We are entering the Hebrew month of Sivan – ראש חדש סיון. Since the last month had 29 days it is celebrated only one day this month which has 30 days. Sivan is the third month of the year as Torah describes it. The first day of Sivan the people encamped at Mt. Sinai preparing to receive the Torah. The verb form of encamped is singular pointing to the fact the people behaved as one, not fragmented by contention.

For Torah to be merited and received the people were as one; united as husband and wife are in marriage when it is healthy. The first bringing down of Torah is at Shavout. Moshe’s seconding bringing down of Torah comes later at Yom Kippur. The Torah being given is compared to the instrument of betrothal of husband and wife (legal binding agreement between the spouses and the husband’s responsibilities toward his wife). Rosh Chodesh Sivan is considered to be a propitious time for covenanting harmony and peace among Israel, mankind and the Most High.

Families are taking a beating today. Rosh Chodesh Sivan gives back to parents, children, families and their relationships. In the 17th century, the chief rabbi of Jerusalem wrote a prayer that religious schools in Israel send home to their families still today. It is a prayer for parents to offer to the Most High for their children. This prayer is a practical ways for people to enter into the meaning of Sivan and it’s connection to relationships, harmony, covenants. It illuminates where one can stand with those who came before them and those who will come after. The prayer will be at the end of this essay in Hebrew and English.

The sixth day of Sivan is the receiving of the Torah. The first days of the month are the period which the people are preparing. There is a rabbinical understanding that the Promise of the Father is to be received on Shavout. This common thread is why the all night studying with morning prayer welcomes Shavout each year. In the diaspora Shavout is marked on the sixth and seventh days of Sivan.

The year the Torah was given R. Yosei’s opinion was Rosh Chodesh Sivan was on the first day of the week (Sunday), then Shavout (Torah being given) falls on Shabbat. On Sunday they reached the wilderness and camped as a people. The next day, Monday, it is understood that Moshe gave the people a summary of Torah so they understood accepting and hearing Torah from the Most High on Mt. Sinai. (Shemot, Ex. 19:4-6) The third day (Shemot 19:8) the people were told the boundaries where they could and could not go. The fourth day the mitzvot or commandment to sanctify and purify themselves, their clothing, as individuals and as couples. Moshe extended the commanded three days of purification and one of sanctification. The Shechinah (Holy Presence, Ruach/spirit, palpable Glory) came upon Mt. Sinai with the giving of the entire Torah.

Following the summary when the people heard the today they understood Torah’s spirit, essence and it’s function as wedding them to the Most High. The whole Torah was given on Shavout. It meant accepting a mission as people to the world in addition to accepting the betrothal and the Yoke of Torah. Taking on the Yoke of Torah means hearing and doing the mitzvot. This is the picture of what righteousness walked out by mankind as a reflection of the Most High’s righteousness. The people are called to be a holy priesthood and nation.

Sivan, Shavout and waiting for the Promise of the Father is a time of preparation, and setting ourselves apart so we are ready to do and hear the Most High as the ones before us did. Accepting the Yoke of Torah sets us apart today in our culture as it set the Israelites apart from the cultures of their day. The mitzvot (commandments) are practical reminders of our betrothal to the Most High and a way of life with His People in community that reflects HaShem in our world. Our life is the book others will read and see the Most High through if they have not read the Holy One’s words that we heard and see on Mt. Sinai.

Below is the Prayer for Children, translation by http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/ The prayer was located on the web blog of Reb Akiva at Mystical Paths.

English Translation – click on the image to read the Hebrew prayer.

You have been the Eternal, our God, before You created the world, and You are the Eternal, our God, since you created the world, and You are God forever. You created Your world so that Your Divinity should become revealed thorugh Your holy Torah, as our Sages expounded on the first word therein, and for Israel, for they are Your people and Your inheritance whom You have chosen from among all nations. You have given them Your holy Torah and drawn them toward Your great Name. These two commandments are, "Be fruitful and Multiply" and "You shall teach them to your children." Their purpose is that You did not create the world to be empty, but to be inhabited, and that it is for Your glory that You created, fashioned, and perfected it, so that we, our offspring, and all the descendants of your people Israel will know Your Name and study Your Torah.

Thus I entreat You, O Eternal, supreme King of kings. My eyes are fixed on You until You favor me, and hear my prayer, and provide me with sons and daughters who will also be fruitful and multiply, they and their descendants unto all generations, in order that they and we might all engage in the study of Your holy Torah, to learn and to teach, to observe and to do, and to fulfill with love all the words of Your Torah’s teaching. Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah and attach our heart to Your commandments to love and revere Your Name.

Our Father, compassionate Father, grant us all a long and blessed life. Who is like You, compassionate Father, Who in compassion remembers His creatures for life! Remember us for eternal life, as our Forefather Avraham prayed, "If only Yishmael would live before You," which the Sages interpreted as "…live in reverence of You."

For this I have come to appeal and plead before You, that my offspring and their descendants be proper, and that You find no imperfection or disrepute in me or them forever. May they be people of peace, truth, goodness and integrity in the eyes of God and man. Help them to become practiced in Torah, accomplished in Scriptures, Mishnah, Talmud, Kabbalah, mitzvot, kindness, and good attributes, and to serve you with an inner love and reverence, not merely outwardly. Provide every one of them with their needs with honor, and give them health, honor and strength, good bearing and appearance, grace and loving-kindness. May love and brotherhood reign among them. Provide them with suitable marriage partners of scholarly and righteous parentage who will also be blessed with all that I have asked for my own descendants, since they will share the same fate.

You, the Eternal, know everything that is concealed, and to You all my heart’s secrets are revealed. For all my intention concerning the above is for the sake of Your great and holy Name and Torah. Therefore, answer me, O Eternal, answer me in the merit of our holy Forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov. For the sake of the fathers save the children, so the branches will be like the roots. For the sake of Your servant, David, who is the fourth part of Your Chariot, who sings with Divine inspiration.

A song of ascents. Fortunate is everyone who fears the Eternal, who walks in His ways. When you eat of the toil of your hands, you are fortunate, and good will be yours. Your wife is like a fruitful vine in the inner chambers of your home; your children are like olive shoots around your table. Look! So is blessed the man who fears the Eternal. May the Eternal bless you from Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you see your children’s children, peace upon Israel.

Please, O Eternal, Who listens to prayer: May the following verse be fulfilled in me: "’As for Me,’ says the Eternal, "this My covenant shall remain their very being; My spirit, which rests upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth nor from the mouths of your children, nor from the mouths of your children’s children," said the Eternal, "from now to all Eternity." May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing before You, Eternal, my Rock and my Redeemer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evP3azTd9JQ

Question: Was Martin Luther anti-Semitic?

Martin Luther, a former German Catholic monk and the father of Protestant Reformation, had made an indelible impression on Christianity and the world of faith. His revolutionary [at the time] views on papal authority, scripture, grace and salvation were a stark departure from the Catholicism of his day. His ideas have influenced millions of Protestants of all denominations for generations and continue to do so. For all the good he’s considered to impart, Luther, however, had a very dark side to him, a horrible legacy that is often swept under the rug and very rarely discussed.

Although Luther did not invent anti-Jewishness, he promoted it to a level never before seen in Europe. Luther bore the influence of his upbringing and from anti-Jewish theologians such as Lyra, Burgensis, (and John Chrysostom, before them). But Luther’s 1543 book, “On the Jews and their lies” took Jewish hatred to a new level when he proposed to set fire to their synagogues and schools, to take away their homes, forbade them to pray or teach, or even to utter God’s name. Luther wanted to “be rid of them” and requested that the government and ministers deal with the problem. He requested pastors and preachers to follow his example of issuing warnings against the Jews. He goes so far as to claim that “We are at fault in not slaying them” for avenging the death of Jesus Christ. Hitler’s Nazi government in the 1930s and 40s fit Luther’s desires to a tee.

So vehemently did Luther speak against the Jews, and the fact that Luther represented an honorable and admired Christian to Protestants, that his written words carried the “memetic” seeds of anti-Jewishness up until the 20th century and into the Third Reich. Luther’s Jewish eliminationist rhetoric virtually matches the beliefs held by Hitler and much of the German populace in the 1930s.

Converting Jews to Christianity: When his efforts at conversion failed, he grew increasingly bitter toward them. In 1543, his most egregiously anti-Semitic book was published, On the Jews and Their Lies, in which he makes outlandish statements regarding the Jews, calling them “a base, whoring people, that is, no people of God, and their boast of lineage, circumcision, and law must be accounted as filth.â€

What shall we do with…the Jews?… I advise that all their prayer books and Talmudic writings… are to be taken from them. I advise that safe-conduct on the highways be abolished completely for the Jews. I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach on pain of loss of life and limb. …set fire to their synagogues or schools and bury and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or cinder of them. …their homes also should be razed and destroyed.

Martin Luther the reformer, the Anti-Semite father of Christian Protestantism. The “Final Solution” proposed by the Nazis against the Jews was firmly rooted in nearly 2,000 years of Church anti-Semitism.

How can some one who says he loves the God of the Bible hate Jews?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukOWnkc8Fxw

Armilus / Anti-Messiah? – ארמלגוס "Rab said: All the predestined dates [for redemption] have passed (according to Daniel 9:26 Mashiach was to come before the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash / Temple), and the matter [now] depends only on repentance and good deeds. But Sh’muel maintained: it is sufficient for a mourner to keep his [period of] mourning. This matter is disputed by Tannaim: R. Eliezer said: if Yisrael repent, they will be redeemed; if not, they will not be redeemed. R. Joshua said to him, if they do not repent, will they not be redeemed! But the Holy One, blessed be He, will set up a king over them, whose decrees shall be as cruel as Haman’s, whereby Yisrael shall engage in repentance, and He will thus bring them back to the right path." Sanhedrin 97b

These times will be of great pain for Yisrael, and ALL the nations of the world will be against her. The world will be following the command of this world leader, who will be a swift talker, thereby convincing the world that he is doing all the things that he does for peace sake, but in reality they are done to the destruction of Yisrael. His name according to Jewish Tradition is Armilius, know by the non-Jews as Anti-christ (this is the king spoken of in Sanhedrin 97b). This Armilius will gather the nations of the world around him and will proclaim himself the world’s true leader. Only Yisrael, the nation of HaShem will resist him. The wrath of Armilius will then rage against Yisrael and those who join them all over the world.  According to the Book of Zecharya, chapter 12 to 14, Melech HaMashiach returns pierced, once He is recognized by His Jewish brothers (by the piercing He has Zecharya 12:10), and they call upon God’s help to deliver them from their enemies.  This is when the end of this age comes, and the Kingdom of Melech Mashiach comes to power, our Sar Shalom / Prince of Peace (Yeshayahu 9.5).

Mashiach is our Prince of Peace; He will rebuild the holy Bet HaMikdash (Temple), and teach us Torah from there. Once there is peace upon Yerushalayim, there will be Shalom every where. If there is not Shalom in Yerushalayim, there will not be peace any where. Let’s pray and be active for Mashiach is coming soon. Our שר שלום / Sar Shalom! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2vbZG4_g8k

Suppose you’re traveling to work and you see a stop sign. What do you do? That depends on how you apply exegesis to the sign.

1.A postmodernist deconstructs the sign (i.e., he knocks it over with his car), thus ending forever the tyranny of the north-south traffic over the east-west traffic.

2.Similarly, a Marxist sees a stop sign as an instrument of class conflict. He concludes that the bourgeoisie use the north-south road and obstruct the progress of the workers on the east-west road.

3.A serious and educated Catholic believes that he cannot understand the stop sign apart from its interpretive community and their tradition. Observing that the interpretive community doesn’t take it too seriously, he doesn’t feel obligated to take it too seriously either.

4.An average Catholic (or Orthodox or Coptic or Anglican or Methodist or Presbyterian or whatever) doesn’t bother to read the sign but he’ll stop if the car in front of him does.

5.A Fundamentalist, taking the text very literally, stops at the stop sign and then waits for it to tell him to go.

6.A preacher might look up "STOP" in his lexicons of English and discover that it can mean either: 1) something which prevents motion, such as a plug for a drain, or a block of wood that prevents a door from closing; or 2) a location where a train or bus lets off passengers. The main point of his sermon the following Sunday on this text is: when you see a stop sign, it is a place where traffic is naturally clogged, so it is a good place to let off passengers from your car.

7.An Orthodox Jew does one of two things:

8.(A) Takes another route to work that doesn’t have a stop sign so that he doesn’t run the risk of disobeying the halachah (Jewish Law), or

9.(B) Stops at the stop sign, says "Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, king of the universe, who hast given us thy commandment to stop," waits 3 seconds according to his watch, and then proceeds.

10.Incidentally, the Talmud has the following comments on this passage: Rabbi Meir says: He who does not stop shall not live long. R. Hillel says: Cursed is he who does not count to three before proceeding. R. Simon ben Yudah says: Why three? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, gave us the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. R. ben Isaac says: Because of the three patriarchs. R. Yehuda says: Why bless the Lord at a stop sign? Because it says: "Be still, and know that I am God."

11.R.Hezekiel says: When Jephthah returned from defeating the Ammonites, the Holy One, blessed be He, knew that a donkey would run out of the house and overtake his daughter; but Jephthah did not stop at the stop sign, and the donkey did not have time to come out. For this reason he saw his daughter first and lost her. Thus he was judged for his transgression at the stop sign.

12.R. Gamaliel says: R. Hillel, when he was a baby, never spoke a word, though his parents tried to teach him by speaking and showing him the words on a scroll. One day his father was driving through town and did not stop at the sign. Young Hillel called out: "Stop, father!" In this way, he began reading and speaking at the same time. Thus it is written: "Out of the mouth of babes." R. ben Jacob says: Where did the stop sign come from? Out of the sky, for it is written: "Forever, O Lord, your word is fixed in the heavens." R. ben Nathan says: When were stop signs created? On the fourth day, for it is written: "let them serve as signs." But R. Yehoshua says: … (continues for three more pages)

13.A Haredi [ultra-Orthodox "black hat" Jew] does the same thing as an Orthodox Jew, except that he waits 10 seconds instead of 3. He also replaces his brake lights with 1000 watt searchlights and connects his horn so that it is activated whenever he touches the brake pedal.

14.A Breslover Hasidic Jew sees the sign and makes hisboddidut (a form of spontaneous personal prayer) saying: "Robono Shel Olam [Master of the Universe] — here I am, traveling on the road in Your service, and I’m about to face who knows what danger at this intersection in my life. So please watch over me and help me to get through this stop sign safely." Then, "looking neither to left nor right" as Rebbe Nachman advises, he joyfully accepts the challenge, remains focused on his goal — even if the car rolls backward for a moment — then he hits the gas pedal and forges bravely forward, overcoming all obstacles which the yetzer hara [evil inclination] might put in his path.

15.A Lubovitcher Hasidic Jew stops at the sign and reads it very carefully in the light of the Rebbe’s teachings. (In former times he would have used his cell phone to call Brooklyn and speak to the Rebbe personally for advice, but this is no longer possible, may the Rebbe rest in peace.) Next, he gets out of the car and sets up a roadside mitzvah mobile [outreach booth], taking this opportunity to ask other Jewish drivers who stop at the sign whether or not they have put on tefillin today [male ritual] or whether they light Shabbos candles [female ritual]. Having now settled there, he steadfastly refuses to give up a single inch of the land he occupies until Mashiach [the Jewish Messiah] comes.

16.A Reform Jew sees the stop sign, and coasts up to it while contemplating the question "Do I personally feel commanded to stop?" During this internal process he edges into the intersection and is hit from behind by a car driven by a secular Jew who ignored the sign completely.

17.A Conservative Jew reacts by calling his rabbi and asking him whether stopping at this sign is required by unanimous ruling of the Commission on Jewish Law or if there is a minority position. While waiting for the rabbi’s answer he is ticketed by a policeman for obstructing traffic.

18.A Reconstructionist Jew, seeing the stop sign, might say: First, this sign is part of our evolving civilization and therefore I must honor it and stop. On the other hand, since its origins are in the past, I must assert that "the past has a vote and not a veto," and therefore I must study the issue carefully and decide if the argument "to stop" is spiritually, intellectually and culturally compelling enough to convince me to stop. If yes, I will vote with the past. If not, I will veto it. Finally, is there any way that I can re-value or transvalue the stop sign’s message for our own time?

19.The Renewal-Movement-Jew meditates on whether the STOP sign applies in all kabbalistic Four Worlds [Body-Emotion-Mind-Spirit] or only in some of them, and if so which ones? Must he stop feeling? thinking? being? driving? Since he has stopped to breathe and meditate on this question, he is quite safe while he does so, barukh HaShem. [Praise God.]

20.A scholar from the Jesus seminar concludes that the passage "STOP" undoubtedly was never uttered by Jesus himself, but belongs entirely to stage III of the Gospel tradition, when the church was first confronted by traffic in its parking lot.

21.A NT scholar notices that there is no stop sign on Mark Street but there is one on Matthew and Luke streets, and concludes that the ones on Luke and Matthew streets are both copied from a sign on a completely hypothetical street called "Q". There is an excellent 300 page discussion of speculations on the origin of these stop signs and the differences between the stop signs on Matthew and Luke street in the scholar’s commentary on the passage. There is an unfortunate omission in the commentary, however: the author apparently forgot to explain what the text means.

22.An OT scholar points out that there are a number of stylistic differences between the first and second half of the passage "STOP". For ample, "ST" contains no enclosed areas and 5 line endings, whereas "OP" contains two enclosed areas and only one line termination. He concludes at the author for the second part is different from the author for the first part and probably lived hundreds of years later. Later scholars determine that the second half is itself actually written by two separate authors because of similar stylistic differences between the "O" and the "P".

23.Another prominent OT scholar notes in his commentary that the stop sign would fit better into the context three streets back. (Unfortunately, he neglected to explain why in his commentary.) Clearly it was moved to its present location by a later redactor. He thus exegetes the intersection as though the stop sign were not there.

24.Because of the difficulties in interpretation, another OT scholar amends the text, changing "T" to "H". "SHOP" is much easier to understand in context than "STOP" because of the multiplicity of stores in the area. The textual corruption probably occurred because "SHOP" is so similar to "STOP" on the sign several streets back that it is a natural mistake for a scribe to make. Thus the sign should be interpreted to announce the existence of a shopping area.

25.A feminist scholar notes that all commentary refers to "he" and concludes she is thus exempt, so she runs the sign and is killed.

26.A radical feminist, observing what happened to the first feminist, concludes this is a misogynist plot to get all feminists killed by inciting them to run stop signs. So she gets out of the car and stages a protest against the inherent sexism in all traffic signs.

27.An observant Orthodox Jewish woman concludes that she is not allowed to observe the mitzvah [commandment] of stopping because she is niddah [menstruant]. This is a dilemma, because the stop sign is located on the way to the mikvah [ritual purification pool]. She refers the dilemma to all the Rabbinical scholars, who shrug.

28.A feminist Jewish woman sees this as a sign from the Shekinah [feminine aspect of God] that translates roughly "enough already…."

What would a Messianic Jew say? A Two houser? How about a Nazarene who is not affiliated with the Rannana Group?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5QAU63oVHE

Devarim / Deuteronomy 10:20. Moshe says, “You shall fear HaShem your God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him…” What does it mean to “cling to Him?” It is actually the same Hebrew word which is used of Adam in the garden when it says, “a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Bereshit / Genesis 2:24)

But how is this cleaving done in practical terms? The Rabbis ask, “Is it possible for a man to cleave to the Divine Presence, seeing that it is written, “For HaShem your God is a devouring fire?”

They answer the question by suggesting that “clinging to God” can be accomplished by clinging to the servants of God, i.e. those who teach Torah. This is explained specifically as the act of discipleship to a man of Torah who is already connected with God and can teach you the way to God via his Torah teaching and his Torah living.

Judaism believes that through clinging to one’s rabbi (spiritual leader), one is brought into union with his God. Because the rabbi is in union with God, the disciple is also elevated into union with God by virtue of that connection. In the same way, our Rabbi, Yeshua, taught us that in order to cling to God we must cling to him (Yochanan  / John 15:1-7) and by clinging to him, we cling to God. “In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.” (Yochanan 14:20)

Therefore the commandment to “cling to God” can only be fulfilled by clinging to the Master, our Rabbi Yeshua! The mediator between God and man. the second Adam, King Messiah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlkryvBdTLI

Devekut, deveikuth or deveikus (Heb. דבקות , Mod. Heb. "dedication", traditionally "clinging on" to God) is a Jewish concept referring to closeness to God.

Why do people pray to idols? What does idol worship mean today? What is an idol? Is there new idols today?

Idol worship begins in the mind—it starts with an incorrect perception of who HaShem is. It says you can turn an abstract, invisible God into a concrete, metal, wood or plastic god, which of course, is impossible.  It is written by the Rambam’s 13 principles of the Jewish faith‎:  “I believe with perfect faith that God does not have a body. Physical concepts do not apply to Him. There is nothing whatsoever that resembles Him at all.”

Idol worship doesn’t just mean singing and dancing and bowing in front statues, it does means believing in any force, object or item outside of the  infinite, or the all-powerful God Himself; an angel, a man of God, a constellation, a force of nature, a living creature—or simply a funny-looking little statue. Everything is created by HaShem, and to designate any piece of physical matter as “God” or a “Higher Power” is idol worship. To think that HaShem is not control at all times, and that somehow he is fighting and even some times losing to another power (Satan) is also idol worship.

Idolatry can take many shapes, in my opinion. It’s not only bowing to a representation of a deity, it’s giving up your faith to anything else than God. One can also worship a car, a job, a boss, a woman, etc. It doesn’t have to be a deity per say. You commit this sin if you ever come to consider something in your life more important than God. Idols can be made out of desires, ideas, fears, ideals or simply lies.

The Decalogue begins with the command to reverence the one true God and to recognize no other deities.  I am HaShem your God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shalt have no other gods before me. You shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them… Shemot 20:2-5.

There is no end to the false gods we create when our homing device gets misdirected. In Western cultures we often bow down to the false gods of materialism and control. Some try to relieve their inner emptiness by trying to get approval for being talented or successful. The list goes on, but the point is clear. Whatever we try to derive our core sense of worth and meaning apart from HaShem is idol worship or avodah zarah. Idol worship is also coming into the presence of a holy God on your own terms, not on God’s terms. Doing what you want because your god loves you and changes His standards as you go along.  Idol worship is placing your faith in a thing of God and not in God Himself. And by the way, the god of Islam is not a god but a demon.

Making the holy Jewish Messiah into someone he is not is idol worship. We are not to pray to him, but through his holy merit, we are to acknowledge that he is the one send from HaShem. He is the second Adam, the one after one after Moses, suffering like Yosef (suffering, but at the end saving the Jewish people), coming back as King David, to fight the wars of God. But we must remember that we are not to pray to him: Our holy Rabbi, Maran Yeshua HaMashiach said in Mattityahu / Matthew 4:10, “You shall worship HaShem your God and Him only shall you serve.”

We must only worship God and our worship must be in spirit and in truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=METrbSiEANo

When we study the Hebrew Scriptures (from Genesis to Revelations writen by Jews to Jews), we find some very interesting verses concerning the tzitzit / fringes. In Hebrew, we say tzitziyot. Specifically, these verses are Mattityahu 9:20; 14:36a, Mark 6:56; and Luke 8:44. Without a shadow of a doubt, they demonstrate that Yeshua definitely was a Torah-observant Jewish man who kept the Torah commandment to wear tzitziyot in the four corners of his garment as instructed in the Torah in Bamidbar 15:37-41. But what is the purpose of wearing tzitziyot? The purpose is to help remember the mitzvot of HaShem and to perform them. HaShem has given many object lessons to His children so that they (also we) would remember and keep His instructions and another one concerns the wrapping of tefillin. The reason for this mitzva is for shamar v’zachor (remembering, keeping, and observing) His instructions for our lives, that is, the Torah. 

 The Greek word phylakterion has been transliterated into English as the word "phylactery" and literally means a protecting charm or amulet. (remember that Maran Yeshua spoke Aramaic every day, thus He never thought of them as such) Through this unfortunate transliteration, the important spiritual meaning contained in the commandment and even in the word itself is lost. In Maran Yeshua’s time, phylacteries were not regarded as amulets or “lucky charms”. The Hebrew word is tefillin which is the plural of the word tefillah.  The meaning of tefillah is diametrically opposed to amulet or lucky charm. Tefillah means prayer. The word phylactery does not even appear in the Tanach.

Tefillin consist of the two small leather boxes or batim, boxes that house small slips of parchment. The parchment slips are inscribed with the Scripture passages in Shemot 13:1-10, 11-16, Devarim 6:4-9, and Devarim 11:13-21. All components of tefillin are made from kosher materials. The central theme of wearing tefillin is the act of binding. The tefillin bind you not only physically but also spiritually. We, with our western mindset and culture, conjure up all kinds of negative “feelings” when we hear the word bind. Somehow we associate it with bondage. Yet when we read the Scripture references above in connection with tefillin they are associated with remembering, keeping, and observing HaShem’s instructions. Who would dare to consider that to be bondage? No one is 100% sure how the tefillin were worn in Maran Yeshua’s day (2000 years ago, when yemot hamashiach begun) except to say that the same two parts that are worn today were in existence 2000 years ago. The two components of tefillin are called shel yad, which is worn on the arm and fingers and shel rosh worn on the head.

Archeological discoveries have confirmed this as fact. Today, just as in Maran Yeshua’s day, the tefillin are strapped on the forehead and the arm. The shel yad, consists of one compartment containing a parchment on which all four Torah passages or  parshiyot are written; the shel rosh is divided into four compartments each of which contains a parchment with one of the four Torah passages written on it. When you gaze upon them, as you would also upon the mezuzah and the tzitziyot, you are quickened to remember the words of the Torah for your life. The tefillin also serve as a memorial – a remembrance of the exodus from Mitzrayim. The remembrance also of the mitzvot of HaShem. The tefillin are a sign of where we have been, that is, Miztrayim or bondage and where we are going, that is, Malchut HaShem or the Kingdom of Heaven, the kingdom of Messiah here on earth (we are NOT going to heaven!). The tefillin are especially a sign of our recognition of HaShem even by their very construction. The Hebrew letters shin, dalet, and yod are evident through the wrapping of the straps around the fingers and across the palm of the hand and the knots in the straps.

The letter shin is also engraved upon the outside of the batim. The three Hebrew letter shin, dalet, and yod spell the word Shaddai which means HaShem, the one who is all-sufficient and sustains His people with spiritual nourishment. The literal meaning of Shaddai is the “many breasted one” implying a feminine side of HaShem that nourishes His children as a nursing mother breastfeeds her baby. The theme of binding is carried out by reciting the verses of Hoshea 2:21-22 while winding the strap around the fingers. “And I will betroth you to me forever. Yes I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in compassion. And I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you will know HaShem”. These verses consummate the binding in a betrothal between man and HaShem. This is a marriage ceremony of sorts each time the tefillin is worn.

In Maran Yeshua’s day, the wearing of tefillin was and is viewed as a fulfillment of the Torah mitzvah or commandment. Although the word tefillin is not found in the Tanach, the Talmud has interpreted the instruction literally and so the words of HaShem are literally bound around our arm (close to our heart) and are literally frontlets between our eyes (close to our minds).  In all probability, tzitziyot and tefillin were part of ordinary dress of the Israelites 2000 years ago and even earlier.  The custom of wrapping tefillin during weekday morning prayers as is practiced today, is a relatively modern custom (This writter does it daily). They were worn most likely all day only being removed for work or when entering a place that was deemed ritually unclean.

Archeological evidence of tefillin fragments dating back to the 1st century was unearthed in the Judean Desert in caves near the Dead Sea. The most dramatic find was a shel rosh approximately 2000 years old with 3 of the 4 original parchment slips still folded and securely ties in their original compartments. Announcement of this discovery was published by Israeli archeologist Yigael Yadin in "Tefillin from Qumran". 1969. The size of the shel rosh, or frontlet was so small and inconspicuous that it hardly would have been noticed. The bayit or box found at Qumran is rectangular and approximately ½” by ¾”. It was very inconspicuous to say the least. Is this what Yeshua was criticizing when we read the account in Mattityahu?

In Mattityahu 23:5, we read that our holy Rabbi, Maran Yeshua criticized those men who enlarged their batim or boxes and widened the straps that were securing them. Note that he never condemned them or criticized them for simply wearing tefillin. On the other hand, he was indeed criticizing them for enlarging their tefillin to appear to be a level above the rest spiritually yet were acting hypocritically. In all probability, Yeshua himself was wearing tefillin as he most certainly was wearing tzitziyot in the four corners of his outer garment, the tallit katan. These were not customs or traditions but rather acts of obedience to HaShem’s commandments in the Torah. There is no evidence to think that Yeshua condemned the wearing of tefillin. On the other hand, he supported the Halacha (Torah tradition) that interpreted the Scriptures literally concerning the fact that they are indeed to be “a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes”.

Adapted from Dr. David Bivin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fijs2MtCSf0

Our Rabbi, Maran Yeshua is Jewish. This obvious reality has too often been obscured by both Christian and Jewish attitudes polarized by prejudice, hatred, and fear.

There is a growing number of Jewish people who, like Rabbi Lichtenstein, Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, have been prompted, for one reason or another, to investigate seriously what the Good News actually contains. This writer is among them. We have come to recognize through careful investigation that the Good News is something different than we had first supposed.

First of all, we have discovered that its authorship and cultural background are Jewish. The beginning scenes of the Good News are centered in the land of Israel, at the time of the Second Temple. Even as the focus widens from the original setting, the action takes place primarily among Jewish communities in the Diaspora. The Good News writers, with perhaps the exception of Luke but very likely a convert, are all Jews. The early Emmisaries and followers of our Rabbi Yeshua were also Jewish.

Mashiach (Messiah) a Jewish idea. Actually the idea of a Mashiach begins in the Torah and the Tanach, the Hebrew Scriptures. The Christian Messiah does not exist (is not a Gentile idea at all), and the Jewish Messiah is exclusively Jewish.We believe that our Rabbi Maran Yeshua who came for both the Jew and the non Jew but within a Jewish context to be understood properly. We believe that Christianity has not future, and is a sin to believe in a gentilized messiah.

We see nothing in the Good News that is non-Jewish or anti-Jewish. It is to the contrary, woven with the warp and woof of Jewish hope and prophetic promise. If one can accept the revelation of Moses and the prophets with utter seriousness, there should be nothing really strange in the Good News, it is simply Jewish, it is a family discussion / story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyaSKpe98tU

Tefillin is one of my favorite mitzvot of the whole 613 mitzvot. It is one of action, of doing, of experience. Tefillin is technically the plural form (the singular being "tefillah"), it is loosely used as a singular as well. I do encourage all Jews, benei Anusim to get a pair of Tefillin and get going with this wonderful mitzva. Here is a wonderful article that speaks about this wonderful mitzva (commandment).

Tefillin are not amulets. They are "attachments" to the body and serve to distinguish Jews as people who keep God’s precepts constantly in mind.

What They Are

Tefillin are the cube-shaped black leather boxes, containing four scriptural passages, attached to the head and arm and worn during the morning prayers. It is purely coincidental that the word tefillin so closely resembles the word for prayer, tefillah, since, although eventually the tefillin were only worn for the morning prayer, in Talmudic times they were worn all day and had no special association with prayer.  As Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Tefillin, 4.25-6) puts it: "Great is the sanctity of tefillin, for as long as the tefillin are upon man’s head and arm, he is humble and God-fearing and is not drawn after frivolity and idle talk, and does not have evil thoughts, but directs his heart to words of truth and righteousness. Therefore a man should try to have them on him all day … Even though they should be worn all day it is the greater obligation to wear them during prayer." In point of fact, some few extremely pious individuals, even in post-Talmudic times, did wear tefillin all day and this seems to have been Maimonides’ own practice. But the vast majority of Jews only wear tefillin during the morning prayer.

Etymology and History

The etymology of [the term] tefillin is uncertain, but possibly is connected either with a Hebrew root meaning "to attach" or with a root meaning "to distinguish." If this is correct, tefillin mean either "attachments" to the body or else the means whereby the Jew is distinguished from Gentiles. "Tefillin" is usually translated in English as "phylacteries." This is based on the New Testament Greek: "But all their works they do to be seen of men; they make broad their phylacteries" (Matthew 23:5). This passage, hostile to the Pharisees, uses the Greek word, from which the English is derived, meaning "things which guard"; in other words, the tefillin are a kind of amulet to offer protection against the demonic powers; whereas in all the Jewish sources the tefillin serve, like the tzitzit, as a reminder of God’s laws.

In four Pentateuchal passages it is stated that certain words should be on the hand and between the eyes. Many commentators, including Rashbam [Samuel ben Meir, 11th century Bible and Talmud commentator from France], hold that the plain meaning of these passages is that the words of the Torah should be constantly in mind, as in the verses: "Set them as a seal upon thy heart, as a seal upon thine arm" (Song of Songs 8: 6) and "Let not kindness and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck, write them on the table of thy heart" (Proverbs 3: 3).

The Karaites [a sect of Judaism that rejects the authority of rabbinic interpretation and law] understood the passages in this figurative way and did not wear tefillin. But very early on, as can be seen from the reference in the New Testament, Jews understood the passages in a literal sense and wore these four sections on the head and the arm, the words being those in the sections themselves. These are the tefillin, although, undoubtedly, they have developed over the years to assume the form they now have. The following is a brief description of what tefillin are now and how they are worn.

The Objects and Contents

The tefillin consist of two cube-shaped leather boxes, one worn on the head, the other on the arm, with leather straps fixed to them for attaching them to the head and the arm. Into these boxes, known as batim, "houses," the four passages, written by hand, are inserted.

The hand tefillin (in the Rabbinic tradition the "hand" here means the arm) contains all four sections written on a single strip of parchment. In the head tefillin there are four separate compartments, one for each of the four. The four sections are: (a) Exodus 13:1-10; (b) Exodus 13:11-16; (c) Deuteronomy 6:4-9; (d) Deuteronomy 11:12-21. Although the box (bayit, "house," singular of batim) of the head tefillin has to be in the form of an exact square (in the part into which the sections are inserted; this part rests on a larger base), it is divided into four compartments for the insertion of the sections, care being taken that these should not be separated from one another in such a way as to interfere with the square shape. The box of the hand tefillin consists of a single compartment into which all four sections, written on a single strip, are inserted. The boxes have to be completely black as well as square-shaped.

Black straps are inserted into each of the batim. The straps of the head tefillin are made to form a knot that will be at the back of the neck when the tefillin are worn. This knot is in the shape of the letter dalet. The strap of the hand tefillin is attached to the bayit to form another knot shaped in the form of the letter yod. The letter shin is worked into the leather of the head tefillin, a three-pronged shin on the right side of the wearer and a four-pronged shin on the left (this is probably because of uncertainties as to how this letter should be formed). We now have the three letters shin, dalet, yod, in the tefillin, forming the word Shaddai, one of the divine names. (Some have the letter mem instead of the dalet as the shape of the knot and the three letters then form the word shemi, "My name.")

All these matters are attended to by the manufacturers of the tefillin, who arrange for the writing to be done by a competent scribe and for the sections to be inserted into the batim, which are then sewn up and the straps inserted. Naturally, pious Jews will only buy a set of tefillin from a reliable, trustworthy merchant. Tefillin often come with a guarantee from a rabbi that they have been properly prepared.

How to Put On (Lay) Tefillin

The procedure for putting on the tefillin is as follows. The hand tefillin is taken out of the bag in which the tefillin are reverentially kept, and placed on the upper part of the left arm [but see below], and the benediction recited: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast hallowed us by Thy commandments, and hast commanded us to put on the tefillin." The knot is then tightened and the strap wound seven times around the arm.

The head tefillin is then taken out of the bag, placed loosely on the head, and the further benediction recited: "Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who hast hallowed us by Thy commandments and hast given us command concerning the precept of tefillin." The head tefillin are then tightened round the head so that the bayit rest in the middle of the head above the forehead and where the hair begins.

The strap of’ the hand tefillin is then wound thrice around the middle finger while the verses (from Hosea 1:21-2) are recited: "And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgement, and in lovingkindness, and in mercy: I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord."

In the rabbinic tradition, the tefillin are to be worn on "the weaker hand" (perhaps the idea here is to symbolize that it is the weaker side of human nature that requires to be strengthened by observing the precept). For this reason a left-handed man wears the tefillin on his right arm.

The tefillin are not worn on the Sabbath and festivals. The reason given is that these are described as a "sign," and so are tefillin. When these "signs" are present there is no need for tefillin to be worn. Tefillin are worn only during the day, not at night. Consequently, tefillin is one of those precepts dependent on time from which women are exempt. There are one or two references to women wearing tefillin even though they are exempt, but this is extremely rare. Even women who nowadays do wear a tallit do not normally wear tefillin. A minor is not obliged to wear tefillin and the usual practice is for a boy to begin to wear them just before his Bar Mitzvah.

Rabbi Jacobs’ exposition of the details of the structure and use of tefillin in this article is supplemented by his article on their significance and interpretation.

Hitbodedut – Emunah – Bitachon – Bitul

Hitbodedut (secluded prayer), Talking to HaShem on a daily basis brings us closer to simcha (Ultimate Joy). Why is simcha so important? HaShem says to us, {Devarim 28:47} "Because you did not serve HaShem your God with simcha and with goodness of heart, out of an abundance of everything". Simcha therefore is the key to serving HaShem, and Emunah flows from there.

Give the benefit of the doubt to everyone especially HaShem" See the good in self even while walking through the darkest tunnels, see the good in others and of those who seem to hurt you. There are no coincidences. Every moment of our lives is a fun filled destined adventure. LIVE IT with full confidence in HaShem, self, and others.

Say and believe that "Gam Zu L’Tova" [this too is for the best] and so we come to that time when we are beginning to see in all events not only that it might in the end lead to something good, that there is a silver lining to every cloud, but that the cloud itself is good, gam zu, this itself, is l’tova, is good.

Bitul (Letting Go) with Emunah (faith) means that we let go of our fears and we let go and let HaShem.  Letting go plus Emunah equals to the process of knowing that everything is from HaShem the good drama and what we call the bad. Bitul (Let go and let HaShem), you will be greatly surprised by the outcome.

There will be days where obstacles are placed before you and you may think that HaShem is hiding from you or not on your side that day (God forbid). Just the opposite is true. It is a moment that will test your Emunah to see if you really believe that everything is from HaShem and all is good. When you want a ball to go farther you pull your hand back first then release; this is the same concept. NEVER, ever lose faith!

Emunah is something very powerful. Emunah is dependent in the mouth of a person. Therefore, a person should speak about Emunah. As it says (Psalms 89) "I will make known your faithfulness with my mouth" When a person falls into a lack of emunah here is a good idea how to snap back: "Talk emunah with your mouth" This in and of itself constitutes Emunah. Thank you HaShem! Sing to HaShem! Dance as if nobody is looking, know that He is rejoicing in you!

Trust in HaShem brings peace. Emunah (faith) produces Bitachon (trust) in HaShem. Bitul (Letting Go) helps a person see the hand of HaShem at work! A person who does not trust in HaShem tells lies. Lies prevent a person from trusting in truth.

Since prayer is a very powerful tool toward achieving Emunah, talking to HaShem in the form of Hitbodedut (secluded prayer) should be done on a daily basis.

Give your attitude to the world with Emunah (faith) and Bitachon (trust) with a twist of Simcha (joy)

Simcha with Emunah means to let go from the deepest pains that we hold so dearly. Want to experience joy with emunah? Cry out your pains to HaShem and from the tears will grow a clearing for joy to enter. Then let go, and let HaShem come into your life with emunah. Emunah B’Simcha comes from breaking away from the pain you are still holding.

The fact is that when one lives with Emunah life seems different. Accepting things with faith brings us calmer to everyday situations but in truth that doesn’t mean that just because we have faith that nothing will go seemly wrong in our life. Emunah is the base of life no matter during good times or not. Emunah strengthens us, it uplifts us and most of all it teaches us to let go and let God. Let’s work on building that base of emunah that is so vital to our daily life.

Go and speak to HaShem! Yala… While in hitbodedut one should talk to G-d about everything, ask him what areas you feel you need to improve, if you should be doing more of one thing, or less of a different thing. Through this Cheshbon HaNefesh (calculation of one’s deeds) you will be able to rid oneself of all fears and worries. You will no longer be afraid of any rulers, kings, wild animal, robbers or anything else in the world!  All your awe and fear will be toward G-d alone.

Our beloved it Rabbi, Maran Yeshua said: But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Ein Od Milvado -  There is nothing beside Him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXhwYDcoMs8

Prayer is also referred to as, service of the heart, it takes time and commitment each day to stop, meditate and offer honest prayers from the heart to the Almighty Father.  The main "weapon" of Mashiach–and of every believer is prayer. Every tefilah (prayer), every bracha (blessing), every whispered thanks, every Psalm and every hitbodedut (private, secluded prayer in one’s own words) brings the geulah (Redemption) that much nearer.   

During hitbodedut, we speak to God, ask Him for whatever we need, confess our wrong doings and thank Him for all the good that He has done for us (even what may see bad, because true emunah / faith and bitachon / truth see only good in what HaShem is doing!).   When we take time out of our busy lives to be alone with our Creator, to pour out our hearts to Him, to  ask Him for guidance and forgiveness and share our troubles with Him, we are binding with the Almighty through bringing Him into our daily lives. Indeed, hitbodedut is a powerful tool in our spiritual growth.  

Devote a few minutes for praise, thanks and supplication to God for everything that He does for us. Confess where you’ve gone wrong, articulating your remorse and your commitment not to repeat those mistakes in the future. Ask God to help you fulfill that commitment. Then, request God’s guidance and assistance for everything and anything, both physically and spiritually. Although hitbodedut might appear difficult, it’s really very easy and simple. So don’t get discouraged! You should therefore set aside some time each day for heartbreak. You should isolate yourself with a broken heart before God for a given time. But the rest of the day should be joyful.
 
According to Rebbe Nachman: “Hitbodedut is the greatest thing – above all else. That is to establish at least one hour or more to be alone in some room, or in the field, and to voice one’s dialogue between himself and his Owner. Reasoning and arguing with graceful words of appeasement and conciliation, requesting and beseeching before Him who is Blessed to bring one close to His service in truth. And this prayer and supplication should be in the language one speaks naturally.” -Likutei Moharan II, 25

Our Rabbi, Yeshua set the example for us, “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.” (Mordechai / Mark 1:35) “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” (Mattityahu / Matthew 14:23) “And he withdrew himself into the wilderness, and prayed.” (Uri / Luke 5:16)

Ultimately as we keep His Commandments and delight in Him or whether we fall short and need disciplining we recognize that HaShem is the only source of goodness, He is our Father and Creator, the ONE who called us to Himself. We’re not going anywhere in this life without prayer and hearing from the Father! Go ahead, put this paper down, and go pray! Yala!

Generally translated as trust, bitachon is a powerful sense of optimism and confidence based not on reason or experience, but on emunah (active faith). You know that "G‑d is good and He’s the only one in charge," and therefore you have no fears or frets.

That is, if a bad occurrence happens, then true, it is a bad occurrence to us. That is, on the revealed plane to us this appears bad. However, on the hidden level it is good. That is, everything that occurs to us G-d intends for our good. At a particular time an event might appear to us to be bad, however, the inner intent is for our good. Sometimes, after the passage of time this inner goodness in the event will become apparent to us, and sometimes it might never become revealed. Still, our Trust in G-d is that G-d is good and that we believe even the revealed bad contains within it a deeper inner good (just not perceivable by human-kind)

Illustration: Rabbi Akiva entered a town and searched for a place to lay his tired head. But he was unsuccessful in soliciting an invitation for himself. In defeat he camped out on the cold ground outside the city and lit his candle and immersed himself in his book of Torah. Next to him lay his other two possessions: a rooster to wake him up and a donkey to transport him. Regrettably, a lion came and consumed his donkey. As if that wasn’t bad enough, a cat came by and consumed the rooster. To top off his misfortune, a strong wind blew out his candle. But instead of becoming upset Rabbi Akiva proclaimed, "Everything that G‑d does is for the best." In the morning, Rabbi Akiva found the city silent. A band of thieves had ransacked the town, taking the people as prisoner and their possessions as loot. Yes, his loss was for the best. He had slept away from danger, and neither the candle, rooster, nor donkey called attention to his presence.

Unlike emunah, bitachon does not live inside a person in a uniform state. Most of the time it’s fine sitting in the background: You go about your business the best you can with perfect faith that, "G‑d will bless you in whatever you do," and therefore, it’s not your own smarts or hard work that will provide success, but "G‑d’s blessing is what makes a man successful.

One way of explaining the difference between these words is that the former is the belief that G-d exists. The latter is the knowledge thereof, or, more accurately, the result of that knowledge, in mind, heart, and deed.

When a situation arises from time to time when you can’t see any natural means by which you can get out of this. At that point, bitachon needs to wake up and step up to combat. Rather than saying, "Whoa is me! Who can help me?" you say, "My help is from G‑d who makes heaven and earth—and therefore can do whatever He wants with them."

"Bitachon does not mean that I trust that Hashem will fulfill my wishes; Bitachon means that whatever Hashem does, I trust that He’s doing it for the very best."

Our Rabbi Yeshua said: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these." -Matthew 6:25-29

Perhaps the most difficult middah (attribute) to acquire is bitachon, real trust in HaShem that is expressed in action. The Mishnah Berurah writes that we recite the Torah portion detailing the arrival of the manna every day, “so that one should believe that all of his sustenance comes from Hashem’s providence. As the verse writes regarding the manna, ‘And the one who added did not gain, and the one who depleted did not lack.’”

Bitachon (trust) is an element of emunah (active faith).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csiN-2upci4

Hitbodedut (Hebrew: התבודדות) refers to an unstructured, spontaneous and individualized form of prayer and meditation taught by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. The goal of hitbodedut is to establish a close, personal relationship with God and a clearer understanding of one’s personal motives and goals.

Reb Nachman of Breslov, a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov and founder of Breslover Chasidut, breathed new life into Judaism by combining the mystical elements of Chasidut with in-depth Torah scholarship.

In addition to regular (prayer) davening from the Siddur, Reb Nachman frequently recited extemporaneous prayers. In fact, he taught his Chasidim (his followers) that they should spend at least one hour alone each day, talking aloud to God in his or her own words, as if “talking to a good friend.” This practice was to be in addition to the prayers of the Siddur. Breslover Chasidim still follow this practice today, which is known as hitbodedut (literally, “to make oneself be in solitude”). Rebbe Nachman taught that the best place to do hitbodedut was in a field or forest, among the natural works of HaShem’s creation. The hours spent in secluded prayer, according to Reb Nachman, were one of the primary ways to build a relationship with God.

Hitbodedut is performed in one’s mother tongue, in contrast to most other Jewish prayers that are recited in Hebrew. Rebbe Nachman did not intend for hitbodedut to take the place of the three daily prescribed Jewish services, but to supplement them. He recommended that his followers engage in hitbodedut for at least one hour each day.

Within our prayer lives, we need communal and personal forms of prayer, the structure of the Siddur, as well as hitbodedut. For they all draw us closer to HaShem. And yet, there is something special about our personal prayer times — alone, secluded, without distraction.

This type of prayer, which Rebbe Nachman referred to as hitbodedut was also practiced and encouraged by our own “rebbi.” Yeshua himself would often go off into seclusion to pray. We see this many times throughout the Besorot hatovot (Good News).

Although Maran Yeshua exemplifies the pattern of formal communal worship within the Beit HaMikdash (Temple) and synagogues, he also teaches us:

But you, when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. For your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. — Mattityahu / Matthew 6:6

We want Mashiach Now!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3-la7-qr6A

Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua got up and followed him, as did his talmidim. {9:20} Behold, a woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years came behind him, and touched the tzitziyot of his garment; {9:21} for she said within herself, “If I just touch his garment, I will be made well.”

When we study the Good News of Redemption accounts of Mattityahu, Mark, and Luke, we find some very interesting verses concerning the fringes. In Hebrew, we say tzitziyot. Specifically, these verses are Mattityahu 9:20; 14:36a, Mark 6:56; and Luke 8:44. Without a shadow of a doubt, they demonstrate that Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua definitely was a Torah-observant Jewish man who kept the Torah commandment to wear tzitziyot in the four corners of his garment as instructed in the Torah in Bemidbar 15:37-41.

But what is the purpose of wearing tzitziyot? The purpose is to help remember the mitzvot of HaShem and to perform them. HaShem has given many object lessons to His children so that they (also we) would remember and keep His instructions and another one concerns the wrapping of tefillin. The reason for this mitzva is for shamar v’zachar (remembering, keeping, and observing) His instructions for our lives, that is, the Torah. 

The Greek word phylakterion has been transliterated into English as the word "phylactery" and literally means a protecting charm or amulet. (remember that Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua spoke Aramaic every day, thus He never thought of them as such) Through this unfortunate transliteration, the important spiritual meaning contained in the commandment and even in the word itself is lost. In Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua’s time, phylacteries were not regarded as amulets or “lucky charms”. The Hebrew word is tefillin which is the plural of the word tefillah.  The meaning of tefillah is diametrically opposed to amulet or lucky charm. Tefillah means prayer. The word phylactery does not even appear in the Tanach.

Tefillin consist of the two small leather boxes or batim, boxes that house small slips of parchment. The parchment slips are inscribed with the Scripture passages in Shemot 13:1-10, 11-16, Devarim 6:4-9, and Devarim 11:13-21. All components of tefillin are made from kosher materials. The central theme of wearing tefillin is the act of binding. The tefillin bind you not only physically but also spiritually. We, with our western mindset and culture, conjure up all kinds of negative “feelings” when we hear the word bind. Somehow we associate it with bondage. Yet when we read the Scripture references above in connection with tefillin they are associated with remembering, keeping, and observing HaShem’s instructions. Who would dare to consider that to be bondage? No one is 100% sure how the tefillin were worn in Yeshua’s day except to say that the same two parts that are worn today were in existence 2000 years ago. The two components of tefillin are called shel yad, which is worn on the arm and fingers and shel rosh worn on the head.

Archeological discoveries have confirmed this as fact. Today, just as in Yeshua’s day, the tefillin are strapped on the forehead and the arm. The shel yad, consists of one compartment containing a parchment on which all four Torah passages or parshiyot are written; the shel rosh is divided into four compartments each of which contains a parchment with one of the four Torah passages written on it. When you gaze upon them, as you would also upon the mezuzah and the tzitziyot, you are quickened to remember the words of the Torah for your life. The tefillin also serve as a memorial – a remembrance of the exodus from Mitzrayim. The remembrance also of the mitzvot of HaShem. The tefillin are a sign of where we have been, that is, Miztrayim or bondage and where we are going, that is, Malchut HaShem or the Kingdom of Heaven. The tefillin are especially a sign of our recognition of HaShem even by their very construction. The Hebrew letters shin, dalet, and yod are evident through the wrapping of the straps around the fingers and across the palm of the hand and the knots in the straps.

The letter shin is also engraved upon the outside of the batim. The three Hebrew letter shin, dalet, and yod spell the word Shaddai which means HaShem provides, the one who is all-sufficient and sustains His people with spiritual nourishment. The literal meaning of Shaddai is the “many breasted one” implying a feminine side of HaShem that nourishes His children as a nursing mother breastfeeds her baby. The theme of binding is carried out by reciting the verses of Hoshea 2:21-22 while winding the strap around the fingers. “And I will betroth you to me forever. Yes I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, and in lovingkindness, and in compassion. And I will betroth you to me in faithfulness and you will know HaShem”. These verses consummate the binding in a betrothal between man and HaShem. This is a marriage ceremony of sorts each time the tefillin is worn.

2000 years ago, the wearing of tefillin was and is viewed as a fulfillment of the Torah mitzvah or commandment. Although the word tefillin is not found in the Tanach, the Talmud has interpreted the instruction literally and so the words of HaShem are literally bound around our arm (close to our heart) and are literally frontlets between our eyes (close to our minds).  In all probability, tzitziyot and tefillin were part of ordinary dress of the Israelites in Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua’s day and even earlier.  The custom of wrapping tefillin during weekday morning prayers as is practiced today, is a relatively modern custom (BUT IS AMAZING). 2000 years ago, they were worn most likely all day only being removed for work or when entering a place that was deemed ritually unclean. Archeological evidence of tefillin fragments dating back to the 1st century was unearthed in the Judean Desert in caves near the Dead Sea. The most dramatic find was a shel rosh approximately 2000 years old with 3 of the 4 original parchment slips still folded and securely ties in their original compartments. Announcement of this discovery was published by Israeli archeologist Yigael Yadin in "Tefillin from Qumran". 1969. The size of the shel rosh, or frontlet was so small and inconspicuous that it hardly would have been noticed. The bayit or box found at Qumran is rectangular and approximately ½” by ¾”. It was very inconspicuous to say the least. Is this what Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua was criticizing when we read the account in Mattityahu?

In Mattityahu 23:5, we read that Yeshua criticized those men who enlarged their batim or boxes and widened the straps that were securing them. Note that he never condemned them or criticized them for simply wearing tefillin. On the other hand, he was indeed criticizing them for enlarging their tefillin to appear to be a level above the rest spiritually yet were acting hypocritically. In all probability, Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua himself was wearing tefillin as he most certainly was wearing tzitziyot in the four corners of his outer garment, the tallit. These were not customs or traditions but rather acts of obedience to HaShem’s commandments in the Torah. There is no evidence to think that Yeshua condemned the wearing of tefillin. On the other hand, he supported the Halacha that interpreted the Scriptures literally concerning the fact that they are indeed to be “a sign upon your hand and as frontlets between your eyes”.

Please view video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8859Y6VDE

חבל משיח  “Chevlei Mashiach” means the “Birthpangs of the Messiah.” Messianic Judaism (All Judaism is by theory Messianic) teaches that the arrival of Mashiach is accompanied by birth pangs. This is also sometimes referred to as the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble.”

Jewish writings often refer to the birthpangs of Mashiach – Chevlei Mashiach. These birthpangs are the corporate suffering of the Jewish people and of the Messiah who sits at the right hand of the Father and cries with us until the time of the final redemption comes. Only our Father in heaven knows the time and hour of Mashiach’s coming. We are now at the conclusion of the Galut (exile). We have been through the labors of beirurim – (sifting) and refining with all their attendant trials. Moreover, we have been through some of the "birthpangs of Mashiach," those awesome events that have taken place in our generation (Israel as Nation, Jerusalem as its capital, Sanhedrin established, the war in Iraq, etc). It is now clear and obvious that we are standing at the threshold of the Redemption. Like Yosef and His brothers, Maran Rabbeinu Yeshua HaMashiach has been kept hidden from His brethren until the appointed time. Our holy Rabbi has been made king in a Gentile world that has changed his name, identity and appearance. Yet like Yosef, all this will have been for the purpose of a great redemption. But now the day has come when he must remove, as Yosef did, his Gentile clothes and reveal Himself to those who, for a long time, have not recognized him. For two thousand years, He has watched his Jewish brothers suffer, dispersed among the nations without a leader or king. Their suffering has been his own. Surely, in this last generation the birthpangs of Messiah and His people have been the greatest. Yet in the darkest of hours there is hope, for just as birth is preceded  and accompanied by birthpangs, the Sages tell us that there are likewise ‘pangs of Mashiach’ in the generation in which the Son of David will appear. And just as birthpangs hamper a birth, the greatest outcry in that generation will come when the obstacles are most numerous. 

The account of Yosef and his brothers has much to teach us regarding the relationship between Maran Yeshua and the Jewish people. It also speaks of that great event when, as Rav Shaul (Paul says), "All Israel will be saved." (Romim / Romans 11:26) See also: All Israel have a share in the World to Come, as it is stated: "And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever. [They are] the branch of My planting, the work of My hands in which to take pride."

"Then Yosef could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, ‘Have everyone leave my presence!’ So there was no-one with Yosef when he made himself known to his brothers." When Maran Yeshua HaMashiach returns to reveal himself to his brothers and fight their enemies with them, the Scripture tells us that he too will be alone: “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no-one was with me… For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of redemption was come. I looked, but there was no-one to help, I was appalled that no-one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me.” (Yeshayahu / Isaiah 63:3-6) What a terrible day that will be, when the Messiah will have to stand and fight for his people and land–alone. After the Holocaust, nations swore that they would not let it happen again. Yet this very day, the nations of the world are conspiring against Israel and supporting her enemies. How close we are to that "day of vengeance". Not only that, but the Besorah HaTova HaGeula says that when the "time of the Gentiles" is over, then He will reaveal himself to all Israel. (Uri / Luke 21:24) We are close! 

Today we recognize that non-Jews have gentilized our holy Rabbi Yeshua so much, giving him non-Hebrew names and clothing him with garments of false doctrine that have made him unrecognizable to his brethren. Often throughout history, the Jewish people have cried out for the Messiah, but the time had not yet come fully (thousand of Jewish people believe today). Like Yosef, Maran Yeshua himself will remove his non-Hebrew attire and tell them who He is.

Yosef did not say to his brothers, "I am Zaphenath-Paneah;" he said, "I am Yosef!" This will take place very soon!   Restoration is soon to come to Israel. Israel will finally fulfill her destiny as the “Or LaGoyim” "light to the nations." Great weeping will arise out of deep joy and healing. The birthpangs of the Messiah will then be over, and what is soon to come will be as "life from the dead!" A Nation will be reborn and Yeshua, Mashiach Ben David will be revealed.

The Jewish Temple will be rebuilt on Mount Zion and Temple Worship will be reestablished, the word of HaShem will come out of Zion, from the mouth of our holy Messiah. May it happen soon in our days!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B37Mp6mhs3A