An Unannointed Messiah ??? Bamidbar 27:16; Rashi to Bamidbar 27:16; Shemot 28:30, 33:11; Bamidbar Rabbah 21:14; Mishneh Torah Laws of Kings; Mishlei 27:18; Yalkut Reuveni Megaleh Amukos par. 1; Talmud Bavli Chulin 60b; Zevachim 91a; Likutei Sichos 23:190, 35:206

The Unanointed Mashiach: Parashat Pinchas

Rashi tells us that Mosheh suggested his own son Gershon as King and Yehoshua as Nasi (leader of the Sanhedrin), why did G-d deny that suggestion and desire Yehoshua to be both King and Nasi?

The Mitzvah of anointing a King is not mentioned explicitly in the Written Torah. Mosheh was never anointed, yet he was both King and Nasi.

Yehoshua alone transmitted the Torah to his generation just as Mosheh did and thus indicates that Mosheh transmitted the Torah to Yehoshua in a way that he was personally responsible for it.

Just like Mosheh, Yehoshua was the absolute authority on all matters of Torah. What is interesting as well, is that Yehoshua, like Mosheh, was never anointed either. This is because Torah leadership is not established by anointing.

Rambam explains this rather Halachic peculiarity in reference to Moshiach, and alludes to the fact that Mashiach too will be both King and Nasi, and that he does not necessarily have to be anointed in the literal sense according to Jewish Law.

Such a conclusion is extremely difficult to understand, as the very word מְשִׁיח (Mashiach) means "Anointed One." The root word for Mashiach is מְשִׁח (Mashach) which means “to anoint.”

It is important to note that the Talmud reveals that the word לִמְשִׁחַה (LeMashachah) which means "Greatness,” also shares the same root word for Mashiach and thus connects the two words as a representation of two manners in which "anointing" can take place.

So it turns out that they were in fact both anointed, as both Mosheh and Yehoshua were King and Nasi, and both achieved “Greatness” (were anointed in another context). And this is how the Halachah states that Mashiach does not necessarily have to be anointed in the literal sense.

- Bamidbar 27:16; Rashi to Bamidbar 27:16; Shemot 28:30, 33:11; Bamidbar Rabbah 21:14; Mishneh Torah Laws of Kings; Mishlei 27:18; Yalkut Reuveni Megaleh Amukos par. 1; Talmud Bavli Chulin 60b; Zevachim 91a; Likutei Sichos 23:190, 35:206

The Jewish Messiah, Moshiach ben Yosef and Moshiach ben David according to Jewish Sources.

Here is what MOSHIACH BEN YOSEF is supposed to do, in a nutshell based on Tenakh, Oral Torah, Talmud, Zohar, Midrashim and the teachings of the Sages:

1. be betrayed, rejected, not recognized and scorned by his people
2. be tortured, killed and resurrected
3. die for the sins of mankind
4. G-d will destroy the Temple in Jerusalem
5. G-d usher in an era of exile
6. reach out to the lost tribes scattered among the nations
7. reach out to bring the nations to G-d and Torah
8. G-d will usher in wars, division, separation, concealment
9. G-d will usher in Jewish development to advance throughout the exile
10. prepare the world for Moshiach ben David and the Messianic Era

"In addition, there is a special higher type of suffering that comes to a Tzadik who is even greater and more highly perfected than the ones discussed above. This suffering comes to provide the help necessary to bring about the chain of events leading to the ultimate perfection of mankind as a whole."
- Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (Ramchal)

Peshikta Rabbati 161b “[When He created the Messiah] the Holy One, blessed be He, began to tell him the conditions [of his future mission], and said to him: 'Those who are hidden with you [your generation], their sins will in the future force you into an iron yoke...and because of their sin your tongue will cleave to the roof of your mouth.' [Psalm 22:16(15)] Do you accept this? The Messiah said...'Master of the worlds! With gladness in my soul and with joy in my heart I accept it, so that not a single one of Israel should perish; and not only those who will be alive should be saved in my days, but even the dead who have died from the days of Adam Rishon until now.'"

Abarbanel; Yeshuot Moshicho 1:2:2 “The Moshiach will have to die in order to purify the generation and he will wait in a spiritual state in “heaven” until he rises from the dead, as it says in the Talmud Sanhedrin [98b].”

Zohar; Parashat Balak 203b states that the Moshiach will have to “die,” which means go to a higher spiritual level, and return again with the new level he has attained.

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; The Suffering Servant of Isaiah” “And Armilaus will join battle with Messiah, the son of Ephraim, in the East gate...; and Messiah, the son of Ephraim, will die there, and Israel will mourn for him. And afterwards the Holy One will reveal to them Messiah, the son of David, whom Israel will desire to stone, saying, Thou speakest falsely; already is the Messiah slain, and there is non other Messiah to stand up after him: and so they will despise him, as it is written, “Despised and forlorn of men;” but he will turn and hide himself from them, according to the words, “Like one hiding his face from us.”

Talmud Bavli; Sukkah 52a: “Messiah ben Yosef was slain as it is written: And they shall look upon me,because they have thrust him through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son” (Zac 12:10).

Talmud Bavli, Sukkah 51a: “Our Rabbis taught, The Holy One, blessed be He, will say to the Messiah ben David (May he reveal himself speedily in our days!), ‘Ask of me anything, and I will give it to thee’, as it is said, I will tell of the decree etc. this day have I begotten thee, ask of me and I will give the nations for thy inheritance. But when he will see that Messiah ben Yosef is slain, he will say to Him: ‘Lord of the Universe, I ask of Thee only the gift of life’, ’As to life’, He would answer him, ‘Your father David has already prophesied this concerning you’, as it is said, He asked life of thee, thou gavest it him [even length of days for ever and ever]”.

Zohar; Balak 340. “And from the hills I behold him” In the Future to Come, when Messiah will come, that higher hill needs to take and bring him inside her wings in order to firm him up and place him in the higher life. From it will emerge on that day, Messiah ben David. 341. That is the secret of: "I will tell of the decree: HaShem has said to me, 'You are My son; this day have I begotten you'" (Tehilim 2:7): I am destined to speak to this place that is called 'decree', and give the good tidings. "HaShem, "has said to me, 'You are My son; this day have I begotten you'", that very day, produces that decree, from under her wings, with much life, with many adornments and many blessings, as is proper. 342. That law, will not remain on its own. Because then, another Messiah [ben Yosef], will be also be included in it. There, he will be fortified, and at no other place, because this is a lower hill, that has no life of its own. That Messiah will die and be killed, and he will remain dead until this hill, will gather life from the higher hill, Then [ben Yosef] will rise.” Notice in Sukka 51a that Ben David sees in the future how ben Yosef dies, ask for him Life, and G-d gives Life to ben David. So this Midrash can be understood as Messiah ben Yosef coming back from death as ben David. Actually Rabbi Haim Vital said in his book: Sefer Chizyonot that Moshiach ben David and Moshiach ben Yosef are two titles of two different functions of the same person (Sefer Chizyonot page 106).

Rabbi Isaac Luria in his comment on Zohar, Parashat Shemot 8b says: “the man destined to be Moshiach births naturally in this world, and to him is given the [whole] spirit of Moshiach from Gan Eden, making him realize he’s the Moshiach, then he shall be hidden, risen to heaven, and then he shall be completely revealed and Israel will recognize him as Moshiach” (Zohar Harakia).

Pesikta Rabbati 146b "Our Sages said, ‘King Messiah is subjected to sufferings in every generation according to the sins of that generation.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘In that hour of the Redemption I shall resuscitate him - create him a new and he will no longer suffer.’"

HaRafael Pitai "Messiah ben Joseph, also referred to as Messiah ben Ephraim, is killed. Then, Messiah ben David's first act is to bring about the resurrection of Messiah ben of Joseph."

"Yosef recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. This is one of the traits of Yosef not only in his own generation, but in every generation, that Moshiach ben Yosef recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him. This is the work of Satan, who hides the characteristics of Moshiach ben Yosef so that the footsteps of the Moshiach are not recognized and are even belittled because of our many sins. Otherwise, our troubles would already have ended. Were Israel to recognize Yosef, that is, the footsteps of ben Yosef the Moshiach which is the ingathering of the exiles etc., then we would already have been redeemed with a complete redemption."
- Kol Hator; Rabbi Hillel Shklover, grand-nephew and disciple of the Vilna Gaon.

"... suffering and pain may be imposed on a Tzadik (righteous person) as an atonement for his entire generation. This Tzadik must then accept this suffering with love for the benefit of his generation, just as he accepts the suffering imposed upon him for his own sake. In doing so, he benefits his generation by atoning for it, and at the same time is himself elevated to a very great degree.

Such suffering also includes cases where a Tzadik suffers because his entire generation deserves great punishments, bordering on annihilation, but is spared via the Tzadik's suffering. In atoning for his generation through his suffering, this Tzadik saves these people in this world and also greatly benefits them in the World-to-Come.

In addition, there is a special higher type of suffering that comes to a Tzadik who is even greater and more highly perfected than the ones discussed above. This suffering comes to provide the help necessary to bring about the chain of events leading to the ultimate perfection of mankind as a whole.

... Beyond that, the merit and power of these Tzadikim is also increased because of such suffering, and this gives them even greater ability to rectify the damage of others. They can therefore not only rectify their own generation, but can also correct all the spiritual damage done from the beginning, from the time of the very first sinners."
- Ramchal; Derekh HaShem; pg. 123-125

The Original Festival of Light. 25th Kislev.

Hanukkah or MiShKanah ? 25th Kislev Feast of Tabernacle (MiShKaN)

The Holy Day I celebrate is the Earlier one .... 2 Maccabees {10:6} And they celebrated for eight days with joy, in the manner of the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering that, a little time before, they had celebrated the solemn days of the Feast of Tabernacles in mountains and caves, in the manner of wild beasts.

[2 Maccabees 10] {10:1} But Maccabeus and those who were with him, the Lord protecting them, even recovered the temple and the city. {10:2} Then he demolished the altars, which the foreigners had constructed in the streets, and likewise the shrines. {10:3} And, having purged the temple, they made another altar. And, taking glowing stones from the fire, they began to offer sacrifices again after two years, and they set out incense, and lamps, and the bread of the Presence. {10:4} Having done these things, they petitioned the Lord, lying prostrate on the ground, lest they should fall once more into such evils, but also, if they should at any time sin, that they might be chastised by him more mildly, and not be delivered over to barbarians and blasphemous men. {10:5} Then, on the day that the temple had been polluted by the foreigners, it happened on the same day that the purification was accomplished, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, which was Kislev. {10:6} And they celebrated for eight days with joy, in the manner of the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering that, a little time before, they had celebrated the solemn days of the Feast of Tabernacles in mountains and caves, in the manner of wild beasts. {10:7} Because of this, they now preferred to carry boughs and green branches and palms, for him who had prospered the cleansing of his place. {10:8} And they decreed a common precept and decree, that all the people of the Jews should keep those days every year

2 Maccabees {10:5} Then, on the day that the temple had been polluted by the foreigners, it happened on the same day that the purification was accomplished, on the twenty-fifth day of the month, which was Kislev. {10:6} And they celebrated for eight days with joy, in the manner of the Feast of Tabernacles, remembering that, a little time before, they had celebrated the solemn days of the Feast of Tabernacles in mountains and caves, in the manner of wild beasts. {10:7} Because of this, they now preferred to carry boughs and green branches and palms, for him who had prospered the cleansing of his place. {10:8} And they decreed a common precept and decree, that all the people of the Jews should keep those days every year

So .... Who (will) Dwell ! (Mi ShKN) .... Merry Mishkan ! 25 Kislev - (1312 BCE) - Mishkan completed
The vessels, tapestries, wall sections and other components of the Mishkan (the portable sanctuary or "Tabernacle" which was built under Moses' direction to house the Divine Presence during the Israelites' journeys through the desert) were completed on the 25th of Kislev of the Hebrew year 2449 (1312 BCE).

Happy Hanukkah !

How to Light the Hanukkah Menorah
Hanukkah Menorah (Hanukkiyah): Lighting the Hanukkah menorah (also called a Hanukkiyah) is the most important part of celebrating the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. The menorah reminds us of the miracle of the Hanukkah lights, when only one day worth of oil burned for eight days after the Maccabees reclaimed the holy Temple.
Below are instructions for lighting the menorah during the holiday of Hanukkah. In order to do the lighting ceremony you will need:
A Hanukkah menorah (Hanukkiyah) Candles that will fit in your menorah’s candle slots, Matches ,Lighting the Menorah on the First Night of Hanukkah

On the first night of Hanukkah and on all other nights during the holiday, the middle candle (called a shamash) is lit first. The shamash does not count as one of the Hanukkah candles, but is used to light all the other candles. You can learn more about this tradition in: What Is a Hanukkiyah?
Families usually light their Hanukkah menorah directly or soon after nightfall. If Hanukkah begins on Shabbat, the Hanukkiyah should be lit just before sundown.
Place a candle in the rightmost position on your menorah. Now hold the shamash and recite the following blessings:

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Your commandments and commanded us to kindle the lights of Hanukkah.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu, b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who made miracles for our forefathers in those days at this time.

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam, shehekheyanu, v’kiyamanu vehegianu lazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, O Lord Our God, Ruler of the Universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this season.

Happy Miskan, The Original Festival of Lights. 25th Kislev

The Original Festival of Light (Dec 8-16, 2012) .... 25th Kislev.
Mishkan,
The (Tabernacle): temporary Sanctuary in which the Divine Presence dwelled during the journeys through the desert; the portion of the tabernacle and the Temple building before the Holy of Holies which contained the inner altar, the table for the showbread, and the menorah. 25 Kislev - (1312 BCE) - Mishkan completed : The vessels, tapestries, wall sections and other components of the Mishkan (the portable sanctuary or "Tabernacle" which was built under Moses' direction to house the Divine Presence during the Israelites' journeys through the desert) were completed on the 25th of Kislev of the Hebrew year 2449 (1312 BCE).

Jesus said, I am the Light !

Jesus said: I am the light that is above them all. I am the all; the all came forth from me, and the all attained to me. Cleave a (piece of) wood; I am there. Raise up a stone, and you will find me there. - 77, Gospel of Thoma (The Twin) 30 AD

Thus, finally, it was that the universe took shape וכלא איהו תקונא דעלמא.." - Zohar

"The indivisible point (the absolute) that had no limits and that could not be conceived because of its intensity and purity, spread outward and formed a tent which served as a cover to this indivisible point. This tent, although of a light less pure than the indivisible point, was still too brilliant to be looked at; it spread, in its turn, outward, and this expansion was its garment. Thus, everything comes into existence by an ever-descending motion; thus, finally, it was that the universe took shape וכלא איהו תקונא דעלמא.." - Zohar, part I, fol. 20a. 177

Nothing exists that is not one with Him - Moses Cordovero

"Nothing exists that is not one with Him and that He does not find in His own substance. He is the type of all being, and all things exist in Him under their purest and most accomplished forms; so that the perfection of the creatures is inherent in this very existence by which they were united to the source of their being, and in measure as they recede from that source, they fall away from that perfect and sublime state. It is thus that all sorts of existence in this world have their form in the Sefiroth, and the Sefiroth have their form in the source from which they emanate." - Moses Cordovero

The Book of Enoch, Moshiach ben Yosef : The Son of Man, Head of Days, Lord of Spirits

1 And there I saw One who had a head of days,
And His head was white like wool,
And with Him was another being whose countenance had the appearance of a man,
And his face was full of graciousness, like one of the holy angels.
2 And I asked the angel who went with me and showed me all the hidden things, concerning that 3 Son of Man, who he was, and whence he was, (and) why he went with the Head of Days? And he answered and said unto me:
This is the son of Man who hath righteousness,
With whom dwelleth righteousness,
And who revealeth all the treasures of that which is hidden,

Because the Lord of Spirits hath chosen him,
And whose lot hath the pre-eminence before the Lord of Spirits in uprightness for ever.

4 And this Son of Man whom thou hast seen
Shall raise up the kings and the mighty from their seats,
[And the strong from their thrones]
And shall loosen the reins of the strong,
And break the teeth of the sinners.

5 [And he shall put down the kings from their thrones and kingdoms]
Because they do not extol and praise Him,
Nor humbly acknowledge whence the kingdom was bestowed upon them.
6 And he shall put down the countenance of the strong,
And shall fill them with shame.

And darkness shall be their dwelling,
And worms shall be their bed,
And they shall have no hope of rising from their beds,
Because they do not extol the name of the Lord of Spirits.


7 And these are they who judge the stars of heaven,
[And raise their hands against the Most High],
And tread upon the earth and dwell upon it.
And all their deeds manifest unrighteousness,
And their power rests upon their riches,
And their faith is in the gods which they have made with their hands,
And they deny the name of the Lord of Spirits,

8 And they persecute the houses of His congregations,
And the faithful who hang upon the name of the Lord of Spirits.


3 In those days I saw the Head of Days when He seated himself upon the throne of His glory,
And the books of the living were opened before Him:
And all His host which is in heaven above and His counselors stood before Him,

4 And the hearts of the holy were filled with joy;
Because the number of the righteous had been offered,
And the prayer of the righteous had been heard,
And the blood of the righteous been required before the Lord of Spirits.

‎1 And in that place I saw the fountain of righteousness
Which was inexhaustible:
And around it were many fountains of wisdom:
And all the thirsty drank of them,
And were filled with wisdom,
And their dwellings were with the righteous and holy and elect.
2 And at that hour that Son of Man was named In the presence of the Lord of Spirits,
And his name before the Head of Days.


‎3 Yea, before the sun and the signs were created,
Before the stars of the heaven were made,
His name was named before the Lord of Spirits.

4 He shall be a staff to the righteous whereon to stay themselves and not fall,
And he shall be the light of the Gentiles,
And the hope of those who are troubled of heart.

5 All who dwell on earth shall fall down and worship before him,
And will praise and bless and celebrate with song the Lord of Spirits.

6 And for this reason hath he been chosen and hidden before Him,
Before the creation of the world and for evermore.

7 And the wisdom of the Lord of Spirits hath revealed him to the holy and righteous;
For he hath preserved the lot of the righteous,
Because they have hated and despised this world of unrighteousness,
And have hated all its works and ways in the name of the Lord of Spirits:
For in his name they are saved,
And according to his good pleasure hath it been in regard to their life.

Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53

Psalm 22 ...

But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads.
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
“let the Lord rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him.”
9 Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth I was cast on you;
from my mother’s womb you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
12 Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
13 Roaring lions that tear their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted within me.
15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
16 Dogs surround me,
a pack of villains encircles me;
they pierce[e] my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
people stare and gloat over me.
18 They divide my clothes among them
and cast lots for my garment.
19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.
You are my strength; come quickly to help me.
20 Deliver me from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
22 I will declare your name to my people;
in the assembly I will praise you.
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised or scorned
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you[f] I will fulfill my vows.
26 The poor will eat and be satisfied;
those who seek the Lord will praise him—
may your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord
and he rules over the nations.
29 All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him—
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,
declaring to a people yet unborn:
He has done it!

Isaiah 53 Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression[a] and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.[b]
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes[c] his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life[d] and be satisfied[e];
by his knowledge[f] my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,[g]
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,[h]
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.


[El `Elyon gave me a seat from among] those perfect forever,
a mighty throne in the congregations of the gods....
And none shall be exalted save me, nor shall come against me.
For I have taken my seat in the congregation in the heavens,
and none [find fault with me].
I shall be reckoned with gods ...
And who will attack me for my utterances?
And who will contain the flow of my speech?
And who will call me into court and be my equal?
In my legal judgments [none will stand against] me.
I shall be reckoned with gods, 17

A. ‘[Who] has been despised like [me? And who] has been rejected [of men] like me? [And who} compares to m[e in enduring] evil? . . .
B. Who is like me among the angels?
[I] am the beloved of the King, a companion of the ho[ly ones].
C. A throne of power in the angelic council. No king of yore will sit theirin. I sit . . in heaven’
D. I shall be reckoned with the angels, my dwelling is in the holy council.

A. Compare to Isaiah’s suffering servant ‘He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief’ (Is. 53:3).
B. Compare to ‘Who is like thee, O Lord, among the gods (elim).

The Bronze Serpent of Moses

Numbers 21:4-10 The Bronze Snake
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; 5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live." 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived."

John 3:13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.[d]
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[e] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Signs from Moses : The Serpent Staff

Exodus 4: Signs for Moses

1 Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The LORD did not appear to you'?"
2 Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?"
"A staff," he replied.

3 The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground."
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 "This," said the LORD, "is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you."

"Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds ! Shine." - Buddha

"Meditate. Live purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds ! Shine." - Buddha

The letter Aleph, as taught by Y'shua ben Yosef 10 AD

And Y'shua said " Hear, O teacher, the ordinance of the first letter and pay heed to this, how that it hath lines, and a middle mark, which thou seest, common to both, going apart; coming together, raised up on high, dancing, of three signs, like in kind, balanced, equal in measure]: thou hast the rules of the Aleph." - Infancy Gospel of T'oma

The Word, according to Philo, the Dead Sea Scrolls and Rabbinic literature, as understood in the first century.

The Word is:

* The Image of Elohim from which we were created
* The Middle Pillar of the Three Pillars of the Godhead, reconciling to opposing “powers” or “pillars” and thus encompassing all three.
* The Firstborn Son of Yah
* The true High Priest, Melchizadek, redeeming us through his death.
* The Paraklete procuring forgiveness for our sins.
* Our Savior
* The Messiah

All of these concepts about the “Word” existed in the Second Temple Era and were all packed into this concept of the “Word” (Logos/Memra). Maybe you thought you knew what Yochanan meant when he said:


In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God.
All things were made by him,
And without him was not any thing made that was made…
And the Word was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)
full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-3, 14

The Messiah in the Zohar 2:212a

"In the Garden of Eden there is a hall that is called the "hall of the afflicted." Now it is into this hall that the Messiah goes and summons all the afflictions and pains and sufferings of Israel to come upon him. And so they all come upon him. And had he not eased the children of Israel of their sorrows, and taken their burden upon himself, there would be none who could endure the suffering of Israel in the penalty of neglecting the Torah. Thus it is written: "Surely our diseases he did bear and our pains he carried." (Is. 53:5) As long as the children of Israel dwelt in the Holy Land, they averted all afflictions and sufferings from the world by the service of the sanctuary and by sacrifice. But now it is the Messiah who is averting them from the habitants of the world,"
(Zohar 2:212a)

The Illusion of Success in Western Society

Happy Earth Day. Walk today. Everyday

The Ancient symbol of the Nazarenes. Notsrim Dovid.

Fish or Jonah's whale ? What is the origin of the Notrim symbol ?

Mist Rising, by Matisyahu

"Mist Rising" by Matisyahu

Behold, the Holy Name .... יהוה

The ancient proto-Aramaic Pictograph meaning of the Holy Name.
Y-H-V-H as spoken at Sinai 3333 years ago.... (Hebrew: יהוה‎)

A Teaching by Y'shua ha-notsri, Jesus the Nazarene

From the Gospel of Yehuda T'oma 30 AD

The God of Spinoza

Family Tree

A little girl asked her father,
"How did the human race start?"
The father answered,
" God made Adam and Eve and they had children, and so all mankind was made."

Two days later the girl asked her mother the same question. The mother answered,
"Many years ago there were monkeys from which the human race evolved."

The confused girl returned to her father and said,
"Dad, how is it possible that you told me the human race was created by God, and Mom said they developed from monkeys?"
The father answered,
"Well, dear, it is very simple.
I told you about my side of the family and your mother told you about hers."

Have a Great Week !

The Hidden name of G-d ....

Behold the Nail, Behold the Hand - Exodus 3:14-15.... "This is my name to remain hidden."

This is very interesting ... Do you speak Aramaic ? Hebrew ?
In Exodus 3:15 God tells Moses that his Name is " יְהֹוָה " ...

The Hebrew letters "Yud-heh-vav-heh"

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל משֶׁה אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה תֹאמַר לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶהְיֶה שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם: (Exodus 3:14)

3:14. God said to Moses, "Ehyeh asher ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה) [I will be what I will be]," and He said, "So shall (אֶהְיֶה) you say to the children of Israel, 'Ehyeh (אֶהְיֶה)[I will be] has sent me to you.'"

וַיֹּאמֶר עוֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶל משֶׁה כֹּה תֹאמַר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁלָחַנִי אֲלֵיכֶם זֶה שְּׁמִי לְעֹלָם וְזֶה זִכְרִי לְדֹר דֹּר: (Exodus 3:15)

3:15 And God said further to Moses, "So shall you say to the children of Israel, 'The LORD (יְהֹוָה) God (אֱלֹהֵי) of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is My name forever, and this is how I should be mentioned in every generation.

Exodus 3:14 is usually Translated as "... God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM (אֶהְיֶה) : and he said, Thus shalt (אֶהְיֶה) thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM (אֶהְיֶה) hath sent me unto you."

But we don't actually see the letters "yud-heh-vav-heh" (YHWH) until Exodus 3:15, Where it says "Lord God" .... the word "LORD" is spelled "yud-heh-vav-heh" and this is the sacred NAME that we are to use. The Holy Name in Hebrew letters is spelled yud - heh - vav - heh and looks like this :(read from right to left)

But How is this word spoken in Hebrew ? No one knows because it has not been spoken for 1,940 years.

"As an expression of the infinite greatness and majesty of God, it was held to be unpronounceable and hence was replaced during the reading of sacred Scripture by means of the use of an alternate name: 'Adonai,' which means 'Lord.'", However "until almost the year 200 B.C., the divine name was pronounced every morning in the temple in the priestly blessing: 'The Lord bless and keep you: The Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you'" (Numbers 6:24-26)

And it would appear that toward the end of the period of the second temple -- 70 A.D. -- the high priest now only pronounced the word in a whisper. This was explained in a childhood memory of Rabbi Tarphon (1st-2nd centuries), who recalls that even straining to hear, he could not hear the name.

The biblical scholar also noted that the formula of Exodus -- "This is my name forever" (Exodus 3:15) -- through a play of words in Hebrew is interpreted by the Talmud of Jerusalem as "This is my name to remain hidden."

Now, this is where things get interesting .... YHWH , the Tetragrammaton is composed of :


Yod

-Yod or yud was anciently portrayed as a symbol of a hand [yad in Hebrew]. This is the entire hand, or closed hand [in contrast with the letter kaf, which comes from the pictograph of the palm of the hand]. The closed hand denotes power and, figuratively, ownership.
-Yod is masculine. In the sacred name Yahweh, it is representative of the Father.
-Yod is the seminal letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It cannot be divided into component parts, like other letters can. It signifies the oneness of Elohim.
-The yod is the smallest [and most humble] letter. From it, the other letters originate. It is symbolic of creation.

Hey

-The letter hey is feminine, and represents femininity and gentleness. The first hey in the Name is representative of the Mother / Holy Spirit / Eloah.
-Hey means ‘behold’, ‘to show’ or ‘to reveal’.

Vav

-Vav is also masculine in gender.
-Vav signifies a nail, peg, or hook. It also conveys the meaning of being nailed or bound together.
-The numerical value of vav is 6.

They are pronounced, in Hebrew, "Yod Hey Vav Hey," when you read them in the Hebrew manner from right to left.

The four letters in God's name in Hebrew have the following meanings:

Hey = Behold

Vav = Nail

Yod = Closed Hand

When read in English from left to right, it says:

"BEHOLD THE NAIL, BEHOLD THE HAND!" Or, "Behold the nailed hand."

See Ancient Hebrew Letter Meanings : http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/2_alphabet.html

Did Moses hear correctly ? Did the Burning Bush, the Light that burned and was not extinguished say, Look, Behold the nail, Behold the hand ? It is interesting that Y'shuah bar Yosef says the same thing to his brother Yehuda T'oma (Doubting Thomas, The Twin) 1333 years later.....

We are that same Twin sitting here, doubting again.... And the Light in the darkness says, Behold the nail, Behold the hand. This is the name now revealed.


http://communio.stblogs.org/2008/11/why-the-tetragrammaton-yhwh-is.html

What Language did Jesus speak ? Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek ... Phoenician ?

"It is generally agreed that the historical Jesus primarily spoke Aramaic, perhaps along with some Hebrew and Greek. The towns of Nazareth and Capernaum, where Jesus lived, were primarily Aramaic-speaking communities, although Greek was widely spoken in the major cities of the Eastern Mediterranean such as Antioch and Alexandria. Jesus may have also known enough Hebrew to discuss the Hebrew Bible, and he may have known Koine Greek through commerce in nearby Sepphoris.

Aramaic, as a Semitic language, was a common language of the Eastern Mediterranean during and after the Neo-Assyrian, Neo-Babylonian, and Achaemenid Empires (722 BC – 330 BC). Aramaic remained a common language of Palestine in the 1st century AD, despite the subsequent Macedonian-Greek (331 BC) and Roman (63 BC) invasions.

Indeed, in spite of the increasing importance of Greek, the use of Aramaic was also expanding, and it would eventually be entirely dominant among Jews both in Palestine and elsewhere in the Middle East around 200 AD; it would remain so until the Arab conquest in the 7th century. Jesus and his disciples spoke a Galilean dialect clearly distinguishable from that of Jerusalem (see Jewish Palestinian Aramaic).

To give some perspective, in the same time period, the Mishnah was recorded in Hebrew, Josephus wrote in Hebrew, and Philo and Paul of Tarsus wrote in Greek.
Talitha cumi (Aramaic, ‘maiden, arise’), in the Gospel of St. Mark, are the words said by Jesus to the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue as he raised her from the dead. The words are left, and a translation is given, in all the European versions of this Gospel.

Josephus wrote in the preface to The Jewish War:

" I have proposed to myself, for the sake of such as live under the government of the Romans, to translate those books into the Greek tongue, which I formerly composed in the language of our country, and sent to the Upper Barbarians; Joseph, the son of Matthias, by birth a Hebrew, a priest also, and one who at first fought against the Romans myself, and was forced to be present at what was done afterwards, [am the author of this work]."

Most of the apostles from the Galilee region also spoke Aramaic. The message of Christianity spread (primarily among Jewish Aramaic-speaking enclaves) throughout Judaea, Syria and Mesopotamia, and even to Kerala, India in Aramaic (or Syriac; Aram is the Hebrew word for Syria). " - Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic_of_Jesus

The Letter Aleph - Secrets of the Hebrew Letters with Rabbi Avraham Trugman

Secrets of the Hebrew Letters
with Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman
based on the book "The Hebrew Letters"
by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

The Letter Alef