The Hebrew word for "Truth" is emet (אֱמֶת), which is spelled with "the first the middle and the last" letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
אֱ מֶ ת The First the Middle and the Last
Briefly speaking, the structure of emet (אמת) can be viewed as three letters representing three aspects:
Aleph: The first letter of the alphabet, symbolizing the beginning or the divine source.
Mem: The middle letter, representing the middle of a timeline or the world itself.
Tav: The last letter, representing the end, the ultimate destination, or the culmination of the process.
The word Emet (אֱמֶת) comes from the root
אֲמַן "aman" which means "to support" or "to make firm," as well as "to believe," "to trust." This is where we get the word "Amen." The Hebrew word for "faith" אמונה "Emunah" is rooted in the word Emet.
According to Jewish tradition, the message in the middle of the Torah is "lovingkindness," chesed (חֶסֶד) in Hebrew. The Sages consider the entire Torah to be rooted in God's loving-kindness from beginning to end. The phrase "diligently inquire" (darosh darash) is also cited as the exact word-center of the Torah. This phrase is seen as a spiritual compass. A compass guides one's way.
Jonah 1.1 -- Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai (Truth), saying,
Emet (אֱמֶת), truth, has a numerical value based on the letters:
Notice the mirror image, read Left to Right, of 441 is 144. The number 144 holds spiritual significance in its connection to divine completeness, often seen as 12x12. 144 is also associated with the Hebrew word "Kedem" (קֶדֶם).
Kedem (קדם) Hebrew letters:
Kuf -100 Dalet 4 Mem - 40
100+4+40=144
[Their are fascinating relationships in the Hebrew letters to x1000. I will very simply say 1000x144=144,000.]
Kedem (144) means "East" or "Ancient." In a directional sense it is associated with the sunrise. Adam and Eve were exiled to the East. Kedem (144) is also associated with the way into the Garden and back to the Tree of Life!
Genesis 3:24 -- After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
For devout Jews, the Torah is consider the truth that leads the way back to the Garden of Eden.
Proverbs 3:18 --"She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who retain her". This verse refers to wisdom as a tree of life, a source of enduring life and blessings for those who embrace and hold onto it.
With both Hebrew and math there is a practice of reducing larger numbers down to the least integer. For example, the Hebrew word for "Love" has a value of "13." Thirteen can be reduced by adding 1+3=4. The number 4 in Hebrew is the letter "Dalet." A dalet is a door or gate. So in a sense, love is a door.
When "Emet" 441 is reduced we get 4 + 4 + 1 = 9. For that reason, "Truth" is associated with the number 9.
My Christian friends may recall that in the New Testament Jesus gave up his ghost at the 9th hour. The Gospel accounts state that Jesus cried out loudly at the ninth hour and then gave up his spirit. This time is also associated with a supernatural darkness that lasted for three hours until his death at the 9th hour.
In the Book of John, Jesus is foretelling his crucifixion and departure. The hearts of the Apostles are troubled. Jesus tells the Apostles "You know the way to the place where I am going," but they knew the Torah, so they are confused. So Jesus reassures them that He is coming back for them. When Jesus is asked how they may find him when he is gone. Jesus reponds "I am the way and the truth and the life."
Is there a connection between between Emet, Truth, and what Jesus said? Given everything I have explained, consider this interesting similarity:
Truth (Emet - אֱמֶת) - "the first the middle and the last"
I am -"The way and the truth and the life."
Psalm 119:30 -- I will run in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart!
Abraham’s Vision, with smoke and flames passing between animal pieces (Genesis 15:17), John Linnell 1853
In the Torah, there are two covenants that God makes that are not conditional. They are upheld for the sake of God's great name.
Both these covenants are very relevant to today's world.
The First Covenant
The first unconditional covenant is established between God and "all flesh that is on the earth.” It is the "Covenant symbolized by the Rainbow" found in Genesis 9:8-17
8 Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying: 9 “And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 11 Thus I establish My covenant with you: Never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood; never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”
12 And God said: “This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: 13 I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. 14 It shall be, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud; 15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.” 17 And God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.”
With so much talk of "end-times" being like the "day's of Noah," the "Covenant of the Rainbow" is on a lot of believers mind's these days. You could say that this Covenant is being tested.
The Second Covenant
The second unconditional covenant is also found in Genesis and is called the “Covenant of the Parts” (ברית בין הבתרים, Brit bein haBetarim). This is the covenant God makes with Abram in Genesis 15:1-21
1. After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. 5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for. 7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. 10 And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not. 11 And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away. 12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; 14 And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15 And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. 16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces. 18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonite. 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.
What could be more tested today than the Covenant that promised the descendants of Abraham the land that is essentially Israel today. With so much war and so many attacks on the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it is good to keep Genesis 15.1 in mind: "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. "
The New Covenant
As my Christian friends know, Jesus created an additional Covenant. This covenant didn't replace the prior covenants, it was a new covenant. Jesus declared this new covenant at the "Last Supper" he had with his Apostles.
In the gospel of Matthew chapter 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
Jesus was Jewish, so he would have blessed the bread with the Hebrew prayer called the Hamotzi:
"Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech haolam, hamotzi lechem min haaretz".
"Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has brought forth bread from the earth".
After they ate the bread, Jesus raised a cup, for the "kiddish." This was and still is customary for Jews to do. The kiddish is the prayer over the wine, the “Kiddush” קידוש (pronounced roughly “kee-doosh”). The word kiddish and the Hebrew word for "Holy" (Kadosh), come from the same Hebrew root קדש (k-d-sh), which means “to be holy,” “to sanctify,” or “to set apart.”Literal meaning: “sanctification” or “making holy.”
For the kiddish, the rabbi would fill the cup until it reaches the brim or even spills over, symbolizing overflowing blessing, joy, and divine bounty. There is a Jewish practice כוס מלאה – kos mele’ah (“a full cup”). Then the rabbi would give thanks for the wine with these words:
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
In Matthew it reads:
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
It is important to notice that Jesus's blood is for a new covenant for the "remission" of sins. Jews have Yom Kippur, the "Day of Atonement." Both the Yom Kippur and the Covenant Jesus made with his blood, have to do with sacrificial blood. In Jesus’s day, the temple still stood in Jerusalem and blood sacrifices were still practiced. Both sacrifices have to do treatment of sin. Both Jews and Christians raise a kiddish cup.
A lot could be said of the Passover and the Lamb, since that is the Jewish holiday that is taking place when Jesus went to the cross after the "Last Supper."
In biblical and theological language, atonement and remission overlap but are not the same:
“Kippur” (as in Yom Kippur) comes from the Hebrew root כ־פ־ר (k‑p‑r), which means “to cover,” “to atone.” "Remission" is the result or legal outcome in which the guilt and penalty of sin are sent away, cancelled, or removed. Jesus is paying for the sins of Man from the fall of Adam. That's why Jesus is referred to as the "second Adam."
Similarities
The Covenant of the Parts and the New Covenant have somethings in common. In both covenants, there is a sacrifice and blood is shed. Plus, with both covenants God performs the act: God walks through the bloody parts and Jesus gives up his body on the cross. In addition, with both covenants the people have to "take" the sacrafice. In the Covenant of the Parts, Abram "took unto him all these," and in the New Covenant the apostles are told to take the glass and drink of it -- "Drink from it, all of you."
There is another similarity. In Genesis 15.1 God tells Abram, "I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. With the New Covenant, Jesus tells his Apostles to give that thanks for the bread and the wine -- he is their "great reward."
The true purpose of the holiday we just celebrated, Thanksgiving, is to give thanks. Gratitude brings us closer to God.
Death is the ultimate "covenant test." When we die, and our spirit/soul leaves our body we will find out whether our atonement or remission was sufficient and if we are "holy" to enter the Kingdom.
Epilogue:
Let me know if you see the amazing numeric sign! Or ask me and I will point it out. Two Hints: "I Am that I Am" and LOVE.
Genesis 6.5-6 -- Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.
Does God make mistakes? This is a huge question, so don't expect me to be able to answer it.
To begin with, you'd have to assume God has control in order to say God made a mistake. You'd have to know whether God was even involved in the mistake. And if God wasn't involved, is God implicated for not taking an action to stop a tragedy.
Philosophers have a field day with this question. Both Judaism and Christianity teach that God does not make mistakes.
God is said to be:
Omniscient – knows all.
Omnipotent – can do all.
Perfect – does not err.
God may appear to humans as though He changes plans, adapts, responds, or regrets — not because He erred, but to express: Justice, compassion, relationship and divine pedagogy (teaching through narrative).
Therefore, if things are going badly, even tragically, it's on us no matter which way we look at it, or it's nobody's fault and we can chalk it up to chance.
This answer is not very reassuring. It doesn't give one confidence that God has our back.
So when our worst nightmare happens, or when our hopes and dreams are shattered, where does that leave us? What are we supposed to think or do when we are so upset or angry at God that we wish to die, that “It is better for me to die than to live?”
That is the point when faith is truly tested. The bible is filled with examples of people in the same situation. People such as Job and Jonah and King David.
Like I said in the beginning, don't expect me to be able to answer the question. God provided the answer. More importantly, God will guide and comfort us through the storms.
Fifteen years ago today, in 2010, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Mary was at dance when I got the call from her doctor with the news that she had cancer. I asked the doctor, how bad is it? She told me your wife's cancer is very large and it's "very angry."
The surgeon stayed late and squeezed us in the very next day. She gave us important advice. She told us "don't ask why." She said "it is going to be a very long year" and to "take life one day at a time."
The very next day was Thanksgiving. We looked around the room with our children just starting their independent lives. And I thought, we still have a lot to be thankful for.
The answer of what to do when the storms of life hit is:
Genesis 7.7 -- Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
For some, the ark is a prayer closet or their car or walk in the woods surrounded by tall trees🌳.
I was asked a question the other day about the timing of the Jewish holidays. This morning I woke up with a thought on my mind which has been on my mind for quite a few years. My thought is captured in an expression. That expression is the title of this blog post, "The Final Tisha B'Av."
3 - Morning?
Tisha b'Av is an annual fast (ta'anit תַּעֲנִית) day in Judaism. Tisha B'Av is the last day in three-week period (three 7's) of mourning in Judaism that began on the fast of the 17th of Tammuz. This three-week period is dedicated to mourning. It is a commemoration of a number of disasters in Jewish history, primarily the destruction of both Solomon's Temple by the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Second Temple by the Roman Empire in Jerusalem.
There are 7-weeks (49 days) between Tisha B'Av and Rosh Hashanah. This period is called the "Seven Weeks of Consolation." The period concludes with the Shofar Blast on Yom Teruah, the "Day of Blasting." The Torah calls the holiday יום תרועה (“a day of blasting” – Numbers 29:1). In common speech it is Rosh Hashanah, and in many Christian circles it is called the Feast of Trumpets — all referring to the same day and the same central mitzvah of blowing the shofar.
The Torah portion that is almost always read on the last Shabbat of the 7-weeks is called Parashat Nitzavim. In the overwhelming majority of years (more than 19 out of every 20 years), the weekly Torah portion read on that final Shabbat of consolation is Parashat Nitzavim (Devarim 29:9–30:20).
The portion is called "Nitzavim" because the very first words of the parashah (Deuteronomy 29:9 in most English Bibles, 29:10 in the Hebrew verse numbering) are:
“You are standing (נִצָּבִים) this day, all of you, before Hashem your God…”
So the name Parashat Nitzavim literally means “You stand” or “Standing”, and it refers to the entire Jewish people standing together before God to enter into the renewed covenant just before Moshe’s death and the entry into the Land of Israel.
In Jewish thought, this parashah is therefore seen as a moment of national standing upright, unity, and recommitment — which is one reason it is almost always read right before Rosh Hashanah, the time of annual judgment and renewal.
A READING FROM THE PROPHETS
In Jewish practice, a Haftorah portion is also read on Shabbat. The "haftarah" is a short reading from the Prophets that follows the reading from the Torah in a synagogue. In english the word "Haftorah" means "completion" or "conclusion."
For thousands of years, the weekly Torah portion has been paired up with a corresponding Haftorah reading. So one can look back or forward in time and know which Torah and Haftorah portion was being read in the temple on any given Shabbat.
The title of this blog is "The Final Tisha B'Av." Since in every generation an evil one has risen to destroy the Jews and since Tisha B'Av is commemorated every year, the implication of "The Final Tisha B'Av" is that the Messiah has come. When the Messiah comes their won't be another "7-weeks" and their will be no more suffering or morning.
Peace Dove (Yona)
On the week that Nitzavim is read, the corresponding Haftorah is from the book of the prophet Isaiah beginning at chapter 61. Below is the text from Isaiah 61:
1 “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, 3 To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” 4 And they shall rebuild the old ruins, They shall raise up the former desolations, And they shall repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations. 5 Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, And the sons of the foreigner Shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. 6 But you shall be named the priests of the LORD, They shall call you the servants of our God. You shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, And in their glory you shall boast. 7 Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, And instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; Everlasting joy shall be theirs. 8 “For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery for burnt offering; I will direct their work in truth, And will make with them an everlasting covenant. 9 Their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles, And their offspring among the people. All who see them shall acknowledge them, That they are the posterity whom the LORD has blessed.” 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the earth brings forth its bud, As the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, So the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise To spring forth before all the nations.
Let me start by saying something about my process. Blogging for me is a thought process. It begins with a thought, often just a single word. It begins with something I want to think about, rather than something I want to say.
For me, when I am blogging (writing an article I intend to post on my blog), the process of writing is "creative" in the true sense that I am creating. If it goes well, the post becomes a blessing; first for me because my original "word" has developed into a much deeper understanding. Then, when I publish what I have written, it becomes a blessing for the reader, you. In effect I pray to receive a blessing in order to be a blessing. This blog post started with the word "blessing." Let's see how it goes.
Last night I recieved the "priestly blessing" from a man who grew up an Orthodox Jew and became a Pastor. After his teaching on the prophet Ezekiel, he finished by giving all of us listening a "Thanksgiving blessing" in the words Aaron, the brother of Moses.
Numbers 6: -- 22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
Numbers 6:27 -- “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
For my Christian friends, consider John 14:27 in the context of the Aaron blessing -- "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
As you can see in the graphic up top, the blessing is symbolised by the Priest's (Kohanim's) hands. What does that remind you of? It reminds me of the scene at Sinai when Moses is in the cleft of a rock.
In the Book of Exodus, God places Moses in a cleft of a rock to protect him from His full glory, which would be deadly for a mortal to see. While God passes by, He covers Moses with His hand, and afterward, Moses is allowed to see God's "back," but not His face. God's Light, His Glory is to bright to look up at.
Image you want to look at the sun. Even during an eclipse when the sun is almost entirely covered, it is still to bright to look at. Picture yourself holding up your hand and looking through a gap between your fingers. You have just made the shape of the Priest's 🖖. Except that when the preist is giving the blessing his palms are facing the one's recieiving the blessing. The direction of the palm is in the direction of giving the blessing.
Imagine you are in an ancient time. Picture giving something to someone. Picture receiving something. Picture the palm of your hand. This is the Hebrew letter Kaf כ.
כף (Kaf) is Hebrew for the palm of your hand. It also symbolizes a spoon, or even a wing. Kaf is the letter of actualization--the process of making something real or turning an idea into reality. If "something" is real we have the ability to grasp it. If we can grasp it, we can recieve it. If we can recieve it we can give it.
A blessing represents the lowering of divine potential into the world of action. The hand that bestows is God’s.
We ask for a blessing. We ask to be a blessing. We pray to bring down blessing.
Hebrew Word for Blessing
The Hebrew word for "blessing" is ברכה (bracha). The verb "to bless" is barak (בָּרַךְ). Both words are connected to the Hebrew word for "knee" (berekh), symbolizing humility and the act of receiving a blessing.
Breakdown of the Letters in the Word Bracha:
בּ (Bet) ר (Resh) כ (Kaf) ה (He) 2+20+200+5=227
Short explanation meaning of each letter:
בּ (Bet) - The first letter of the Torah. House, container, vessel receives the flow of divine abundance from above and brings it into creation
ר (Resh) - Head, beginning, leader. The Rosh (head) is the source or primordial point of thought
כ (Kaf) - Palm of the hand, spoon, wing
ה (He) - Behold, reveal, breath
There is a deep mystical (Kabbalistic) relationship between ב-ר-א brah (He created) and ב-ר-כה (berakhah) blessing.
My Christian friends should appreciate that Rabbi Jesus's teaching were very mystical. One needs the Ruach (Spirit) hakodesh (Holy) to understand.
Both words, ב-ר-א brah (He created) and ב-ר-כה (berakhah) blessing are rooted in the same letters.
The word ברא (“He created”) consists of the three letters ב-ר-א. When you add the letter כ (kaf) inside it, it becomes ברכה (“blessing”). This is not accidental — ב-ר-כה→ ב-ר-א is one of the most important letter-transformations in the entire Torah. “Creation” receives the כ (Kaf) and is transformed into “blessing.”
By inserting the כ into ברא, the raw act of creation (ברא) is crowned and transformed into an act of giving and increase — which is the very definition of blessing.
The Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidic Judaism, said, “Every thing in the world contains the letters ב-ר-א. The spiritual task of a Jew is to insert the כ of holiness into it through Torah, mitzvot, and intention, thereby transforming the raw ‘creation’ into ‘blessing.’”
[Note: Hasidism is a mystical Jewish movement founded in Poland in the 18th century in reaction to the rigid academicism of rabbinical Judaism. The Baal Shem Tov is a "Master of the Good Name," who is able to work miracles using the secret name of God. Numbers 6:27 -- “So they shall put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”]
Another great sage, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, said “When a person blesses God or blesses another person with a full heart, he literally inserts the כ (kaf) into the ברא of the world and draws down the original Light of Creation (in Genesis 1) overflowing blessing (berakhah). "Every בְּרָכָה that a person says with kavanah (intention) he inserts the כ into the primordial בָּרָא and draws down the Or Ganuz (Hidden Light) that was hidden on the first day…"
It is said in the Jewish spiritual movement of Hasidism that “Creation (ברא) was never finished on the sixth day; it is completed in every generation when a human being, through love, Torah, and kindness, inserts the כ of the open hand and transforms the world into ברכה.”
The hand gesture people instinctively make when looking at the sun, spreading the fingers and then parting them slightly to let thin beams of light through while shielding the eyes, is mystically identical to the mechanism of the Priestly Blessing and the letter כ. Which in turn is deeply rooted to God holding up his hand to make it safe for Moses to get a glimpse of His Glory.
When the priests raise their two hands, with 5 fingers on each, to shoulder height and form that very specific hand gesture it is none other than the physical shape of the letter כ (kaf)** repeated ten times (five fingers on each hand).
'The fingers are split into two branches. There is a space (an open “window”) between the two groups of fingers on each hand. That window let's the Light through. That is symbolic of the Hand God held up to shield Moses from his full Glory, which would be too bright for him to survive.
This scene is of course at Sinai when Moses was accepting the Ten Commandments. (5 & 5). No coincidence.
The overall silhouette created by both hands together is a large ש (shin) (the letter on the mezuzah and on tefillin), but each individual hand is unmistakably the shape of the כ kaf, the Palm of God's hand. (No coincidence!)
Prayer is an Act that Requires Humility
The letter כ, is the open palm that bestows. We bring the hallow of our hands together to make a cup. That cup sustained us. When God provided the rain, we would knell down to the water and use it to drink. The Hebrew בְּרָכָה / berakhah) comes from the root ב-ר-ך meaning “to bend the knee, to bow, to kneel in homage,” and secondarily “to bestow goodness from a higher to a lower position.”
Judges 7:5-6 -- "So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.” 6 And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men,"
There is so much more to the word "blessing," but that is enough (די dai) for this blog post. May you be blessed.
The Rainbow Covenant:
God blesses Man and Man Blesses God
The first time a human being blesses God in the Torah is in the story of Noah. “And Noah said: Blessed (בָּרוּךְ) be Hashem, the God of Shem…” (Genesis 9:26)
This is the secret of ‘On the day that Hashem blessed the world, Noah blessed Hashem’ — the two verses are locked together forever.”
We are given a blessing to be a blessing!
Chag Thanksgiving Sameach...have a joyful Thanksgiving!
With my Dad's first year yarzeit is coming up a week from today, this news was poignant.
Dan McGrath, only 61, the Emmy-winning writer and producer known for his work on The Simpsons, King of the Hill and more, died on November 14, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York, after suffering a stroke.
Through consistent storytelling, the overarching message that emerges in the Simpson cartoon series is the enduring power of family and human connection, even amid the chaos, flaws, and absurdities of modern life. At its core, the series portrays the Simpson family—and by extension, communities like Springfield—as imperfect vessels of unconditional love, where squabbles, selfishness, and societal pressures are inevitable, but reconciliation and mutual support always prevail.
The overarching message of "King of the Hill" is the quiet dignity of ordinary people holding fast to integrity, community, and personal values amid inevitable change—finding humor and connection in the mundane absurdities of suburban life, rather than chasing grand transformations or external validation.
A sudden unexpected death, like that of Dan McGrath, is a reminder of how precious and fleeting life is.
The Modeh Ani Prayer:
This Hebrew prayer is said immediately upon waking up.
Transliteration: Modeh ani lefanecha, melech chai ve-kayam, shehechezarta bi nishmati be-chemlah. Rabah emunatecha.
"I thank You, living and eternal King, for You have restored my soul within me with mercy; great is Your faithfulness".
The prayer is an expression of profound gratitude to God for mercifully restoring one's soul after a night of sleep, which Jewish tradition views as a symbolic "miniature death" (one-sixtieth of actual death). This act of renewal underscores the fragility and preciousness of life, framing each new morning as an unearned gift and an opportunity for spiritual and personal growth.
Beyond simple thanksgiving, the word modeh (from the root hodah, meaning "to thank") carries deeper layers: it also implies "to admit" or "acknowledge," encouraging the reciter to confess past shortcomings without letting them define the new day, and "to surrender," recognizing a higher power greater than oneself. This dual meaning shifts focus from self-centered regrets or anxieties to present-moment humility and trust in divine mercy.
The prayer echoes Lamentations 3:22-23, which speaks of God's kindness being "renewed every morning" and His faithfulness being "great." The prayer motivates one to rise "like a lion" with eagerness to serve God, as per the Shulchan Aruch (a key code of Jewish law), countering the morning's pull toward laziness.
Parallels Between Modeh Ani and Jesus's Teachings
The Modeh Ani prayer mirrors several core themes in Jesus's teachings, particularly those emphasizing daily gratitude, humble dependence on God, faithful trust in divine mercy, and the renewal of life each morning. While Modeh Ani is a distinctly Jewish prayer rooted in Kabbalistic traditions, its essence aligns closely with New Testament emphases on thanksgiving as a posture of the heart and the recognition of God's ongoing faithfulness.
Key connections, drawing from scriptural and comparative perspectives:
1. Gratitude as the First Response to the New Day
- Modeh Ani's opening—"I offer thanks before You"—positions gratitude as the immediate act upon waking, acknowledging life as a merciful gift restored by God.
- This echoes Jesus's teachings on thankfulness as foundational to spiritual life. For instance, the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13), which Jesus taught is a model for daily prayer, that begins with honoring God's name and seeks "daily bread," implying a morning rhythm of reliance and thanks for provision. Both prayers frame the day not as earned but as grace-filled, countering self-sufficiency.
2. Renewal and the Fragility of Life
- Modeh Ani views sleep as a "miniature death," with the soul's return symbolizing resurrection and fresh starts, affirmed by "great is Your faithfulness."
- Jesus frequently taught on renewal and new life. The prayer's theme of soul-restoration parallels Jesus's words in Matthew 6:34: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself," urging trust in God's daily mercies. In a Jewish-Christian lens, this shared imagery fosters unity, as both traditions see mornings as opportunities for spiritual rebirth.
3. Dependence and Surrender to a Faithful God
- The prayer's use of *modeh* (to thank/admit/surrender) invites humility before the "living and eternal King," without invoking God's name to emphasize personal vulnerability.
- Jesus modeled and taught radical dependence. The Lord's Prayer reinforces this with petitions for forgiveness and deliverance, mirroring Modeh Ani's compassionate restoration. Both cultivate resilience amid trials.
Shared Roots
These mirrors arise from shared Hebrew Bible roots (e.g., Psalms of thanksgiving like Psalm 30:5, "Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning"), which Jesus, as a first-century Jew, would have embodied in his prayers.
The Modeh Ani is more concise and mystical, lacking the communal or intercessory elements in Jesus's prayers. Christian adaptations sometimes blend it with the Lord's Prayer for ecumenical practice, highlighting interfaith bridges.
Chicken Or Egg
The Modeh Ani does not appear in the Talmud or the writings of the medieval Jewish authorities up to the 16th century. Its origins trace to the late 16th century in Safed (Tzfat), a hub of Kabbalistic (mystical) scholarship in Ottoman Palestine. it was positioned as a personal, intimate prayer of awakening, drawing on Kabbalistic ideas of the soul (neshamah) ascending to heaven nightly for purification before being returned at dawn.
Do you see any parallels to the Modeh Ani's message of death, ascension to heaven and returning? My point is that their is richness and rewards in the entire Judeo-Christian bible.
My predictions tend to be 5 years early. That would suggest that this prediction in November 2021 might be ripe for happening in 2026.
This video starts off with the possibility of an economic crisis due to our national debt. That leads to a greater societal crisis which paints a grim picture for Jews on the scale of another Tisha B'Av.
Tisha B'Av is a Jewish day of mourning that commemorates the destruction of the First and Second Temples in Jerusalem, as well as other tragedies throughout Jewish history.
The first Tisha B'Av related tragedy is considered the "Sin of the Spies." That was a huge calamity and a time of weeping for the Hebrew people.
The spies where the representatives of the Tribes of Israel who were sent into the land of Canaan to bring back a report. They described the land as flowing with "milk and honey" but also said the people were powerful, the cities were fortified, and they saw giants. The sin: Ten of the spies, fearing the inhabitants, spread a negative and false report about the land, saying it was a "land that devours its settlers".
The consequence: Believing they would be defeated, God decreed that rather than entering the land that He promised, the Children of Israel were forced to wander for another 40 years until the last adult was buried. Tisha B'Av became a fast day of national misfortune for all time.
THE CAUSE OF TISHA B'AV:
In the preceding chapters Sin of the Spies, Numbers 11–12 there is a mounting pattern of discontent, complaint, and outright opposition to God and Moses by the Chlidren of Israel. The tension builds leading directly into the "spy" narrative.
According the great Torah interpreters and mystics over the millennia, Tisha B'Av was caused by "baseless hate" Do you see that today??
USING THE HEBREW LETTERS AND NUMBERS TO REVEAL:
God appoints all times and dates with divine purpose, as revealed in Scripture. Similarly, Hebrew letters and numbers carry deep symbolic and numerical meanings. They encode spiritual truths and connections throughout the Bible.
Tisha B'Av in 2026 falls on Evening of Wed, Jul 22, 2026. Converting the date to a string of numbers equates to 7222026. Take out zero, which we do with Gematria because it has no value, that gives us 722226. 22 reveals!!
To see what is being revealed I am switching to the Hebrew. The year is 5786, so looking just at the Hebrew calendar, Tisha B'Av will be 955786. This reduces as follows: 955786>40>4.
40 Leading to 4:
I find the date interesting since 40 is also a strongly symbolic number. In the Bible, the number 40 symbolizes a period of testing, trial, or probation and a complete cycle before a significant change occurs. This often involves hardship, transformation, and a renewed covenant with God. Notable examples include Noah's 40-day flood, the Israelites' 40 years in the wilderness, and Jesus's 40 days of fasting and temptation.
Periods of Testing and Trial:
The flood: The rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights, leading to a complete cleansing of the earth.
The Israelites: The generation that left Egypt wandered for 40 years before entering the Promised Land, a period of testing and learning to trust God's provision.
Goliath: The Philistine warrior taunted Israel for 40 days before David defeated him, a trial of faith for the Israelite army.
Jesus's temptation: Jesus fasted and was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights before beginning his public ministry.
40 Marks Periods of Probation and Transformation:
Moses: Moses spent 40 years in Egypt, 40 years in the desert of Midian, and 40 days on Mount Sinai receiving God's law.
Elijah: The prophet traveled for 40 days and nights to reach Mount Horeb after fleeing from Jezebel.
Nineveh: The prophet Jonah gave the city 40 days to repent before it would be destroyed.
There is a 40-day period occurred between Jesus's resurrection and his ascension.
Other symbolic uses:
Judah's sin: The prophet Ezekiel lay on his side for 40 days to symbolize the 40 years of Judah's sin.
Generations: The number 40 can also represent a generation of man.
Lent: The 40-day period of Lent is observed in remembrance of Jesus's 40 days of fasting and temptation.
TRIAL AND TESTING LEADS TO 4
4, dalet, is pictured as a door or gate. This is very symbolic. Perhaps even prophetic. The Hebrew letter dalet symbolizes:
4, Dalet, is also associated with the concepts of humility, lowliness, and poverty because the letter's shape can resemble a poor person bent over or a closed door. Humility is highly linked to the dalet. It represents the consciousness of possessing nothing of one's own. We must be open to receive charity.
The dalet (door or gate) give us access to a deeper relationship with God.
The small extension on the top right of the letter is described as an "ear," signifying the need to be attentive and listening for God's presence or for charity from others. This emphasizes the importance of being open to receive, both materially and spiritually.
As a door, Dalet represents the choice one has in life, which can lead to either spiritual progress or pitfalls.
HOW DOES ONE PREPARE FOR ANOTHER TISHA B'AV?
It will be very hard to escape harm if there is major worldwide debt crisis. It is also hard to imagine a worse Tisha B'Av than the last documented one, Hitler's "Final Solution" which was literally dated Tisha B'Av.
The Nazi regime's "Final Solution"—the plan for the systematic extermination of Europe's Jews—was formally approved on August 2, 1941, which corresponded to Tisha B'Av (the 9th of Av) in the Hebrew year 5701. On that day, SS leader Heinrich Himmler received authorization from Nazi leadership to proceed with the genocide of the Jewish people.
How can Jews survive the next Tisha B'Av? How can Israel, or even the world? Is it a coincidence that the movie "Nuremberg" is in theaters today?
"It is not an irresponsible prophecy to say that this 20th century may yet succeed in bringing the doom of civilisation.”
