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Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | The head of an ox (bull) | |
Meaning: | A strong and powerful one | |
Culture: | A nomad had within his herds and flocks, many types of livestock, sheep, goats, camels, donkeys and cattle. Of all these animals, the bull is the strongest and most powerful. To harness this strength, a yoke would be attached to the bull and a load such as a wagon or plow would be attached to the yoke. |
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | A Shepherds Staff | |
Meaning: | "the shepherds staff of authority for the leading and discipline of the sheep". | |
Culture: | The staff was used to direct a sheep toward the correct direction, or the curved end could be used to pull the sheep toward him. At times it was also used to chastise a disobedient sheep. With the staff in his hand, the shepherd would lead his sheep to pastures, water and the fold in the evening. |
Ancient Word |
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Modern Word |
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Trans- literation |
Pictures: | An Ox and Shepherd's Staff | |
Meaning: | "The strong leader" | |
Culture: | Two bulls were often yoked together in order to pull a load such as a wagon or a plow. An older, more experienced bull would be teamed up (yoked) with a younger, less experienced bull in order to lead the younger and teach him. This idea of "a powerful one which leads" is the literal definition of the word "el" and is figuratively used for men (Gen 31.29, Job 41:25), angels (Ps 89:6), a tree (Ps 80.10), and a mountain (Ps 36.6) (as one which stands out from the rest as a leader, taller). |
"El" can also apply to the great power and authority which created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 14.22), the one we call "G-d". A Hebrew saw the creator of heaven and earth as an "el" because the creator was the ultimate in power and strength.
The Hebrew also saw himself as the younger less experienced bull that is yoked to "el" (G-d) in order to learn how to walk just as He does. Hebrews usually used qualifying descriptions when referring to "el" the almighty G-d such as; "El Most High, Creator of heaven and earth." (Gen 14.22), "the great el, mighty and awesome" (Deu 10.17). Qualifiers are also used when referring to other gods such as "foreign el" (Ps 81.9).
The Hebrew word "Torah" is a noun derived from the three consonant root word Y.R.H. The word Torah is usually mistranslated as "law". To learn the true meaning of "Torah", we need to look at the meaning of the root word and the nouns related to "Torah".
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | An arm and closed hand | |
Meaning: | The hand that works | |
Culture: | The closed hand represents the idea of working or making something. |
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | A head of a man | |
Meaning: | The head, top or beginning of anything | |
Culture: | The head is seen as the top of the body and can be the top or head of anything such as the body, time, mountaintop, rank, etc. This letter can also represent a man. |
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | A man with arms extended | |
Meaning: | To reveal someone or something | |
Culture: | When one wishes to show adoration or delight toward someone or something, they would extend the arms toward it to reveal it. |
Ancient Root |
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Modern Root |
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Trans- literation |
Pictures: | The hand of a man that reveals | |
Meaning: | The flowing (throwing/pointing) of the hand of man | |
Culture: | This can be the throwing (shooting) of an arrow from an archer, or the throwing of a finger (pointing) in a direction. |
Ancient Word |
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Modern Word |
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Trans- literation |
Nouns are derived from the root by making one or two changes to the original root. The noun 'moreh' is made by adding a mem to the front of the word. When the first letter of the root is a yud and a prefix (in this case a mem) is added, the yud is replaced by a vav. A Moreh is 'one who throws from the hand'. This can be the 'archer' who throws the arrow, or a 'teacher' who throws the finger in the way the student is to go (halachah). |
Ancient Word |
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Modern Word |
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Trans- literation |
Another noun is formed the same way except that a 'Tav' is placed at the front of the word instead of a 'Mem', we then have the word 'Torah'.
Torah is "what is thrown by the Moreh". This can be the 'arrow' from the archer or the 'direction (teachings and instructions) from the teacher. The true Hebraic understanding of "Torah" are "instructions" and "teachings" such as from a father to his children. |
The Hebrew word "Shamar" is a verb derived from the three consonant root word Sh.M.R. The word shamar is usually misunderstood as "obey" as in "keep the commands of G-d". To learn the true meaning of "Shamar", we need to look at the meaning of the root word.
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | Two front teeth | |
Meaning: | The sharp teeth for tearing and cutting |
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | Ripples of Water | |
Meaning: | Water or any water like substance |
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | A head of a man | |
Meaning: | The head, top or beginning of anything |
Ancient Root |
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Modern Root |
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Trans- literation |
Pictures: | Sharp water-head | |
Meaning: | sharp bitterness | |
Culture: | The two letters mem-resh "water-head" (mar) means bitterness as the head waters of desert rivers are often stagnent pools of water which can be very bitter tasting. "Mar" then means "bitter". |
The noun shameer means "thorns", a sharp bitterness. The verb "shamar" is literally a "wall of thorns". When a shepherd and his flock were to be in the wilderness at night, the shepherd would gather thorn bushes and make a type of corral to keep predetors out. The Shepherd then slept with the sheep inside the corral. This corral was called a Shamar. The word shamar then means to hold in and protect what is cherished.
The Aaronic blessing begins with the words "May the HaShem (the L-RD) bless you and keep (shamar) you". This blessings is asking that HaShem be a wall of protection around you, his cherished sheep. Moshe (Moses) said in Devariym (Duet) 30.10;
...obey the LORD your G-d and keep (shamar) his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of Torah and turn to the LORD your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul.
The word "keep" is often misunderstood for the word "obey". When the Torah speaks of "keeping" the commands of G-d it means that we are to be as a "wall of thorns around the Torah". The Torah is something to be cherished and gaurded in our hearts as shepherd does his sheep. Of course, if the command can be obeyed then it should as this would be a part of cherishing it.
The Hebrew word "Parar" is a verb derived from the three consonant root word P.P.R. The word Parar is usually misunderstood as "disobey" as in "Break the commands of G-d". To learn the true meaning of "Parar", we need to look at the meaning of the root word.
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | A mouth | |
Meaning: | What is "open" |
Ancient Letter |
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Modern Letter |
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Name of Letter |
Picture: | A head of a man | |
Meaning: | The head, top or beginning of anything |
Ancient Root |
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Modern Root |
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Trans- literation |
Pictures: | Open heads | |
Meaning: | The breaking open of the heads of grains. | |
Culture: | The word "PaR" means a "bull". The ancient Hebrews would describe an something (such as a bull) in relation to its function rather than it's appearance as we do. Therefore, the word "PaR" is related to the function of the "bull" rather than what it looks like. |
A food staple for the ancient Hebrews were grains such as wheat and barley. These grains are stalks with many kernels, called "heads", clustered at the top of the stalk. Each kernel consists of the hard grain seed covered with a soft shell. At harvest time, the stalks of grain are cut and thrown down on the threshing floor. Bulls were driven over the grain so that the hoofs would break the shell "open" so that the kernals could be separated.
Hebrew verbs require 3 consonants. Therefore, 2 consonant roots are transformed into 3 consonant roots by doubling the last letter of the 2 letter root.
The verb "PaRaR" means "to break" as when the heads of grain are "broken" open, and is used several times for the "breaking" of G-d's covenant or commands such as in Bemidvar (Num) 15.30-31;
And anyone who sins defiantly, whether native born or Ger (Gentile believer), blasphemes the LORD , and that person must be cut off from his people. Becuase he has despised the LORD's word and broken (Parar) his commands.
The English phrase, "breaking of a command" simply expresses the idea of not doing it, but the Hebrew phrase "Parar mitsvah" expresses the deeper meaning of "throwing the commands in the dirt and crushing them with their feet".
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