One of the things that my house will be addressing as Halakha and among possible minhagim is tsitsit. Now the purpose of this blog discussion is not to get any upset, nor tell anyone how they should tie their tsitsoth, but to explore the traditions that Israel clearly had in times past. We can also learn from this to see if we can glorify and keep the command of YHWH in more than just one way. As I believe that we can.
<i>Now from the Masoretic Text in the ASV translation we have the command:</i>
And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him to death with stones; as YHWH commanded Moses. And YHWH spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of each border a cord of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of YHWH, and do them; and that ye follow not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to play the harlot; that ye may remember and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am YHWH your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am YHWH your God.
(Num 15:36-41)
<i>Now from the Targum Onkelos we have the command here:</i>
And YHWH spake to Mosheh, saying: Speak with the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes upon the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that upon the fringes on the borders they put a ribbon of hyacinth. And they shall be to you for fringes, that you may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of YHWH, and do them, and not wander after the imagination of your heart, or after the sight of your eyes, after which you have gone astray. That you may remember and do all My precepts, and be saints before your God. I am YHWH your God who brought you forth from the land of Mizraim to be to you Eloha: I am YHWH your God.
<i>Now we have from the Targum Yonatan the command here:</i>
And YHWH said unto Mosheh: Speak with the sons of Israel, and bid them make for themselves fringes, not of threads, nor of yarns, nor of fibres, but after a manner of their own (lesumhon) shall they make them, and shall cut off the heads of their filaments, and suspend by five ligatures, four in the midst of three, upon the four corners of their garment in which they enwrap themselves, unto their generations; and they shall put upon the edge of their robes an embroidery of hyacinth (shezir de‑thikela). [JERUSALEM. And let them make to themselves fringes for the edges of their robes, throughout their generations, and put upon the fringes of their robes an embroidery of hyacinth.] And this shall be to you a precept for fringes, that you may look upon them at the time when you dress yourselves daily, and remember all My commandments to do them, and not go aside to wander after the imaginations of your heart and the sight of your eyes, after which you have gone astray. To the end that you may remember and perform all My precepts, and be holy, like the angels who minister before YHWH your God. I am YHWH your God who have delivered and brought you free out of the land of Mizraim, to be to you Eloha. I am YHWH your God.
Now let me show the word "hyacinth":
Hyacinthus is a genus of bulbous flowering plants, formerly placed in the lily family Liliaceae but now regarded as the type genus of the separate family Hyacinthaceae.[1] They are commonly called Hyacinths, and are native to the eastern Mediterranean region east to Iran and Turkmenistan.
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://api.ning.com/files/2hal38Sr*lPLj*PgeJ6RH6RfA4Zoo*aS9E-6WiIRxeSU62YSkVHt9bSMdLv8dUkNkRC1B6CCJaZSxhihsRg*YTUt9jODiTqP/180pxBlue_Hyacinth_by_Kranchan.jpg" alt="" width="180" height="240"/></p>
Observe the color of the flower, which is interesting to me on this aspect.
Now I also notice the word "embroidery" as this is tradition since at least from the days of Hillel. It has been found to this day in some areas of the diaspora. This photo below should give an idea of what it can look like.
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://api.ning.com/files/JKbVWSkLuscU2Q7Fzawb1dEBJBsineP9x8jXf0j1xLif9iNF6ahiHmtrLwsYT1s5c0ODb6pEQYA0TwrFqFHmOlMH5ESARCXU/TsitsitCloseandFar_x600.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="162"/></p>
Now, some time in the near future my house will be discussing and deciding on whether or not we will be utilizing both of these styles in our faith and obedience to YHWH.
In the mean time feel free to share and discuss about this here for your edification.
Any post done in argumentative or anti-semetic/israelic fashion will be deleted with out question.
Shalom aleikhem b'Mshikha Yeshua
Elder Yoel ben Kol
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Seven Distinctives
Seven Distinctives
1). Hope - looks first for good rather than for evil in all things.
"And Elohim saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." -Genesis 1:31 "And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." -I Corinthians 13:13
2). Equality - regards all persons as equal and erases the separation between men and women, clergy and laity, etc.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in the Messiah Yeshua."
-Galatians 3:28
"You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to Elohim by Yeshua the Messiah."
-I Peter 2:5
3). Mystery - speaks to the mystical awe of Elohim that arises from understanding the limitations of human knowledge. Much of the current Christian and Nazarene subculture is bureaucratic, programmatic, and political.
"Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen."
-I Timothy 6:16
"Let a man so consider us, as servants of the Messiah and stewards of the mysteries of Elohim."
-I Corinthians 4:1
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: Elohim was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
-I Timothy 3:16
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of YHWH? Or who has been his counselor? ...For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."
-Romans 11:34-36
4). Environment - encourages earth-keeping as a way to honor Elohim in stewardship of His Creation.
"Then YHWH Elohim took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it."
-Genesis 2:15
:"Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." -Psalm 8:6-8
"Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
-I Corinthians 4:2
5). Holism - refuses to separate life into the spiritual and material, the heart and head, the sacred days and workdays, etc. (instead has an awareness of the sacred in all times and places). Most Christians and Nazarenes tend to compartmentalize life.
"And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up."
-Deuteronomy 6:6,7
"For whether we live, we live unto YHWH; and whether we die, we die unto YHWH: whether we live therefore, or die, we are YHWH's."
-Romans 14:8
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in the Messiah, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
-Ephesians 1:9.10
6). Immanence - teaches that Elohim is present with His Creation.
"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen."
-Romans 11:36
"That they should seek YHWH...though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being;"
-Acts 17:27,28
7). Simplicity - lacks the emphasis on complicated rationalistic doctrine found in most of Western Christianity and Nazarene.
"But I fear, lest by any means...your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Messiah."
-II Corinthians 11:3
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that the Messiah died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"
-I Corinthians 15:3,4
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Elohim. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Yeshua the Messiah, and him crucified."
-I Corinthians 2:1,2
1). Hope - looks first for good rather than for evil in all things.
"And Elohim saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good." -Genesis 1:31 "And now abides faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love." -I Corinthians 13:13
2). Equality - regards all persons as equal and erases the separation between men and women, clergy and laity, etc.
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in the Messiah Yeshua."
-Galatians 3:28
"You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to Elohim by Yeshua the Messiah."
-I Peter 2:5
3). Mystery - speaks to the mystical awe of Elohim that arises from understanding the limitations of human knowledge. Much of the current Christian and Nazarene subculture is bureaucratic, programmatic, and political.
"Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen."
-I Timothy 6:16
"Let a man so consider us, as servants of the Messiah and stewards of the mysteries of Elohim."
-I Corinthians 4:1
"And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: Elohim was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."
-I Timothy 3:16
"O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of YHWH? Or who has been his counselor? ...For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."
-Romans 11:34-36
4). Environment - encourages earth-keeping as a way to honor Elohim in stewardship of His Creation.
"Then YHWH Elohim took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it."
-Genesis 2:15
:"Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas." -Psalm 8:6-8
"Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful."
-I Corinthians 4:2
5). Holism - refuses to separate life into the spiritual and material, the heart and head, the sacred days and workdays, etc. (instead has an awareness of the sacred in all times and places). Most Christians and Nazarenes tend to compartmentalize life.
"And these words, which I command you this day, shall be in your heart: And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up."
-Deuteronomy 6:6,7
"For whether we live, we live unto YHWH; and whether we die, we die unto YHWH: whether we live therefore, or die, we are YHWH's."
-Romans 14:8
"Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in the Messiah, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
-Ephesians 1:9.10
6). Immanence - teaches that Elohim is present with His Creation.
"For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen."
-Romans 11:36
"That they should seek YHWH...though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being;"
-Acts 17:27,28
7). Simplicity - lacks the emphasis on complicated rationalistic doctrine found in most of Western Christianity and Nazarene.
"But I fear, lest by any means...your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in the Messiah."
-II Corinthians 11:3
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that the Messiah died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"
-I Corinthians 15:3,4
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of Elohim. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Yeshua the Messiah, and him crucified."
-I Corinthians 2:1,2
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