“LISTEN, FOR I WILL SPEAK NOBLE THINGS!”

“The Book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth; rather you should contemplate it day and night in order that you observe to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way successful, and then you will act wisely.” Joshua 1:8

HaShem, the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Elohim of Israel, Master of the Legions of Heaven, Master over all of Creation, has granted a great gift to humanity if we would just stop our own selfish pursuits and grab hold of it! What am I talking about? Once again, I am pointing to HaShem and His Torah!

In our continuing theme which we have discussed in the last two Ops discussing Justice and Righteousness followed by Psalms 119 and the Torah of HaShem, now I want to delve into Proverbs Chapter 8, which is an astounding chapter in and of itself. It is in this chapter of Proverbs where once more HaShem pleads with humanity to stop going our own ways and embrace His Torah as the way to live and walk as His people!

Let me say it again, striving to learn, study and live out His Torah in our lives is NOT for obtaining or maintaining salvation/redemption……Torah is the FRUIT of salvation, meaning if a person is redeemed by HaShem, they will want/desire to walk in the Torah, not perfectly, as again that is not possible. First Abraham believed/trusted/faith THEN he walked in the Torah of HaShem. First, Israel was redeemed from Egypt, THEN HaShem gave His Torah to walk as His people…nothing has changed! Again please keep this in mind as we proceed.

I should also add that I will be referencing excerpts from the Oral Torah in this Op once again i.e. the Mishnah and the Talmud Bavli. Let me again reiterate the Mishnah contains the recorded rulings of the Sanhedrin who rule on how we are to walk in the Torah of HaShem, which is commanded by HaShem in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 17:8-13. HaShem commands we are to obey the rulings of the Sanhedrin! Additionally, the Talmud is the commentary of the Mishnah in which the Mishnah is discussed and expounded upon. This said, since the Mishnah contains the rulings of the Sanhedrin, means by default the Mishnah and the Talmud ARE indeed from and endorsed by HaShem. I just wanted to clarify this before we proceed.

As always, never forget the following characteristics of HaShem! I have added a few new ones at the bottom:

• HaShem never changes per Num 23:19/Mal 3:6/Hebrews 13:8/James 1:17
• His Word is firmly established per Psalm 119:89
• He reveals the end out of the beginning per Is 46:10
• He does nothing without first revealing it to His prophets per Amos 3:7
• He says there is nothing new under the sun per Ecclesiastes 1:9
• He says His Torah is a tree of life and eternal per Proverbs 3:18-19 and Psalm 119:160
• He says His Torah is perfect and restores the soul per Psalm 19:7
• He says His Torah makes the simple one wise per Psalm 19:7
• He says His Torah Is freedom and liberty per Psalm 119:45 and James 1:25
• He says His Torah is the only good doctrine there is Proverbs 4:2
• He says His Torah will add length of days and years of life and peace per Proverbs 3:2
• He says all of the ways of His Torah are ways of pleasantness and peace per Proverbs 3:17
• He says His Torah is for our good and well-being per Deuteronomy 6:24
• He says His Torah is health for our lives per Proverbs 3:8
• He says His Torah is life to our soul and a graceful ornament for our neck per Prov 3:22
• He says His Torah is better than pearls and all desires cannot compare to it per Prov 8:11
• He says those who walk with His Torah are praiseworthy per Psalms 119:1
• He says observing His Torah is how we purify our path per Psalms 119:9
• He says His Torah is better than thousands in gold and silver per Psalms 119:72
• He says His Torah brings abundant peace to those who love Him and His Torah per Psalms 119:165
• He says there is one Torah for all per Exodus 12:49/Leviticus 24:22
• He says those who hate His Torah love death per Proverbs 8:36
• He says His Torah is the way of faith per Psalms 119:29-30
• He says His Torah makes us wiser than our enemies per Psalms 119:98
• He says His Torah is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path per Psalms 119:105
• He says one who finds His Torah has found life per Proverbs 8:35
• He says one who finds His Torah has found favor from HaShem per Proverbs 8:35

As we now dive into the deep end of the pool, per se, keep in mind that Proverbs chapter eight is unique in that it is written from the perspective of HaShem’s Torah actually speaking. The commentary from the Book ‘Mishlei’ (Proverbs) says “After warning against the influences of heretics in Proverbs chapter seven, Solomon now turns to the benefits that will be enjoyed by those who recognize the importance of the Torah. Verses 1-3 introduce ‘Chochmah/Wisdom’ as the speaker. Throughout Proverbs, ‘Wisdom’ is synonymous with Torah. Verses 4-36 speaks in the first person, as Torah describes some of its many virtues and benefits and its pivotal role in Creation.” Keep this in mind as we proceed in this chapter!

Proverbs 8:1-3 says “Surely wisdom (Torah) will call out, and understanding will raise her voice. Atop the heights along the way, at the place where pathways diverge, she stands. Near the gateways of the city, at the approach to the entrances, she cries out.” Very interesting! So the Torah calls out publicly to everyone, wherever people are at in their walks with HaShem. Further, there are FOUR levels of interpretation of the Torah, as is described by the following descriptions:

• Atop the heights along the way – “Torah makes its words heard from afar as if it would be calling out from atop the mountains. The Torah proclaims its message on the busy highway, from which multitudes of people branch off to their respective byways. These two verses indicate that the Torah speaks to people wherever they may be found. Refers to the literal meaning of the Torah.”
• At the place where pathways diverge – “The message of the Torah is found at the crossroads, where there are many passerby, the place where they may mistakenly choose a wrong path. The Torah is found there to direct and guide them onto the correct path. These phrases may be applied to a person’s Torah study. Initially, the Torah appears to be found only atop the heights, but subsequently it appears even along the way. At the outset, it is very difficult to understand the Torah, but after continued exposure, one realizes that it is easily accessible and available, as if it were along the way where all people walk. Refers to the deeper meanings of the Torah which are reserved for scholars, such as homiletical expositions or the reasons for commandments i.e. paths.”
• Near the gateways to the city – “The Torah directs a passerby to the entrance that will lead him to his desired destination. Refers to the teachings reserved for the Sanhedrin (Court established by HaShem to render the right rulings on how to walk in the Torah).”
• At the approach to the entrances – “Refers to the hidden mystical teachings of Torah, and the secrets of Creation, which are only revealed to a select few.”

To add to this and show you where these four levels of interpretation derive from, it has been taught for thousands of years the following four levels of understanding of the Torah:

• Peshat – The literal understanding of Torah, the foundation
• Remez – Alluding Too
• Derash – Interpretations i.e. Parables/Stories, where we get the Midrash from
• Sod – Deeper meanings i.e. Paul uses the term ‘Mystery’, not as in the mystery religions, but deeper meanings of the Torah.

If we take the first letter of each word we just looked at above and put them together we get the Hebrew word ‘Pardes’ which means ‘Paradise!’

Proverbs 8:4 says “To you, O men, do I call, and my voice is to the sons of man.” This verse right here, among countless others in HaShem’s Word, destroys Replacement Theology and its “Torah is only for the Jews” doctrine! Read this verse carefully, who is the Torah calling out too? Does the verse say “To you, O Israel, do I call and my voice is to the sons of Judah?” Nope….Torah is calling to ALL of humanity!! Further, the commentary on this verse says “The term ‘Men’ is a reference to rich people, and the ‘Sons of men’ means the poor. Both are OBLIGATED to hear the words of Torah!”

Proverbs 8:5 says “Simpletons, understand shrewdness; and fools, understand in your heart.” The commentary says “Simpletons lack the shrewdness (Practice good judgment) to avoid being seduced by their Evil Inclination, therefore they are exhorted to understand cleverness, so that they will be able to see through its (Evil Inclination) wiles.” Remember, the Evil Inclination, is our sin nature which we battle down every single day of our lives…sadly, myself included, we give into that inclination far too many times…Baruch HaShem, however, for His abundant mercy, compassion and forgiveness when we fail Him! But more than this, Baruch HaShem, He promises in Jeremiah 31 when He completely renews the covenant, He will forever remove the Evil Inclination from us and write His Torah onto our hearts, which means we will NEVER again have to contend with the Evil Inclination again, we will walk in His Torah perfectly as Messiah walks in Torah perfectly! May it be so VERY soon in our days! I digress!

• A profound statement from the commentary on verse five says “Wisdom (Torah) invites EVERYONE to drink from its fountain before trying to solve problems and carry out tasks in public life, in the circle of one’s family, or even in private. If anyone tries to fulfill his duties, whether in the role of spouse, family member, citizen, or decent human being, without previously arming his mind with the lessons of Wisdom (Torah), he will ultimately be a dismal failure.” Remember, HaShem says in Psalms 119:29-30/98 that “Torah is the path of Faith and will make us wiser than our enemies!”

Proverbs 8:6-9 says “Listen, for I will speak noble thoughts; the opinion of my lips will be fair words. For my palate will utter truth; wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my mouth are said with righteousness; they contain no twisting or perversity. They are all correct to one who understands, and upright to those who find knowledge.” Is there anything here in the verses which suggests Torah is something terrible, bondage, death, destruction, misery and something humanity has been begging HaShem to be delivered from as many in Christendom teach? Nope, nothing here and in fact its just the opposite!

• Solomon says concerning these verses: “In these verses Solomon teaches the value of the words of Torah. Its every letter is perfect; nothing in it is extraneous, redundant, or irrelevant. The exact phraseology and order of each statement is vital to its understanding; even a change in the spelling of a word may imply a vital halachic (How to walk in the Torah) determination. If someone fails to see the significance of the Torah’s words, it is due to his lack of understanding and not to any deficiency in the Torah. That its truth and righteousness are beyond question becomes more and more self evident the deeper one delves into it.” I can completely attest to the accuracy of this statement from my own personal experience in studying and learning the Torah of HaShem!
• Further commentary on these verses say “They contain no twisting or perversity – The words of a mortal may contain irrelevancies and mistakes. Not so the Divine words of Torah; every instance of a so called missing letter, an extra letter or a change in the order of the words contains profound interpretations, deep wisdom and hidden meanings known only to those who delve to full depths of the Torah’s wisdom.”
  • Tractate Shabbos 88b from the Talmud Bavli says “Rabbi Yishmael taught with regard to the verse: ‘Behold, is My word not like fire, declares HaShem, and like a hammer that shatters a rock?’ quoting Jeremiah 23:29. Just as this hammer breaks a stone into several fragments, so too, each and very utterance that emerged from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed be He, divided into seventy languages. The Gemara (Analysis) continues in praise of the Torah. Rav Hananel bar Pappa said: ‘What is the meaning of that which is written: ‘Listen, for I will speak royal/noble things, and my lips will be open with upright statements’ quoting Proverbs 8:6? Why are matters of Torah likened to a king? To teach you that just as this king has the power to kill and to grant life, so too, matters of Torah have the power to kill and to grant life.'” I included this excerpt because I wanted to show again that Paul in his letters taught NOTHING new and he himself talked about how life and death are in the Torah! Where did he learn this from? From his extensive studies of the Torah under Rabbi Gamaliel, the grandson of Hillel!

Proverbs 8:10-11 says “Accept my discipline and not silver, for knowledge is choicer than fine gold, for wisdom (Torah) is better than pearls, and all desires cannot compare to it.” Who are we to submit too? To ourselves or to HaShem? Clearly we are to submit ourselves to HaShem and His Ways and not the other way around. In striving to do so, I can attest that truly His Torah is beyond compare to anything in this life! As the commentary on these verses so well says it “Pearls are valuable because they are rare and hard to find, but the hidden meanings of the Torah surpass even pearls in their rarity.”

In my dealings with those in Christendom via the blogs I have been accused several times over the years of ‘Worshiping the Torah’. I do NOT in any way worship the Torah, I worship HaShem, the Giver of the Torah. Even Yeshua Himself points to HaShem as the focus of worship per Revelation 22:9 when Yochanan (John) bows at the feet of Yeshua and He corrects Him and tells Him to NOT do that! Worship HaShem and HaShem alone! Is there a time and place where Yeshua will be respected and people will bow to Him as King of the Earth? Yes, there is, but still Yeshua submits to HaShem the Ultimate Authority and Great King over ALL of His Creation. There is a hierarchy just like a military structure…HaShem on top and Yeshua as His Agent, Who sits at His right hand. I just wanted to clarify this before proceeding.

Proverbs 8:12-13 says “I am wisdom; I dwell in shrewdness; I provide knowledge of designs. Fear of HaShem is hatred of evil. I hate pride and haughtiness, the way of evil, and a duplicitous mouth.” The commentary on this says “Once a person has studied Torah, he attains shrewdness in all other areas as well.”

The commentary on these verses says “Without the Torah’s wisdom, a person cannot have the shrewdness to outwit his Evil Inclination.” “Fear of HaShem is hatred of evil. I hate pride and haughtiness, the way of evil and a duplicitous mouth. These are the words of discipline that wisdom makes known to mankind. Hatred of these evil qualities is the essence of fear of HaShem; therefore I hate them.” With this said, let me make this clarification which I hope will put the function of the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) into proper perspective. The Ruach of HaShem is NOT a person, but is the essence of HaShem and is what helps us to walk in His Torah. I pray every morning that HaShem strengthen me with His Ruach that I might walk in His Torah. The Ruach of HaShem is NOTHING new as unfortunately Replacement Theology teaches. His Ruach has been interacting with humanity from the very beginning! It is by HaShem sending His Ruach upon on us that we can even learn and study His Torah in the first place! It is a long and arduous process to learn the Torah of HaShem as there are enormous amounts of resistance to doing so, but with HaShem it IS possible and it is SO very much worth it!! As He says to Joshua “Be strong and DO IT!” Nothing worthwhile comes easy!!

• Tractate Sanhedrin 99a from the Talmud Bavli says concerning studying Torah: “Sing every day, i.e. review your studies like a song that one sings over and over. Rav (Rabbi) Yitzhak bar Avudimi says: ‘From what verse is this derived? It is as it is stated ‘The hunger of the laborer labors for him; for his mouth presses upon him’ quoting Proverbs 16:26, i.e. he exhausts his mouth through constant review and study. He labors in the Torah in this place i.e. this world, and his Torah labors for him in another place i.e. the World to Come.'” Point is, it takes effort and determination to study His Torah, but don’t let that scare you off, it is SO very much worth it!
• Tractate Sanhedrin 99a from the Talmud Bavli says concerning studying Torah: “Rabbi Elazar says ‘Every man was created for labor, as it is stated, ‘Man was born for toil’ quoting Job 5:7. Based on this verse, I do not know whether he was created for toil of the mouth, speech, or whether he was created for the toil of labor. When the verse states ‘For his mouth presses upon him’ quoting Proverbs 16:26, you must say that he was created for toil of the mouth. And still I do not know with regard to the toil of the mouth whether it is for the toil of Torah or for the toil of conversation. When the verse states ‘This Torah scroll shall not depart from your mouth’ quoting Joshua 1:8, you must say that he was created for the toil of Torah. And that is the meaning of what Rava said ‘All bodies are like receptacles to store items until use. Happy is one who is privileged, who is a receptacle for Torah.'”
• Tractate Avoda Zara 19a from the Talmud Bavli says concerning studying the Torah “‘But his delight is in the Torah of HaShem’ quoting Psalms 1:2. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says ‘A person can learn Torah only from a place in the Torah that his heart desires, as it is stated: ‘But his desire is in the Torah of HaShem’ i.e. his delight is in the part of the Torah that he wishes to study.'” It further says “Initially the Torah is called by the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, but ultimately it is called by the name of the one who studies it. As it is first stated: ‘His delight is in the Torah of HaShem,’ and in the continuation of the verse it states: ‘And in his Torah he meditates day and night.’ This teaches that through study one acquires ownership, as it were, of the Torah.”

Proverbs 8:14-16 says “Mine are counsel and wisdom; I am understanding, mine is strength. Through me, kings will reign, and rulers will decree righteousness; through me officials will rule, and nobles, all who judge righteously.” Very interesting commentary on these verses which says “I, the Torah, will teach them laws and justice. If a king follows the Torah’s dictates, his reign will endure and his laws will be just and correct. All judgments and advice needed by a ruler can be found in Torah.” So, for the Kingdom of HaShem to exist eternally and for Yeshua to reign as King of the world would mean Torah will be the means to do so. I point this out because its another nail in the coffin of Replacement Theology which teaches Torah is now tossed aside and rendered obsolete, which would mean, there can be no kingdom and certainly no King to rule!

• Tractate Gittin 62a from the Talmud Bavli says concerning Torah scholars i.e. Sages “Peace be upon you kings, peace be upon you kings. They said to him: ‘From where do you know that the Sages are called kings?’ He said to them: ‘As it is written with regard to the Torah in the book of Proverbs ‘Through me kings rule’ quoting Proverbs 8:15.” So, Torah scholars are called ‘Kings’. Why do I find this VERY interesting? Because it clarifies a puzzling verse in the Apostolic Writings i.e. Revelation 5:9-10 which says “And they sang a renewed song, saying ‘You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals, because You were slain, and have redeemed us to Elohim by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and made us KINGS and priests (Exodus 19:6) to our Elohim, and we shall reign upon the earth.” Now, does this make more sense in light of what we learned from Proverbs and the Talmud? If we are going to serve HaShem in His Kingdom under the leadership of His Agent i.e. Messiah Yeshua, and Torah is the ONLY means through which His Kingdom operates, then it stands to reason to rule with Yeshua means we will all have to be experts in the Torah! Better start studying and learning it now!! Baruch HaShem!
• Tractate Shabbos 114a from the Talmud Bavli says concerning Torah scholars i.e. Sages “‘Who are the Builders?’ Rabbi Yochanan said: ‘These are the Torah scholars, who are engaged in building the world all of their days.'” Why is this so important to understand? Because Yosef, the step-father of Yeshua, was called a ‘carpenter/builder’ which means very likely he was NOT a construction worker, but was in fact a Torah scholar!!! Doesn’t that change the narrative of Yeshua’s early life a ton from what Christianity taught all of us about Jesus? While Yeshua was born of a virgin, He certainly wasn’t born automatically imbued with all knowledge, He had to learn it just like you and I do, however, He was anointed per se with the Ruach which gave Him incredible insight and understanding of the Torah. Consider Luke 2:52 which says that Yeshua “Grew in wisdom and in stature……” Remember wisdom is synonymous with Torah!!! All of the teachings Yeshua gave were ALL derived from Torah and the Oral Torah…all of His talmidim (Students/Disciples) learned everything from the Torah and the Oral Torah just as Messiah did!! Can you see the major differences between what is of HaShem and the Replacement Theology doctrine of Christendom? Two vastly different and opposing doctrines to one another. I digress.

Proverbs 8:17 says “I love those who love me, and those who search for me shall find me.” Again another verse where Torah is for EVERYONE!! The commentary says “Those who search for the meaning of the Torah’s words will find many explanations and reasons by delving into its wisdom.” I can personally attest studying Torah is very much akin to a treasure hunt and believe me, when you find the treasure, it is ALWAYS more than what you could have imagined and will make His entire Word explode into life!

Proverbs 8:18-20 says “Riches and honor are with me, a powerful fortune and righteousness. My fruits are better than refined gold, even fine gold, and my produce better than choice silver. I will lead in the path of righteousness, amid the pathways of justice.” The commentary says “Our verse indicates that in the merit of his Torah study, a person will be treated with justice, he will be supplied with all his needs, regardless of whether he merits them or not.” The point is, we know we cannot take anything with us after we die, not wealth, possessions, etc. But, however, what we do take with us into the World to Come is what we learned from His Torah and I believe, and this is just opinion, that we will all sit in the Yeshiva and learn the Torah of HaShem in the World to Come! May it be so very soon in our days!

• The question is asked “Why is it that the righteous may not enjoy wealth and honor in this world, despite the promise of the previous verse? Since the rewards of the World to Come are far greater than the best pleasures of this world, the righteous prefer that even the fruits i.e. the part of their reward that can be awarded in this world, should be saved for the World to Come.” Doesn’t Yeshua say something similar in Mark 8 where He says “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”
• The commentary on these verses says “The righteous realize that they are just ‘traveling through’ this world; they work hard amassing a fortune in Torah and good deeds here, living frugally in this world, for they know that ‘My fruits’ i.e. even the smallest part of their reward for keeping the Torah, surpasses the finest which symbolizes the finest pleasures of this world. They save their wealth to enjoy it in the World to Come.”
• Tractate Shabbos 127a in the Talmud Bavli concerning enjoyment in this word says “Rav Yehuda bar Sheila said that Rabbi Asi said that Rabbi Yohanan said: ‘There are six matters a person enjoys the profits in this world, and nevertheless the principle exists for him for the World to Come, and they are: Hospitality toward guests, visiting the sick, and consideration during prayer, and rising early to the study hall, and on who raises his sons to engage in Torah study, and one who judges another favorably, giving him the benefit of the doubt.’ The Gemara asks: ‘Is that so? And did we not learn in a mishna: These are the matters that a person does them and enjoys their profits in this world, and nevertheless the principle exists for him for the World to Come, and they are: Honoring ones father and mother, and acts of loving kindness, and bringing peace between a person and another, and Torah study is equal to all of them. By inference, these matters, yes, one enjoys their profits in this world and the principle exists for him in the World to Come, other matters, no.'”

Proverbs 8:21 says “I have what to bequeath to those who love me, and I shall fill their storehouses.” HaShem is reiterating the great inheritance awaiting those in the World to Come. The commentary says “True benefit does not accrue from gold and riches; it is the fruit of wisdom (Torah).” Further, the commentary says “When a mortal invites others to share in his bounty, the size of each guest’s share is diminished as the numbers of participants increase. However, this is not true of Heavenly good. The reward the righteous in Gan (Garden) of Eden does not lessen as the numbers of righteous increase. No matter how many people are deserving of eternal reward, HaShem declares, ‘I shall fill their storehouses, and everyone will still receive his full measure.’ In this sense, Gan Eden, is comparable to the courtyard of the Holy Temple, where there was always room for the hundreds of thousands of Jews who came to Jerusalem on each festival. Just as HaShem is unbounded by space, His dwelling place is not limited by physical constraints.”

• Tractate Avot 5:5 in the Mishnah concerning the miracles in the Temple says “Ten miracles were performed for our fathers in the Temple”:
  • No woman ever miscarried from the odor of the sacrificial flesh
  • The sacrificial flesh never became putrid
  • No fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse
  • No pollution ever befell the High Priest on Yom Kippur
  • The rains never extinguished the fire of the woodpile on the Altar
  • The wind never prevailed over the column of smoke (Going up from the Altar)
  • There was never found a disqualifying defect in the Omer (Brought on the 16th of Nissan i.e. Pesach) or in the Two Loaves (Offered up on Shavuot) or in the Shewbread (Baked each 6th day of the week and placed on the Table in the Holy Place on Shabbat)
  • The people stood tightly pressed together, yet prostrated themselves at ease
  • Neither snake or scorpion ever injured anyone in Jerusalem
  • No man ever said to his fellow: The space is too narrow for me to lodge overnight in Jerusalem

THE TORAH PRECEDED EVERYTHING, IT IS THE BLUEPRINT OF CREATION

An excerpt from the Book of Proverbs says “The following group of verses i.e. 22-29, emphasizes the primacy of Torah. The speaker in these verses is Wisdom/Torah, describing how it preceded all stages of Creation. Torah is thus the essence of all that is created, the manifold facets of the universe are but manifestations of the Torah’s wisdom. To assume that the commandments are nothing more than Heavenly guidelines necessary to direct and maintain civilization is a great error. The commandments of the Torah were not promulgated to conform to the needs of society; rather, it is society that was created to conform to the dictates of Torah. It follows, then, that the continuity of Creation is contingent upon man’s adherence to the Torah.”

Proverbs 8:22 says “HaShem made me at the beginning of His way, before His deeds of yore.” The commentary on this verse says “HaShem created the Torah before He created the world. Torah served as a blueprint for the entire creation. The Sages teach ‘The Holy One, Blessed is He, looked into the Torah and created the world’ quoting Bereshit Rabbah 1:2 (Midrash). The Torah begins with the words ‘In the beginning’ which may be interpreted to mean, ‘With the Torah, which is called ‘Beginning’, HaShem created heaven and earth. Every detail of Creation followed a master plan designed and executed for one purpose, the Torah.”

• Tractate Pesachim 54a from the Talmud Bavli concerning the seven things which were created before Creation says:
  • Torah
  • Repentance
  • The Garden of Eden
  • Gehinnom
  • The Throne of Glory
  • The Holy Temple
  • The Name of the Messiah

Proverbs 8:23 says “I have reigned since the distant past; from the beginning, from before there was the earth.” Since Torah was one of the seven creations that preceded the creation of the world, and is the blueprints for all of creation, then I must ask the question, how then can creation exist if the Torah was now tossed aside and rendered obsolete as Replacement Theology teaches?

• Matthew 5:18 says “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one yod (Smallest Hebrew letter in the alphabet) or one tittle (Dots placed above the Hebrew letters) shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.” Unfortunately Replacement Theology teaches that when Yeshua uttered the words ‘It is finished’ that is the point where the Torah ended and ‘Grace’ entered the world….absolute absurd and extremely dangerous doctrine! What they don’t realize is the phrase ‘It is finished’ was spoken by the Kohen HaGadol (High Priest) when the Pesach (Passover) lamb was slaughtered on behalf of Israel. Point I am trying to make, is Replacement Theology has fashioned its own idol and their own version of the Messiah in their own image based simply because of the satanic doctrine that the Torah is the height of bondage, death, destruction and something humanity needed to be freed from. Paul warned of this when he talked about the ‘Mystery of Lawlessness (Without the Torah) was already at work’ (2 Thess 2:7) in his day. Clearly from what we read in HaShem’s Word His Torah is eternal and will NEVER pass away…a universe without His Torah is nothing, it will cease to exist any longer.

Proverbs 8:24-26 says “When there were no depths, I was formed; when there were no springs rich with water, before mountains were settled, before hills, I was formed; when He had not yet made the earth and its environs on the first dust of the inhabited world.” The Torah is reiterating it was created before the mountains were sunk into the water. Rashi says “‘When He had not yet made the earth and its environs’ explains that this refers to the Land of Israel and the all the other lands.”

Proverbs 8:27-31 says “When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He etched out the glove upon the face of the depths; when He strengthened the heavens above; when fortifying the wellsprings of the depths; when He set for the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His word; when He forged the foundations of the earth; I was a nursling beside Him, I was then His delight every day, playing before Him at all times, playing in the inhabited areas of His world, my delights are with mankind.” There are many comments on these verses so we will go through them one by one:

• “In forming the world, HaShem made the laws of Torah inherent in everything. Therefore, a person who looks at the wonders of the world with open eyes will perceive that they were fashioned to facilitate the performance of the Torah’s commandments, which serve as the spiritual foundation holding up the structure of Creation. This lesson may be learned not only from living things, but from inanimate objects as well. Each of HaShem’s creations is linked to a precept of Divine wisdom. Those who seek it will find this wisdom everywhere, for it is present in all aspects of creation.” In other words, Torah can be seen in ALL of HaShem’s creation!
• “When He set for the sea its limit, so that the waters would not transgress His Word.” The ocean provides a good physical example of what it means to ‘Fear’ HaShem in that when we fear Him, we will only do, go and say what He has ordained or endorsed to say. Just as the waters of the ocean only go as far as He has commanded.
• “I was like a nursling…” The Torah was like HaShem’s beloved child, nurtured by Him and His source of constant delight.
• “Playing in the inhabited areas of His world.” The Torah brings happiness and rejoicing to the inhabitants of the world.

Proverbs 8:32-36 says “And now, children, listen to me; praiseworthy are those who heed my ways. Hearken to discipline and grow wise, and do not reject wisdom. Praiseworthy is a person who listens to me, to be constantly at my doors everyday, to guard the doorposts of my entrances. For one who finds me has found life and he has elicited favor from HaShem. But one who sins against me despoils his soul; all who hate me love death.”

Very interesting, so one who grows wiser, increases discipline, is one who does NOT reject His Torah! Further, He says one who finds His Torah has found life and has elicited favor from HaShem! So, Torah isn’t the source of darkness, bondage, destruction and death, many in Replacement Theology teach? This means either Paul and his letters are false and should be removed, OR we are not correctly understanding what he is writing!! I side that we are not fully understanding what he is writings as the man himself on a few occasions in his letters tells everyone he is Hebrew speaking and a Pharisee (Hillel), not ‘WAS’ a Pharisee but currently as of his writings a Pharisee.

With all this said, I hope and pray this Op has been a blessing and makes the importance of His Torah to come alive! Remember, ‘Know Torah = Know Messiah’ vs ‘No Torah = No Messiah!’

Much to consider!

Shalom

SOURCE MATERIALS:

• The Scriptures by the Institute for Scripture Research
• The Stone Edition Tanakh by Artscroll
• The Stone Edition Chumash by Artscroll
• Artscroll Tanakh Series ‘Mishlei’ (Proverbs)
• Tractate Pesachim from the Talmud Bavli by Steinsaltz
• Tractate Avot from the Mishnah by Kehati
• Tractate Gittin from the Talmud Bavli by Steinsaltz
• Tractate Shabbos from the Talmud Bavli by Steinsaltz
• Tractate Avoda Zara from the Talmud Bavli by Steinsaltz
• Tractate Sanhedrin from the Talmud Bavli by Steinsaltz