution to Yaakov’s life.

A major subtheme of the plot is the struggle for power between Re’uven and Yehuda. Its resolution has implications that are as much tribal as personal, for the tribe of Yehuda later became the historical force in ancient Israel as the seat of the monarchy.

Although many details of the narrative confirm Egyptian practices, those practices actually reflect an Egypt considerably later than the period of the Patriarchs (Redford). Of interest also is the prominence of the number five in the story, a detail that is unexplained but that gives some unity to the various sections of text.

In many ways, the Yosef material repeats elements in the Yaakov traditions. A long list could be compiled, but let us at least mention here sibling hatred, exile of the hero, foreign names, love and hate, dreams, and deception—even so, detailed as to duplicate the use of a goat-kid. But its focusing on a classic rags-to-riches plot, with the addition of a moralistic theme, make the Yosef story a distinctive and always popular tale, accessible in a way that the more difficult stories of the first three parts of Genesis are not.

Young Yosef: Love and Hate (37): As has been the pattern with the Avraham and Yaakov cycles, the opening chapter here introduces the key themes of the entire story. These include the father’s love, the power of words, dreams, “ill” as a keyword (here denoting evil intent but eventually encompassing misfortune, among other concepts), and of course, the brothers’ hatred, which at first glance is the motivating force behind the action.

But the initial blame for what happens clearly lies with the father (vv.3-4) and is made unbearable by Yosef’s own behavior. In point of fact, he is largely responsible for his own downfall, bearing tales about his brother (v. 2) even before Yaakov’s preference for him is noted. His insistence on telling his dreams to his brothers must be galling, particularly the second time (v. 9), coming as it does after the report that “they hated him still more for his dreams” (v.8).

The key word of the chapter, not surprisingly, is “brother,” culminating in Yehuda’s ironic words (v. 27): “let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother . . . .” Shortly afterward Yosef, their (own) flesh, “is sold into slavery and probable death.”

MUST READ

MUST READ: A great ‘Graduation Message’ but not just for graduates . . .

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

[First posted in 2013. This speech was delivered by Supreme Court Justice Mario Victor “Marvic” F. Leonen, on the occasion of the 67th Commencement Exercises of the University of the Cordilleras, Baguio City, May 9, 2013. After the preliminary ‘warm-up’ paragraphs expected of every graduation message, the better and the best part is definitely thought-provoking for any reader of any age of any culture, in school or out. That part is excerpted here. Please spend time to read through, we promise it will be worth your while because essentially, the message reflects much of the Torah lifestyle, and yet from the point of view of one who has not been exposed to theTORAH of YHWH . . . or so we presume. —Admin1]

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There are many challenges before you, and this is a clichéd understatement that needs to be said. What few however realize is that the decisions that you make to meet these challenges are made for you as much as you make them. The less you realize how these decisions are made for you, the less critical you become and the worse off we end up as a community and as a society.

Perhaps the better way to restate this is to say that there are ways through which you make sense of what may be happening: to you personally and to your environment. One of these ways is by weaving the facts you experience and become conscious of into narratives.

We make sense of the events in our lives, through the stories we create to be able to understand them. We put them in context, through a series of progression for us to remember as well as to enable us to situate ourselves and survive. We assume that our lives can be coherent and that we live a purpose even if for the moment we cannot discern it. We assume, as a matter of human faith, that our lives can have meaning. The peaks and valleys that we go through leads to denouement many times over defining the many phases of our lives. To this extent although we may have one physical existence framed by our morality, we can live through many lifetimes.

But our stories – our narratives – are not entirely only our own. Many of our stories are metaphors: patterned after the dominant meta-narratives of the societies and the cultures we inhabit. In a sense we borrow each other’s stories because we are part of a community, a society, a culture. Our cultures embed generations of similar narratives patterned after each other. It helps us to understand our lifeways, to make sense of what happens to us. Cultures thus define us in a very powerful way.

Sometimes we give labels to our cultures. We call this, identities. It is how we differentiate our lives, and more importantly how we make sense of our lives, from others. More than a label, it is a summary of who we are: a metaphor of our belongingness to a community and our exclusion from others.

The dominant metaphor of the Bangsamoro, for instance, is that of struggle against the oppression caused by a misunderstanding of history. The dominant metaphor of the Ibaloi, the Kankanaey, the Ifugao, the Kalinga and many of our ethno linguistic groups in the Cordilleras is the assertion of our lifeways against the backdrop of the creation of minorities where there should be none. The dominant metaphor of woman is the aspiration for equality regardless of gender. The dominant metaphor of youth – as an identity – is that of a fresh perspective and creative approaches against worn out but dominant traditions.

Law, like many of our institutions, participates in the reification of these meta-narratives. It embeds values – it is part of our contemporary cultures. Law thus, as again many of our institutions, derive most of its power in the way it constitutes us. It constitutes us by suggesting how we should think, how we should make sense, what stories to borrow and to pattern. It participates in the reordering of society in this way. Being so, it performs an important function.

Identities are important. They help to situate us. They assist us to make sense of our existence in conjunction with others. It assists us to evaluate the things we still need to do to accomplish the goals we have set for ourselves as individuals and as a society. More importantly, it inculcates in us the necessity of some level of collectivity and group cohesion without which we cease to be human.

But it too can retard: especially when we encrust our ways of thinking on only one standpoint. We are in an unceasingly danger of becoming too dogmatic in our thinking. The identities we use might provide us with too much comfort that we cease to become critical about what they can also do to us.

There are two truths which I need you to understand.

First, our cultures and thus, identities, are dynamic. They should be because they are a product of human interaction. Thus, our understandings of who we are and what our identities are for evolve through generations and with contemporary phenomenon that may never have been encountered in the past. Subversive understandings do evolve and they do have their purposes.

Second, various cultures intermingle constantly. We have multiple identities corresponding to our various roles as well as the various cultures that we inhabit. We can be student, yet Cordillerans, perhaps Ibaloi, lawyer, Filipino and also part of our clans. We can be gendered, male or female, or consider ourselves politically as conservative, moderates, revolutionaries, reformers or even perhaps just fence sitters waiting for things to evolve.

Sometimes, it is essential that we focus on some of our identities and rehearse the language of its politics. Gayatri Spivak, a very well known sociologist, referred to this as “strategic essentialism”. To assert more rights and correct history, we identify ourselves as indigenous people. To gain gender justice, we identify ourselves as male or female or various shades of belongingness to nuances of feminist or masculinist philosophies. To ensure that we can perform our professional roles, we live the life of lawyer, judge, justice or some other profession.

This should be understood as only strategic. We must understand that our identities are dynamic and that we reside in multiple cultures and overlapping identities. We are in a multi-vocal, multi-local, multi-dimensional world.

A philosopher once remarked that we can be judged by the kinds of questions that we dare to ask in our lifetimes. Those who want to conform simply do not ask questions. They just do what they are told to do, think the way they are expected to think. They live comfortable but uneventful lives. They may become rich beyond their imagination but I suppose at some point in their lives they will look for more understanding of their purpose. They will find that the lives they have lived will have lacked in its nobility.

There are those who will attempt to be critical and thus ask some questions. But upon further analysis, many of them actually ask questions for which the answer will come easy. In a way they are not too different from the first group because their questions are simply there to inform them. They may make more sense of what they do and why they do what they do. But their lives will be as stale, lacking in more purpose; with imaginations, but also lacking in nobility.

Then there are the select few who choose to ask the difficult questions. These questions are difficult because they tend to be dangerous. The questions go into the very foundation of what their cultures, communities and societies believe in. They also tend to often undermine what they have been taught to believe in various ways through the various institutions that impact on their lives. The questions are variations of the imponderables; what is my true role, how do we know what we know, are we sure, what are our lives for, what is my true role, how do I discover it, why am I told to do what I am supposed to do. These are just some of the questions that should color your lives.

Notice that these questions, at various stages of your lives especially at times when you are most materially secure can cause you a lot of discomfort. But this discomfort is what ultimately will allow you to discover your humanity, even perhaps, the nobility that will color your existence. Life, as you will know it is challenge, it is discomfort; but it is also about patience, courage, discovery and service.

I share with you a poem by a great warrior, Tecumseh:

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about their religion;

respect others in their view,

and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.

Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,

even a stranger, when in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.

If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing,

for abuse turns the wise ones to fools

and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die,

Be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death,

So that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time

To live their lives over again in a different way.

Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

Do not be afraid to do the work; to find the discipline to survive and to excel; to go through these challenges. Do not cheat or lie: most especially be true to yourself. Do not fail to build character. Do not fail to ensure that yours will be a life lived with integrity. Refuse to be dogmatic in any way. Reexamine your identity, enrich your culture, ask questions and live through the answers.

Go forth, rebuild the world. Give us hope.

Serve the people.

ISRAEL, OPINION, JOURNEYS, SINAI 6000, Exodus/Shemoth

So, do Sinaites celebrate Shavuot/Pentecost?

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

[This was first posted in 2012. Reposting on the celebration of Shavuot which falls this year on June 9-10,—Admin1].

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On Shabbat way back in 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 Family 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 to 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 they 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 the 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:

I am the L-rd your G-d . . . ” (recognizing G-d)
Prohibition against idol worship
Prohibition against using G-d’s name in vain – especially in an oath
Remembering Shabbos and keeping it holy
Honoring parents
Prohibition against murder
Prohibition against adultery
Prohibition against stealing or kidnapping
Prohibition against testifying falsely
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

SINAI 6000

GOD’S DOMAIN – The UN-KNOWABLE

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

Note: This is Level 4 of REVELATION IN A NUTSHELL where we explain the Sinaite perspective on knowledge of God. The scripture verses quoted here are from ArtScroll Tanakh [AST] and His Name Tanakh/Benmara, hearoyisrael.net [HNT].

GOD’s domain, HIS realm—-Man cannot ever know all that exist on this level, it is simply beyond man’s limited thinking, alien to man’s finiteness, beyond human comprehension.

GOD is infinite, all superlatives apply to Him, man cannot even begin to imagine what GOD is truly like. Isaiah 40:9-31—[AST]

Ascend upon a high mountain, O herald of Zion; raise your voice with strength, O herald of Jerusalem! Raise it, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, my Lord, [YHWH]/ELOHIM, will come with [a] strong [arm], and His arm will dominate for Him; behold, His reward is with Him and His wage is before Him. [He is] like a shepherd who grazes his flock, who gathers the lambs in his arm, who carries them in his bosom, who guides the nursing ewes.

Who measured the waters in His palm, gauged the Heavens with a span, measured in a huge vessel the dust of the earth, and weighed mountains with a scale and hills with a balance? Who can appraise the spirit of [YHWH], His man of counsel who informs Him? From whom did He seek counsel? [Who] gave Him insight? [Who] explained the way of knowledge to Him? Behold, all the nations are like a drop from a bucket and are reckoned like the dust rubbing off a scale; behold, He will cast away the islands like dust. The Lebanon is insufficient kindling, and its beasts are insufficient elevation-offerings. All the nations are like nothing before Him; as nothingness and emptiness are they reckoned by Him.

To whom can you liken God, and what likeness can you attribute to Him? the idol cast by a blacksmith, [which] a goldsmith overlays with gold and a silversmith with silver chains? The poor man [makes a] selection; he chooses wood that will not rot, he seeks for himself a wise woodworker to prepare an idol that will not fall apart. Do you not realize? Have you not heard? Has it not been told to you from the beginning? Have you not contemplated the foundations of the earth? It is He Who sits on the circumference of the earth, with its inhabitants like grasshoppers; Who spreads the heavens like a thin curtain, and stretches them like a tent to dwell in. Who turns governors into nothingness; Who makes judges of the land into naught — as if they were not even planted, as if they were not even sown, as if their stock was not even rooted in the ground; even if He were to blow on them they would wither, and a storm wind would carry them away like stubble. To whom can you liken Me that I should be [his] equal?’ says the Holy One. Raise your eyes on high and see Who created these [things]! He brings forth their legions by number; He calls to each of them by name; by the abundance of His power and by vigor of His strength, not one is missing!

Why do you say, O Jacob, and declare, O Israel,—‘My way is hidden from [YHWH] and my cause has passed by my God’? Did you not know? Did you not hear? [YHWH] is the eternal God, the Creator of the ends of the earth; He does not weary, He does not tire; there is no calculating His understanding. He gives strength to the weary, and grants abundant might to the powerless. Youths may weary and tire and young men may constantly falter, but those whose hope is in [YHWH] will have renewed strength; they will grow a wing, like eagles; they will run and not grow tired, they will walk and not grow weary.

It is man’s folly to try to put GOD in a ‘religious box’—

to confine HIM—Isaiah 46:5 To Whom can you liken Me, or consider equal, or compare Me that we should seem alike?
try to define HIM,
put boundaries that limit HIM,
and make conclusions that we have HIM figured out.
Isaiah 55:8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not My ways . . . As high as the heavens over the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Unless GOD reveals to man what is on this level, man cannot ever know.—Job 38:1-2 [YHWH] then responded to Job fro out of the whirlwind, and said: Who is this who gives murky counsel, with words without knowledge? Gird your loins like a warrior, and I will ask you, and you will inform Me. where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell, if you know understanding?
Thankfully, GOD does indeed care that mankind would know HIM—

Who HE is —Ex. 20:2-7 [AST] I am [YHWH], your God, Who has taken you out of the land of Eqypt from the house of slavery. You shall not recognize the gods of others in My presence.
What NAME HE should be known by —Ex. 3:13-15 [HNT]

13. And Mosheh said to the ‘Elohiym: behold, when I come to the sons of Yisra’el, and will say to them: the ‘Elohiym of your fathers has sent me to you; and they will say to me, what is His name? What will I say to them?

14. And ‘Elohiym said to Mosheh: אהיה אשר אהיה ‘Ehyeh ‘Asher ‘Ehyeh [To Be As I Choose To Be]. And He said: This you will say to the sons of Yisra’el, אהיה ‘Ehyeh [I Will Be] has sent me to you.

15. And ‘Elohiym also said to Mosheh: thus you will say to the sons of Yisra’el, “יהוה, ‘Elohiym of your fathers, ‘Elohiym of ‘Abraham, ‘Elohiym of Yitschaq, and the ‘Elohiym of Ya’aqob, has sent me to you: this is My Name forever, and this is My appellation, designation and titled memorial to all generations.”

What HE’s like Exodus 34:6-7.14 [HNT]

5. And יהוה descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and called out His Name: יהוה.

6. And יהוה passed before his face, and called out: יהוה, יהוה mighty, compassionate and merciful, delayed to anger, and abundant in kindness and trustworthiness,

7. keeping kindness for thousands, lifting perversity, rebellion and disobedience and abrogating— but not completely; visiting the perversity of the fathers upon the sons, and upon the sons of sons, on the third and the fourth.

————————————————

13. But you will break down their altars, and burst their pillars, and you will cut down their ‘Asherahiym;

14. for you will not prostrate nor bow yourself down and respect any other strength: for יהוה, Who is jealous, zealous and protective of His Name, honor, authority and character, is an ‘El that is jealous, zealous and protective!

What HE requires of the only creature HE made in HIS IMAGE— Micah 6:8 [AST] He has told you, O man, what is good! What does [YHWH] require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?—

And endowed with free will and freedom of choice —-Deuteronomy 30:15-16 [HNT]

15. See, I have set before you this day life and right, and death and evil;

16. in that I command you this day to love יהוה your ‘Elohiym, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His ordinances that you may live and multiply, and that יהוה your ‘Elohiym may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it.

GOD condescends and makes HIMSELF known to man—- Isaiah 48:17 [AST] Thus said [YHWH] your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am [YHWH] your God, Who instructs you for [your] benefit, Who guides you in the way you should follow.

But only to the extent that man can comprehend— Isaiah 28:9-10,13 [AST] To Whom shall one teach knowledge? To whom shall one explain a message? [To] those weaned from [mother’s] milk, removed from the breasts? For it is commandment by commandment, line by line, line by line, a bit here and a bit there. . . The word of [YHWH] shall befall them commandment by

commandment, commandment by commandment, line by line, line by line, a bit here and a bit there; so that they will go and stumble backward and be broken, and be tripped up and caught.

This “KNOW ME-Package” that GOD programmed for mankind’s education about HIMSELF is given in the Sinai Revelation: the Decalogue written on two tablets of stone by the very finger of God and more instructions, statutes, laws, commandments, teachings recorded by Moses amounting to 613. Both were placed in the Ark of the Covenant according to the instructions of the LAWGIVER Himself. it is wrong to call them the “Mosaic Law” or “Law of Moses,” for Moses was merely the recording human instrument of YHWH’s TORAH.

OPINION, Genesis/Bereshith

Adam the First Father

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

[This was first posted in 2012, reposted every year on the occasion of Father’s Day.—Admin1]

——————————-

Image from antsyfather.wordpress.com

Since we did an article in May on the track record of mothers in the bible on the occasion of ‘Mother’s Day” [The hand that rocks the cradle . . .], on the occasion of ‘Father’s Day” it is only fair to check out if biblical fathers fared any better [or worse].

The biblical culture being patriarchal and patrilineal—the prominence of men and the tracing of the tribal line through fathers and sons—it is natural to expect more from the male figures in the biblical narratives though, let us not forget, men are only human and just as fallible as women; that’s real equality of the sexes.

Let us not be hard on Adam.

He was not born,
he was not created from nothing,
he was made from something already existing in creation—-dust—
that’s what his name means in Hebrew, “adamah.”
He had no “parents” to teach him,

—but never mind, how could any earthly parent compare with the best fathering Adam could possibly have from the Creator God Himself.

Genesis 2:24 is a strange text to suddenly appear out of the blue after the description of how woman was made from the rib of man:

Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother,

and shall cleave unto his wife,

and they shall be one flesh.

At this point, the first couple had no parents to leave behind; and Adam did not know Eve as “wife” but as “helpmeet”, as the other creature that looked like him but not quite. Marriage had not been introduced but the first couple had no problem obeying the command to procreate even if they failed the test to not eat from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and evil.

Adam sired Cain and Abel, but what kind of a father was he toward the first and second sons? Unfortunately, we will never know because the text doesn’t say. So how about this— we judge according to results? Would that be fair to do? Think about it in application to our observation of sons today and how they behave, do we judge the fathers, or parents in general?

But back to the focus of this article. Presumably, since the brothers made offerings to God early on in the text, we could surmise that they were simply doing what they were taught to do by their parents: be grateful to God and show it through offerings.

We know how the story of Cain and Abel progressed and ended. After Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden, he had a son named Enoch, and his line of descendants is given.

Then the narrative goes back to Adam who had another son named Seth who becomes the father of Enosh. [It’s easy to get confused with biblical names, Cain had Enoch while Seth had Enosh.] Seth supposedly replaces Abel to continue the lineage from which Noah will descend.

“The generations of Adam” are given but not before a distinction is made about Adam having been made “in the likeness of God” while Seth was a son in Adam’s own likeness, after his image.

This difference is specifically emphasized as a Christian prooftext for the doctrine of original sin. To spell it out,

Adam in his innocent pre-fall state was made in the image of God;
but after “the fall,” Seth was begotten in the likeness and after the image of Adam, meaning,
Seth was tainted with original sin,
so the image of God had been marred,
and all mankind would be mired in a fallen nature that dominates them, that they cannot overcome.

Not so fast . . .

if Adam’s “original sin” would taint all his descendants,
then it should have been first-born Cain who should have been described immediately as made in Adam’s likeness and image, not the third son.
And let us forget there was a son in between, Abel.
If both Abel and Seth are projected as good apples and only Cain was a bad apple so to speak,
then original sin is not a universal inheritance.

In fact, each individual is really responsible for his choice and its consequences. The rest of the TNK would reinforce that.

We asked the rabbis why it was Seth who was described as made in Adam’s likeness and image and guess what was the answer? So simple, why did we not think of it (duh): because of the three sons so far named, it was Seth who looked like Adam, as in father-son physical resemblance, plain and simple.

We have to learn not to infuse New Testament theology when we read the Hebrew Scriptures; we should not jump to “AHA!” conclusions to make the Old fit the New.

So back to Adam, how do we rate him as the first father?

If we’re judging him based simply on his obedience to the commandment “Be fruitful, and multiply” he succeeded. And that’s about all we can deduce from the text.

Disappointed?

NSB@S6K

A Sinaite's Sabbath Liturgy

A Sinaite’s Liturgy – 5th Sabbath in June

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

Kindle the Sabbath Lights

Blessed are You,

YHWH, our God,

King of the Universe,

Who commanded all humanity

to set aside the Sabbath

as a day of rest,

So that we might cease from our nonstop striving

for six days of our workweek.

As Gentiles, Sinaites, Sabbath-keepers

come together in fellowship,

We borrow the symbolic act in Jewish tradition

of lighting the Sabbath candles.

We welcome Your Queen of all days,

joyfully entering Your Sanctuary in Time,

Your Holy Sabbath

on erev, at sundown Friday.

————————

Image from www.kingjamesbibleonline.org

In the beginning,

the SOURCE of LIGHT,

whose blinding brilliance

dazzled a darkened world

when there was not a soul–animal or human—

to witness and wonder at the awesome spectacle—

the Creator YHWH spoke all matter into existence,

one after another

according to their function and purpose,

designed to fit into His Grand Design

as only He can orchestrate it all,

with harmony and balance,

with variety and diversity,

with beauty and utmost creativity,

with perfection.

Truly, how can we begin to describe

the testimony of the created order,

the witness of science,

of nature and of humankind—

to the existence of God?

And by witness of the Hebrew Scriptures,

a God Who merely speaks and suddenly there “is”?

3 God said: Let there be light! And there was light.
4 God saw the light: that it was good.

God separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light: Day! and the darkness he called: Night!

There was setting, there was dawning: one day.
6 God said:

And so it was.

These Sabbath lights do not dazzle nor blind,

but they dispel enough darkness in space

where once there was light from the brilliance of a created sun

which has withdrawn from our horizon on this erev Shabbat,

as it regularly does in obedience to the Divine command:

14 God said:

Let there be lights in the dome of the heavens,

to separate the day from the night,

that they may be for signs-for set-times, for days and years,

15 and let them be for lights in the dome of the heavens,

to provide light upon the earth! It was so.

16 God made the two great lights,

the greater light for ruling the day

and the smaller light for ruling the night, and the stars.

17 God placed them in the dome of the heavens
18 to provide light upon the earth,

to rule the day and the night,

to separate the light from the darkness.

God saw that it was good.

19 There was setting, there was dawning: fourth day.

O Lord YHWH, Creator-God,

we read these verses in the opening chapter of Your Torah

and believe with our mind and our heart

every word You have spoken, as recorded by Moshe

to whom is attributed the authorship

of Your Sinai Revelation.

We celebrate this Sabbath day

in loving tribute to You,

the first Celebrant of the first Sabbath,

and as a memorial to Your first Sabbath,

the seventh day

when You rested from Your creative work,

in the company of the first man and woman

who would be the first father and mother of all humanity.

Image from artbyjoani.squarespace.com

We conclude that You did not cease from Your work

because You needed rest;

We surmise that by doing so,

You were impressing upon us who now read this account,

the importance of rest

from a six-day workweek.

We imagine

that You did not celebrate the Sabbath alone,

all by Yourself;

We imagine

what a blessing it must have been

for the representatives of Your ‘crown of creation’,

humankind,

to have been there

to be commanded the Sabbath law

that was to be the fourth

of Your Ten Declarations on Sinai.

The first human made from existing material, the earth,

was disunited by You into two beings

to complement one another in all ways,

that they might participate

in the supreme act of reproducing another being,

of their kind, but of different genders,

male and female.

And that is Your original design.

And we guess that the first couple

who were made on day six

were a day old adults

when they celebrated their first Sabbath with You.

From that first Sabbath of Creation week,

You have made certain

that Your Sabbath will be enshrined in Your Torah

as a commandment,

not a mere suggestion.

We join Your chosen nation, obedient Israel,

in taking joy and delight

in celebrating Your Queen of days.

Come, YHWH, O Lord of the Sabbath,

You are welcome in our hearts,

in this meeting place, our Sabbath sanctuary.

Our community of Sinaites, Gentile Torah-observers

embrace Your Lordship and Your Kingship,

and love Your Law, Your Torah,

Your Book of Instructions

initially given to Your Firstborn Israel,

though intended for all humanity,

Jew and Gentile.

Would that that day will come,

envisioned by the prophets of Israel,

when all nations and their inhabitants will know You

and honor Your Name YHWH,

by worshipping You as Creator, God,

Lord and Master, King of the universe,

and living according to Your Torah.

The Sabbath

is a blessing,

a joy and a delight.

Our Sinai community

of believers in YHWH,

delight in the company

of one another.

The families represented here,

have been blessed with life

through each generation— [Name them]

parents, sons and daughters, grandchildren,

extended families through spouses and kin,

friends, acquaintances, special people.

For them all, O Giver of Life and Lord of Love,

we bless You and thank You, Lord YHWH,

and share this bread of fellowship,

and drink this wine in joyful celebration

of Your loving-kindness and mercy,

grateful for Your daily provisions,

thankful for Your protection

of our homes

and specially our loved ones,

wherever they may be.

Amen.

Borrowed Tune: Give Thanks/Revised Lyrics for Sinai 6000

Give thanks to our Gracious God,

Give thanks to the Holy One,

Give thanks because He’s given,

all we own, all we have,

Give thanks for our family,

And those who we long to see,

For love that grows between us,

Is His Love from Above,

And so, may our hearts unite as one,

for the work that must be done,

To serve the God we worship, love, and adore!

But how can we serve a God like this,

All the universe is His,

Who commands that we do just . . . one thing—

Spread His love . . . from above . . . Divine Love.

SABBATH MEAL /TORAH STUDY

magicmoonbeams.blogspot.com

Image from anshesholomnewrochelle.org

HAVDALAH

[Read the following quotation from Isaiah 60:19-20

addressed to YHWH’s firstborn son Israel.

Sinaites pray that this will happen soon,

that the end of the age might come.]

19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day,

neither for brightness

shall the moon give light unto thee;

but the LORD shall be unto thee

an everlasting light,

and thy God thy glory.

20 Thy sun shall no more go down,

Neither shall thy moon withdraw itself;

for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light,

and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Image from www.pinterest.com

In behalf of the Sinai Core Community,

NSB@S6K

DAILY POSTS

A Sinaite’s Liturgy – Sabbath Celebrating Fatherhood

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

Image from Traditions Jewish Gifts

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

Blessed are You,

YHWH our God,

King of the Universe,

Who created all that exist in six days,

and Who rested on the seventh day.

Blessed are You,

YHWH,

God of Creation,

Who commanded Your Chosen people Israel,

to set aside the seventh day as a day of rest;

so that they might learn to regard rest

as a necessary principle of life,

needed by all created beings

infused with Your breath of life.

Blessed are You, YHWH,

Lord of all Creation,

God of Israel, God of the Nations,

Who taught humanity through Your firstborn son Israel,

all that You require of humankind,

that all might know You, first and foremost,

as God of Creation,

God of Israel,

God of the Nations,

Who has set Your Laws in nature,

Laws that regulate all systems and functions

that propel and sustain the whole Universe;

Laws dutifully applied and obeyed by all created beings,

except for the one creature You chose to create

“in our image and likeness”

endowed with free will to decide, to act, to behave,

in Your Image and Likeness,

and to obey the laws you specified for humanity.

Blessed are You, YHWH our God,

God of Sinaites,

Whose commandments for non-Israelites,

for Gentiles outside Your Chosen people,

we are grateful to know,

to discern what is for us,

and most importantly, to learn to obey,

Blessed are You, YHWH, God of Israel and the Nations,

for revealing Yourself and Your Will for humanity,

once upon a time centuries ago,

on a mountain in the desert of Sinai,

to a gathering of liberated slaves from Egypt,

a line of people descended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,

and among them, people from other nations and races,

a representative mix of Israelites and non-Israelites,

forefathers from whom descended the modern nation of Israel,

and forefathers that Gentiles of today could claim

to have been represented in that historic meeting

between God and Humanity.

Blessed are You, YHWH, our God,

Creator, Revelator, God of all Existence,

for revealing Your Name —

so that we might call on the One True God,

instead of leaving us guessing,

about Your Name,

about Your Nature,

about Your Will for Humanity.

This is my Father’s World [Revised Lyrics for S6K]

This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears

All nature sings, and round me rings,

the music of the spheres.

Cho: This is my Father’s world: I love to see His land.

His rocks and trees, His skies and seas,

All wonders He has planned.

This is my Father’s world, the birds their carols raise,

The morning light, the lily white,

declare their Maker’s praise.

Cho: This is my Father’s world: He shines in all that’s fair;

In the rustling grass I hear Him pass,

He speaks to me everywhere.

This is my Father’s world.

O let me ne’er forget,

that though the wrong seems often strong,

God is the Ruler yet!

Cho: This is my Father’s world: the battle is not done;

YHWH our God shall be satisfied

and earth and heaven be one.

Image from David Hunter | Set Apart Is Your Name YHWH Vol. 2

Proverbs 3

New International Version (NIV)

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
²for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

³Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
    bind them around your neck,
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴Then you will win favor and a good name
    in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.^[a]

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.
⁸This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
¹⁰then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.

¹¹My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,
¹²because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.^[b]

¹³Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
¹⁴for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.
¹⁵She is more precious than rubies;
    nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.

¹⁹By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
²⁰by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.

²¹My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
²²they will be life for you,
    an ornament to grace your neck.
²³Then you will go on your way in safety,
    and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵Have no fear of sudden disaster
    or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
²⁶for the Lord will be at your side
    and will keep your foot from being snared.

²⁷Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.
²⁸Do not say to your neighbor,
    “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
    when you already have it with you.
²⁹Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
    who lives trustfully near you.
³⁰Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
    when they have done you no harm.

³¹Do not envy the violent
or choose any of their ways.

³²For the Lord detests the perverse
    but takes the upright into his confidence.
³³The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the home of the righteous.
³⁴He mocks proud mockers
    but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
³⁵The wise inherit honor,
    but fools get only shame.

BLESSINGS

On the celebration of Father’s Day, we pray particularly for all Fathers,

and specifically for our father ___________[name him},

for fathers in our family [brothers, uncles, sons],

for surrogate fathers who have not engendered children of their own but have sired children of others,

specially fatherless children [name them].

We thank You for women who have assumed the role of both parents, who–in the absence of husbands or life partners—have nevertheless taken on the upbringing and support of children and extended family [name them].

We thank You for allowing us to look up to You,

not only as our God, our Creator, and our Lord,

but as our “Heavenly Father”

to Whom we can relate on more familiar terms,

and please forgive us that we dare to imagine

YOU, O Creator God,

God of the Universe,

God of Israel, God of the Nations,

and please forgive us for daring to bring You down

to the level of a human assignation for “Father”

because we are only human

who can only relate to our earthly abode,

limited in our earthly experience,

leaving to our imagination,

with no true concept of Divinity.

We can only experience You, O YHWH,

through Your Revelation in the Hebrew Scriptures,

and be in awe and wonderment,

not understanding how and why

a chosen Nation and a chosen people,

could take for granted,

an encounter with their God,

Who happens to be the God of the Nations,

the God of the Universe!

We say this not in judgment but in regret,

and wonder if we ourselves had been there,

would we have also taken YOU for granted?

For hindsight and learning from the Hebrew Scriptures

places us in an advantage over the generation

who experienced You directly and personally,

but who did not understand that they were

in the PRESENCE

of the One True God Who chose them

to represent Him to all of humanity.

And yet, despite having the testimony

of Your chosen people in the Torah,

Today, YOU, the One True God,

have been put aside, and worse,

been transformed in Your Nature,

by the religions of this world.

Idolatry has been the downfall of Your people,

Idolatry continues to be the downfall of those

who are ignorant by circumstance

as well as by choice,

in an age when Your Revelation is available to all,

We pray for them, for we cling to Your promise

that those who truly seek You,

indeed find You—

in the pages of the Hebrew Scriptures,

Your True Revelation.

Blessed are You, YHWH our God,

King of the Universe,

Who has blessed us with the knowledge of You!

image from judaicafinearts.com

FAMILY,

FELLOWSHIP,

FOOD FOR BODY

AND SOUL . . .

Happy Fathers Day

to all Fathers!

TORAH STUDY & DISCUSSION

HAVDALAH

[Source: Gates of Repentance, For the Days of Awe,

THE NEW UNION PRAYER BOOK]

All the world shall come to serve You,

And bless Your glorious name,

And Your righteousness triumphant

The islands shall proclaim.

And the peoples shall go seeking

Who knew You not before.

And the ends of the earth shall praise You.

And tell Your greatness o’er.

They shall build for You their altars,

Their idols are overthrown,

And their graven gods shall shame them,

As they turn to You alone.

They shall worship You at sunrise,

And feel Your Sovereign might,

And impart their understanding

To those astray in the night.

With the coming of Your victory

The hills shall shout with song,

And the islands laugh exultant

That they to God belong.

And through all Your congregations,

So loud Your praise shall ring,

That the utmost peoples, hearing,

Shall then Your greatness sing.

AMEIN!

Shabbat shalom to our friends—

Unaffiliated God-worshippers,

Christians, Messianics,

Jewish friends—-

SINAI 6000

Core Community

Based in Baguio City,

Philippines

A Sinaite's Sabbath Liturgy

A Sinaite’s Liturgy – 1st Sabbath in June

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

Image from www.arabianbusiness.com

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

O YHWH, Creator God,

You light up our lives in awesome ways;

with the first sighting of Your moon

that orbits our planet,

it is our cue

that another month begins

another cycle in our measured earth-time.

For You spoke—

“Let there be lights in the vault of the sky

to separate the day from the night,

and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years.”

As we kindle the Sabbath lights, we enter into Your ‘Sanctuary in Time”—

Image from journeytopenuel.com

a time to rest from our labors,

a time for joy and delight,

a time to fellowship with one another

and connect with Sabbath-keepers

all over the world wherever they are;

but even if only one Sabbath-keeper

joins the LORD of the Sabbath

on Your sacred day,

that adds up to a ‘majority’.

By our obedience to the 4th commandment,

we reflect in ourselves

the ‘Image of the FIRST SABBATH-CELEBRANT’,

You, YHWH, our Creator,

the One and Only True LORD of the Sabbath!,

O YHWH, Designer of all created order,

Whose Presence is evident

in the workings of our world

and the universe beyond our visual sighting,

in the sustaining of harmony and balance,

all in perfect synchronization:

the psalmist gazed into the night skies and saw the

“work of Your fingers,

the moon and stars

suspended in space,”

then wondered in reverence:

“What is man

that You are mindful of him?”

Indeed, who are we

that You are mindful of us,

inviting us to enter Your Sabbath Rest,

to keep holy Your Seventh Day,

with promised blessing

for all who not only hear but heed.

The blessing, we discover, is in the obedience;

there need not be any further blessing!

And yet, O YHWH,

the pleasure we derive from our Sabbath-observance

sustains us through the next six days

until we enter the 7th day once again, for,

You light up our life in more ways

than we can ever express!

And so we join the inspired writer of Psalms 100 in thanksgiving:

1 Shout unto YHWH, all the earth.

2 Serve YHWH with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

3 Know ye that YHWH He is God;

It is He that hath made us, and we are His,

His people, and the flock of His pasture.

4 Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise;

Give thanks unto Him, and bless His name.

5 For YHWH is good; His mercy endureth for ever;

And His faithfulness unto all generations.

(Psalms 100)

Borrowed Tune: “O Danny Boy”

Revised Lyrics for S6K: “I Do Not Know”

1. I do not know why God Who is Creator;

Who spoke the words that brought about this world;

all earth and all the heavens, all the space between,

the deep abyss, the heights of skies above.

Why God would make us men into His image,

Why He would grant free will, the right to choose,

to mortal men, with understanding limited,

Why our Almighty God has taken such a risk.

2. I do not know why God Who filled the heavens,

with sun and moon and stars to give earth light?

Who parted land and sea and filled each domain,

with fish and fowl, with creatures big and small.

Why this great God would grant the highest favor

to giving man dominion and the power—

to make the choice to disobey His orders,

And choose his will above His Maker and His God.

3. I do not know why God would love us, sinners?

Why He allows the choice for us to turn . . .

to turn our back to blessings for obedience,

to choose to go our way instead of His.

And yet the Source of Life, the Source of Love and Light—

surrounds us with His Light, His Love, His Life,

All that He asks is turn to Him, repent and change,

and be restored to where we choose to live His Way.

4. How can we serve, how can we love a God like this?

A God so merciful and yet so just,

Who tempers justice with so great a mercy,

Whose love for man, we cannot comprehend.

And yet we have within ourselves this power,

to love Him back, and serve with all our might,

What He has giv’n, we must give back to our Great God,

love and obedience to His very Life within.

B L E S S I N G S . . .

Image from www.feldheim.com

We bless You, O YHWH,

for Your goodness and kindness

and mercy toward us,

for all the years You have granted us

life on this earth.

You have given us endless opportunities

to find the path that leads to You,

so we are deeply grateful

we are relearning

as much and as often as we seek

Your teachings in Your Tree of Life,

Your Torah.

We seek Your blessing upon our family:

[name them]

wives and husbands,

widows and widowers,

all our children

and our extended family,

especially those in our households who serve us faithfully day by day,

and special people

whose company we have enjoyed,

and whose friendship has graced our lives.

The blessing we seek for each and all of them—

is that You kindle in them—

just as you have kindled in us—

the desire to seek You with all their heart

and all their might

and all their soul,

so that they might have the privilege

of knowing You

as much as You have revealed Yourself

in the Hebrew Scriptures;

so that they might choose

to live Your Way

and live under Your Lordship.

Indeed, may they arrive

at the same pathway as we have,

that leads to You and Your Truth

soon, and within their lifetime.

Finally, Lord YHWH,

For the joy of savoring wine and bread

which symbolize Your Divine Providence

upon all who have been given Your breath of life,

whether or not they believe You exist,

We drink this wine to life,

Your Way of Life,

Your Torah life,

and thank You for each day

we have survived

and enjoyed our life on Your earth.

To Life! Mabuhay! L’chaim!

Image from galleryhip.com

Image from 3.bp.blogspot.com

HAVDALAH

As we come to the close of our Sabbath celebration,

We are reminded that while we live on this earth,

in this body we have been born in,

lived in, and aged in

for all the years we have been granted

by the LIFE-GIVER,

We are ever conscious of the gift of health,

the maintenance of which is in our control

if we live according to the health-sustaining

principles in His Torah.

We are ever conscious of the continuing passage of time,

and the importance of using time wisely,

whether in work or in play,

and the blessing that rest brings

to our physical, mental and spiritual welfare,

a most welcome respite from our daily and weekly routines.

We value every breath we take and renew our commitment—

to use the time and resources we have at our disposal

not wastefully but wisely and well,

to the benefit not only of ourselves but also of others,

for that is what gives meaning to our very existence,

realizing that a self-centered and useless life

is a wasted life.

May we appreciate the resources at our disposal,

whether hard-earned or freely granted,

to use them for our pleasure as well as for sharing,

since we are mere instruments and channels of grace

from a benevolent God,

Who has given us opportunities,

resources, talents, and enablements,

so that we might live to be

His blessing to others less fortunate.

May we conduct the remaining days and months and years of our lives—

in continuing obedience to

the TORAH of our Lord YHWH,

especially in all levels of our relationships,

so that the very message of our life

is what ultimately catches attention,

enough to bring honor to

the Source of our joy,

our Benefactor, YHWH,

to Whom we owe a lifetime of blessings.

Indeed, may we so live!

Image from www.reposty.com

A Sinaite's Sabbath Liturgy

A Sinaite’s Musical Liturgy – 2nd Sabbath in June

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

[This Sinaite’s musical liturgy borrows from the beautiful music composed by Christian hymnodists; we change the lyrics to reflect Sinai 6000’s belief system. As we explain every now and then, we Sinaites were Christian for most of our lives so we have come to love the music we’ve sung every Sunday at church. And so, until we start composing our own music, we borrow from Christian hymnody, but only the music.—Admin1].

——————————-

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

Blessed are You, YHWH, our God,

King of the Universe,

Who commanded all humanity

to set aside the Sabbath as a day of rest,

And as we Gentiles, Sinaites, Sabbath-keepers,

borrow the symbolic act in Jewish tradition,

of lighting the Sabbath candles,

We welcome the Queen of all days,

Your Holy Sabbath at sundown Friday.

Image from hardcoremesorah.wordpress.com

[Blessed be the NAME Medley by Don Moen/Slightly Modified lyrics]

Blessed be the Name of the LORD,

He is worthy to be praised and adored;

So we lift up holy hands in one accord, singing—

Blessed be the Name, blessed be the Name,

Blessed be the Name of the LORD.

No other Name but the Name of YAHUWAH,

No other Name but the Name of the LORD,

No other Name but the Name of YAHUWAH,

Is worthy of glory, is worthy of honor,

Is worthy of worship and of praise!

Worthy, Thou art Worthy,

KING of kings, LORD of lords,

Thou art Worthy;

Faithful, Thou art Faithful,

KING of kings, LORD of lords,

We worship You!

Thou art Worthy, Thou art Worthy,
Thou art Worthy, O LORD,
To receive glory, glory and honor,
Glory and honor and pow’r.
For Thou hast created, hast all things created,
Thou hast created all things,
And for Thy pleasure they were created:
For Thou art worthy, O LORD!

[Original Music: Alleluia, sing to Jesus/Revised Lyrics for S6K]

1. Alleluia, all praise YAHUWAH,

The Source of Life, of all that exist!

He’s Creator and by His Words

He spoke “Let there be” and all things subsist!

CHO: Earth and sky, and the universe,

and all creatures started from nothing at all,

Beauty and balance and harmony

blending all in one,

Praise YAHUWAH Who made it all.

2. Alleluia, let’s praise YAHUWAH,

His IMAGE shared with humans like us.

Trusting, teaching, and testing us

with free will to wield what’s righteous and just.

CHO: In His Image and with His Wisdom,

His Torah leads as we go on our way,

Study and read, understand

and apply from day to day,

Revelation is here to stay.

3. Alleluia, the Name, YAHUWAH,

We dare to say with rev’rence and awe!

Proud are we to proclaim our God

Whom we’ve come to know through His Word and His Law!

CHO: Lord YAHUWAH, our God and Master,

Our Shepherd, Leader, Provider, our KING!

Long have we sought the true pathway

that leads direct to You,

Torah lights up the Way that’s True!

4. Alleluia, sing alleluia,

Shout alleluia to YAHUWAH!

God of Israel, God of Gentiles,

O God of Nations, of humankind!

CHO: Praise is due to You,

Love we bring to You,

Hearts and minds dedicated to You!

Honor our hearth and our home

when we rest for Sabbath Day,

You are welcome forevermore!

[Original Tune: Bless this House/Revised Lyrics for Sinai 6000]

1. Bless this time O Lord we pray,

We’ve looked forward to this day.

From our routines, time away,

From the Path, we dare not stray,

Sabbath keepers, if we may

Live for Thee from day to day.

2. Celebrate the family,

Each life is a gift from Thee,

Joy and blessing have they been,

Near or far and though unseen,

May they come to know Thee more,

Love Thee much more than before.

[Name your loved ones one by one at this time,

and pray for specific concerns regarding each one.]

FELLOWSHIP MEAL

TORAH STUDY

Image from www.westchabad.org

HAVDALAH

[Original Tune: What a friend we have in Jesus/Revised Lyrics]

1. What great friends have we been given

by the God Who sees through all,

He’s the One Who puts together

those of us who hear His call.

Strangers once were we, unknowing,

He would link our chain of lives,

One connection to another,

all relationships survive.

2. Central is He to relations,

whether friend or family,

Work might be our sole connection,

yet how fortunate are we . . . .

When we link with one another,

Worshipping the One True God,

We shall never ever sever

Ties that bind us thru our God.

3. Should we ever have to part ways,

rest assured we’re one in heart,

Each connected to the other,

even when we are apart.

Are we chosen by YAHUWAH,

when we choose Him as our Lord,

God of Israel and Gentiles,

all committed to His Word.

SHABBAT SHALOM,

Sinaites, Jews, Messianics, and Gentiles,

Sabbath Keepers, all over the world!

In behalf of Sinai 6000 Core Community,

NSB@S6K

A Sinaite's Sabbath Liturgy

A Sinaite’s Liturgy – 4th Sabbath in June

June 1, 2019 s1n4i600o-adm1n-d3v Leave a Comment

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

Image from leonidafremov.deviantart.com

O YHWH,

Creator God,

Revelator on Sinai,

God of Israel,

God of all nations,

Lord of the Sabbath!

How we cherish sundown on Friday,

truly the highlight of our week.

How we relish hour after hour from erev to havdalah,

taking refuge in Your Sanctuary in time,

leaving behind a world of cares,

withdrawing into the comforting peace and blessing

derived from simply obeying Your Fourth Commandment.

How can we not respond to Your call

to cease from our strivings and enter Your Sabbath Rest?

How can we resist a gracious invitation

from the King of kings and the Lord of lords?

How can we refuse a gift freely bestowed

and designed for our benefit and enjoyment?

How can we ignore Your fourth commandment

which is the easiest of all commandments to obey:

to simply set apart a day to cease all striving

and discover the big difference it would make in our life?

O YHWH, Lord of the Sabbath,

How we love You and desire to please You

by living according to Your Torah.

You are our God, our Lord, our Master, our King!

We choose to serve You and worship You,

for there is no other God but You.

We declare Your Name to as many as would listen and believe that—

‘YHWH is God, there is no other!’

Hear O Israel, hear O nations of the world:

YHWH is One, the One True God.

Hear and heed, come and worship,

YHWH is His Name!

Image from dwellingintheword.wordpress.com

Psalm 135

¹Praise YHWH.

Praise the name of YHWH; 
praise him, you servants of YHWH,
 2 you who minister in the house of YHWH,  
in the courts of the house of our God.

3 Praise YHWH, for He is good; 
 sing praise to His Name, for that is pleasant.
4 For YHWH has chosen Jacob to be His own,  
Israel to be His treasured possession.

5 I know that YHWH is great, 
that our Lord is greater than all gods.
6  YHWH does whatever pleases him,  
in the heavens and on the earth,
 in the seas and all their depths.
7 He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
     He sends lightning with the rain 
and brings out the wind from His storehouses.

8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt, 
 the firstborn of people and animals.
9 He sent his signs and wonders into your midst, 
Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,  Og king of Bashan,
     and all the kings of Canaan—
 12 and He gave their land as an inheritance, 
an inheritance to His people Israel.

13 Your name, YHWH, endures forever,  
your renown, YHWH, through all generations.
14 For YHWH will vindicate His people  
and have compassion on His servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, 
made by human hands.
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak, 
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
nor is there breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them, 
and so will all who trust in them.

19 All you Israelites, praise the Lord; 
house of Aaron, praise the Lord;
20 house of Levi, praise the Lord;  
you who fear him [Gentiles], praise the Lord.
21 Praise be to the Lord from Zion,
to him who dwells in Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord YHWH!

BLESSINGS

O YHWH, from Whom all blessings flow,

we thank You for all the good

that have been part of our lives

that we continue to enjoy,

whether deserved or undeserved.

Image from www.myjewishlearning.com

We are mindful that the opposite of blessings

are curses resulting from disobedience to Your Torah.

For experiences in our lives

that come in the guise of negatives—

the difficult and painful,

accidents and regrettable incidents—

we thank You nonetheless, O YHWH,

for reminders that consequences do result,

whether in the form of illness from lifestyle abuse or excess,

or rifts in relationships resulting from sinful behavior,

or accidents that could have been avoided

had we been more cautious and focused.

We thank You even for these difficult lessons in life,

for that is what they are —

lessons to learn from,

that we might repent and change direction,

habitual sins we know we should desist from continuing,

so that we might examine ourselves in areas that matter most —

particularly when others are affected and are hurt

because of our indifference and apathy,

carelessness in word and in deed,

or sins of omission—

when we fail to do what we should,

promises we failed to keep,

duties and obligations we neglected.

‘Curses’ could be disguised ‘blessings’

but only if they lead to valuable personal lessons,

positive changes in ourselves and others

hard lessons that are not wasted —

even for these, we thank You,

Lord YHWH, Who disciplined Israel

for their own good and for Your greater glory.

We, Sinaites, as Gentiles,

expect no less from Your disciplining Hand,

for we know better and have learned from Your Torah

the difficult lessons that Israel learned only in hindsight,

though never too late for them,

in Your timeline of world history.

As we delight in our Sabbath fellowship,

being with one another not only every Sabbath,

but throughout our common quest for Truth,

in this lifetime journey of faith,

together seeking the One True God—

we fondly remember others on this pilgrimage to Sinai–

who were once with us but have left our company,

those have suffered limitations in mobility,

others who have travelled to distant lands,

and beloved who have entered their eternal Sabbath.

We lift up to you our loved ones —[name them]

parents, spouse, children,

extended kin, special friends.

And a special blessing for all fathers,

whose role in the family is being celebrated

on the 3rd Sunday of June,

designated as Fathers’ Day.

With all our loved ones in mind and heart,

we now sip this wine and break bread,

for this is truly the highlight in our week,

a special occasion we look forward to every seven days.

Indeed You, our loving Heavenly Father,

have taught us to delight in Your day of rest,

O YHWH, Lord of the Sabbath.

We join Jewry in making a toast—-

“to LIFE!” L’CHAIM, MABUHAY!

HAVDALAH

As we end our Sabbath fellowship,

we thank one another for the pleasure we derive

from each other’s company

and the wisdom each one has contributed

to our Torah discussion.

We thank the Giver of the Torah,

the God we have chosen to serve,

for giving instructions in every aspect of life —

personal, family relationships,

social life, living in community,

health, conflict resolution,

and so much more.

We resolve as we do each week,

to reflect on the lessons we learned,

to apply them to our daily living,

and share with as many as are interested

in learning from us.

Image from kjmasters.com

May we be not simply readers and students of Torah,

May we live it and never forget

that as we claim to be worshippers of YHWH,

When we fail to live as we should according to His Torah,

Then we fail to be true reflectors of His Light and His Life.

Thank You, Lord YHWH,

for Your lovingkindness and mercy,

for Your daily provisions not only for us,

but also for our family.

We love You and will endeavor show it best

by obeying Your guidelines for living.

Amen.

Image from www.pinterest.com

Shabbat Shalom to all Sabbath Keepers

among our

Christian, Messianic, Jewish and Non-Affiliated

Worshippers of our Great God!

In behalf of Sinai 6000 Core Community

based in Baguio City, Philippines…..