Sivan 4, 5761 /
May 26, 2001
Sivan 2, 5764 / May 22, 2004
Sivan 2, 5767 / May 19, 2007
Sivan 2, 5770 / May 15, 2010
Sivan 2, 5773 / May 11, 2013
Sivan 5, 5776 / June 11, 2016
Sivan 5, 5779 / June 8, 2019
“Blessed are You, Yahweh our
God, King of the Universe,
Who has sanctified us by His
Word, and instructed us to count the Omer.
Today is forty-six days of
the Omer; it is seven weeks of the Omer.”
Sivan 6 / May 15, 2013
is Day fifty of the Omer - Hag Shavuot,
the Feast of Pentecost.
Vayhee Chal-haaretz Shaphah / The Whole Earth Became
SCRIPTURES should be read first
It was the year A.M. 1996 (Anno
Mundi – Year of the World), 340 years after the flood. Noah (who was born only
126 years after Adam died) would live ten more tears, and Abraham was
forty-eight. All of the nations were in the one area, and they all spoke the
original Holy Language.
Commentary:
(V.1) Since Adam, the whole
world had used the same language and the same words.
God had commanded the
descendents of Noah to replenish the earth (v.8:17). They had multiplied to a
population with seventy family heads (ch.10). But, these seventy families stayed
in Iraq, and built a great city with a tower to make a name for themselves. God
came, at Shavuot, and gave each clan a different language, thus causing the
dispersion that He formerly commanded. Since the people’s attempted
communications seemed as babbling, the place is called Babel.
The time of this reading – the
Sabbath before Hag Shavuot – hints that the dispersion of Babel was a Shavuot
occurrence.
Adam had known Lamech for
56 years, and Lamech had known Shem, his grandson, for 95 years. Though Abraham
was the ninth generation after Shem, Shem outlived Abraham!
The confusion of languages
occurred at Babel in the year A.M. 1996. Noah would live for another 10 years.
Shem would live for another 152 years. Abraham was 48 years of age.
The point here is: Adam, Lamech,
Shem, and Abraham all spoke the same original language.
Abraham had good opportunity to
acquire much knowledge of Adam’s time and Noah’s time. Adam and Noah lived for
most all of the first two millenniums of the world, and Abraham knew Noah.
Last week we saw the names of
the seventy nations that would be divided by languages and dispersed throughout
the world. Among them were Noah’s son Shem, his grandson Shelah, and his
great-grandson Peleg. In Genesis 10:25 we read, “the
name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided.”
Peleg died at 239 years of age, in the year of the dispersion of the seventy
nations from Babel. However, before Peleg’s death at Babel, he knew his
great-great-great-grandson Abraham for 48 years.
God’s covenant, of which we are
partakers, was with Abraham. Abraham was called a Hebrew, which means ‘From the
other side’ – prior to the dispersion and confusion.
After the dispersion, Abraham
had a son – Isaac, and a grandson – Jacob, and twelve great-grandsons –
including Joseph. Joseph knew Hebrew – the language ‘from the other side’, as
well as the language of Egypt (Genesis 42).
This dispersion is the origin of
“the languages of men and angels” (1 Corinthians 13:1), that is the
languages of the seventy nations and Hebrew (Hebrew being the language of the
Angels of the Synagogues – see Synagogue/Church).
We start with one language
(see
www.hebrewworld.com).
Then God separates seventy languages (Genesis 11). Then God tells Israel, who
speaks Hebrew, that He will correct them with people of foreign languages –
Gentiles (Isaiah 28:11). Then God says that, in the New World, He will give
people back the pure language, that they may worship Him in one accord
(Zephaniah 3:9). Even before that, Yahweh says that five cities in Egypt will
learn Hebrew and swear allegiance to Him (Isaiah 19:18).
About 4000 years ago was the
dispersion, with languages confused at Shavuot/Pentecost. Then, about 3300 years
ago, the Torah was given at Mt.Sinai, traditionally in 70 languages. Then, about
1900 years ago, again at Shavuot, the Gospel was given in many languages of the
nations (Acts 2).
Paul tells us that we should grow up
in our understanding of the Word of God, and think in a mature way. Only in
learning sin should we remain babes. We should not slander others, nor put down
others – trying to exalt ourselves. We should speak in a manner that is
spiritually profitable for others.
Old English is often used today to
create a mystique. "Unknown tongues" is the Old English term for "foreign
languages". The mystique is used to perpetuate modern false doctrine: "unknown
tongues" does not mean jibberish or "tongues of angels" or an
unknown-to-the-speaker prayer language,
In the Synagogue, when we have
people of different languages, we should not speak in a language that is not
understood by all, except that we translate for them (1Cor 14:23). Translating
is for the purpose of allowing outsiders to understand, or else how should they
come to faith?
"Prophecy" means "expounding Torah";
foretelling the future can be an incidental part. When one is expounding the
Torah passage in Synagogue, if another knows a fuller explanation, the first
should wait until the latter speaks; then others may judge (1 Corinthians
14:24-33). There should be no situation, like today's common unbiblical "Pastor"
or "Rabbi" position, where one person's teaching is the sole and final word.
When the seven readers are called on
Sabbath to read the Torah portions, the overseer (Angel of the Synagogue)
watches over their shoulders (thus the term "overseer") to ensure that every
word is read correctly. The important thing is for Torah – God's Word – to be
heard accurately. This is not to embarrass a reader: each reader's desire should
be for the Torah, for the hearer, not for himself.
In our situation, when anything is
read, recited, or sung in Hebrew, it should be translated into English. If we
have Russian or Spanish visitors, it is proper to translate for them. If we have
some hearing-impaired among us, it is proper to sign for them (even though this
is speaking in hands, not tongues :-) .
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1996 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ADAM |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Flood |
|
Dispersion |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seth |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Enosh |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kenan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mahalalel |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jared |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Enoch |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Methuselah |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Lamech |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOAH |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shem |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arpachshad |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Shelah |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eber |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peleg |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reu |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Serug |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Na |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Terah |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ABE |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Isaac |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Jacob |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Genesis 5:29
Now he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will give us rest from our work
and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which Yahweh has
cursed."
Genesis 10:25
Two sons were born to Eber; the name of the one was Peleg, for in his
days the earth was divided;
Readings:
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who chose us from among all peoples by
giving us Your Torah.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
For
the Sabbath preceding Hag Shavuot
Reader 1* Amen
1
Now the whole earth used the same language and the same words. 2 It
came about as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar
and settled there. 3 They said to one another, "Come, let us make
bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they used brick for stone, and they used
tar for mortar. 4 They said, "Come, let us build for ourselves a
city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for
ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the
whole earth."
Reader 2* Amen
5
Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.
6 Yahweh said, "Behold, they are one people, and they all have the
same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they
purpose to do will be impossible for them. 7 "Come, let Us go down
and there confuse their language, so that they will not understand one another's
speech."
Reader 3* Amen
8
So Yahweh scattered them abroad from there over the face of the whole earth; and
they stopped building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called
Babel, because there Yahweh confused the language of the whole earth; and from
there Yahweh scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.
Reader 4* Amen
10
These are the records of the generations of Shem. Shem was one hundred years
old, and became the father of Arpachshad two years after the flood; 11
and Shem lived five hundred years after he became the father of Arpachshad, and
he had other sons and daughters. 12 Arpachshad lived thirty-five
years, and became the father of Shelah; 13 and Arpachshad lived four
hundred and three years after he became the father of Shelah, and he had other
sons and daughters. 14 Shelah lived thirty years, and became the
father of Eber; 15 and Shelah lived four hundred and three years
after he became the father of Eber, and he had other sons and daughters. 16
Eber lived thirty-four years, and became the father of Peleg; 17 and
Eber lived four hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Peleg,
and he had other sons and daughters.
Reader 5* Amen
18
Peleg lived thirty years, and became the father of Reu; 19 and Peleg
lived two hundred and nine years after he became the father of Reu, and he had
other sons and daughters. 20 Reu lived thirty-two years, and became
the father of Serug; 21 and Reu lived two hundred and seven years
after he became the father of Serug, and he had other sons and daughters.
22 Serug lived thirty years, and became the father of Nahor; 23
and Serug lived two hundred years after he became the father of Nahor, and he
had other sons and daughters. 24 Nahor lived twenty-nine years, and
became the father of Terah; 25 and Nahor lived one hundred and
nineteen years after he became the father of Terah, and he had other sons and
daughters. 26 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of
Abram, Nahor and Haran.
Reader 6* Amen
27
Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father
of Abram, Nahor and Haran; and Haran became the father of Lot. 28
Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his birth, in Ur
of the Chaldeans. 29 Abram and Nahor took wives for themselves. The
name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife was Milcah, the
daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Sarai was
barren; she had no child.
Reader 7* Amen
31
Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his
daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the
Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran,
and settled there. 32 The days of Terah were two hundred and five
years; and Terah died in Haran.
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who in giving us Yeshua, the Living
Torah, has planted everlasting life in our midst.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, giver of the
Torah."
______________________
"Blessed are You, Yahweh our God, King
of the Universe,
Who selected good prophets, delighting
in their words which were spoken truthfully.
Blessed are You, Yahweh, Who chose the
Torah, Your servant Moses, Your people Israel,
and the prophets of truth and
righteousness."
Zephaniah 3:8-13
Reader 8* Amen
8
“Therefore wait for Me,” declares Yahweh,
“For the day when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather
nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My
burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured by the fire of My zeal.
9 For then I will give to the peoples purified lips, that all of them
may call on the name of Yahweh, to serve Him shoulder to shoulder.
10 From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My worshipers, My dispersed
ones, will bring My offerings. 11 In that day you will feel no shame
because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I will
remove from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be
haughty on My holy mountain. 12 But I will leave among you a humble
and lowly people, and they will take refuge in the name of Yahweh. 13
The remnant of Israel will do no wrong and tell no lies, nor will a deceitful
tongue be found in their mouths; for they will feed and lie down with no one to
make them tremble.”
No Psalm
1 Corinthians 14:20-33
Reader 9* Amen
20
Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in
your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, “By men of
foreign languages and by the lips of strangers I will speak to this people, and
even so they will not listen to Me,” says the Lord. 22 So then
tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but
prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. 23
Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and
ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? 24
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is
convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25 the secrets of
his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God,
declaring that God is certainly among you.
Reader 10* Amen
26 What is the outcome then,
brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a
revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for
edification. 27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, it should be by two or
at the most three, and each in turn, and one must interpret; 28 but
if there is no interpreter, he must keep silent in the church; and let him speak
to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let
the others pass judgment. 30 But if a revelation is made to another
who is seated, the first one must keep silent. 31 For you can all
prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 32
and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; 33 for God is
not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
1 Peter 2:1-10
Reader 11* Amen
1
Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and
all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the
word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you
have tasted the kindness of the Lord. 4 And coming to Him as to a
living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the
sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a
spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God through Yeshua the Messiah.
Reader 12*
Amen
6 For this is contained in
Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone,
and he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” 7 This
precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The
stone that the builders rejected, this became the very corner stone,” 8
and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble
because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also
appointed. 9 But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, a people for God’s own posession,” so that you may proclaim the
excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were “not a people”, but now you are “the
people of God”; you had “not receive mercy”, but now you have “received
mercy.”
"Blessed are You, Yahweh
our God, King of the Universe,
Rock of Ages, righteous
throughout all generations.
You are the faithful God,
promising and then performing, speaking and then fulfilling,
for all Your words are true
and righteous.
Faithful are You, Yahweh
our God, and faithful are Your words,
for no word of Yours shall
remain unfulfilled;
You are a faithful and
merciful God and King.
Blessed are You, Yahweh our
God, Who are faithful in fulfilling all Your words."
|