- there are 70 faces to 
Post by alon on Mar 17, 2020 18:36:10 GMT -8
Name of Par’shah- 23.3 P’kude, Accounts
Par’shah- Ex 38:21-40:38
Haftara- 1 Kings 7:40-8:21
D’rash: The only commandment here is:
Exodus 40:13-15 (NASB) You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
Now we are prohibited from making the Temple oil, however when ordaining officers of our assemblies, I would suggest some kind of anointing with oil be done as a remembrance. Most of us were raised Gentiles, and so we have an aversion to the prayers and rituals normal to Jewish life. But those are based on Temple worship as laid out by HaShem- the only type of worship explicitly commanded by Avinu Malkeinu, Our Father, Our King. Unless we follow the pattern of Temple worship given us by Kadosh Yisroel, the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 78:41), our worship is just something we made up. Many of the prayers were instituted during the Babylonian exile as a substitute for the sacrifices while there was no Temple, and then continued even after the Temple was rebuilt:
Acts 3:1 (ESV) Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. [3 p.m.]
This would have been the Mincha, afternoon prayers. So after the ascension, the apostles were keeping the prayer schedule, even in the Temple itself. These prayers were tied to the times of the perpetual daily sacrifices:
אֶת־הַכֶּ֥בֶשׂ אֶחָ֖ד תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה בַבֹּ֑קֶר וְאֵת֙ הַכֶּ֣בֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בֵּ֥ין הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם
Numbers 28:4 (ESV) The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;
עַרְבָּ erev, means evening. הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם ha’erevim means between the evenings, or between the twilights. Between the sunsets. In the western world today we are precise with time. But for ancient peoples time was much more approximate. Day began as the sun came up and ended as it set. Night and day were each divided into 12 equal “hours,” regardless how long. So in winter the days were shorter, and so were the hours. But the nighttime hours were longer. They were also divided into 4 equal segments:
1st-3rd hr -> 3rd-6th hr -> 6th-9th hr -> 9th-12th hr -> repeat (new day or night times)
X-Morning Daytime X-Afternoon Evening <— Daytime
1st watch 2nd watch 3rd watch 4th watch <— Nighttime
[times marked with an X are times the daily sacrifices were made]
Shacharit is morning; shachar means sunrise. As soon as the sun begins to rise it is customary to pray. Shacharit is a set of several prayers, any of which can be said in the morning. Mincah means gifts, and corresponds to the sacrifices of the afternoon. The central part of the Temple is the קרבן qorban, usually translated “sacrifice.” The Hebrew carries the meaning of “drawing near, closer.” vs. the English idea of giving something up. Qarav is to draw close. The English word “sacrifice” doesn’t have the same majesty or beauty to it, It isn’t special or even spiritual. But in Hebrew that is exactly what it is. So to draw closer to Abishter, we give the qorban, or gift of prayer:
Psalm 116:17 (NASB) To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord.
Hebrews 13:15 (NASB) Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Psalm 107:21-22 (NASB) Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonderful acts to the sons of men! Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing.
There are many scriptures which talk of the sacrifice of our lips as prayer. Prayer is the act of praising El Shadai, God the Provider (Gen 28:3) for His works, kindness, marvels, wisdom, and good emanating from His will. We beseech Him alone for our needs, recognizing and praising Him as our sole source of everything. Therefore it is to Him alone we make our requests. In Judaism study of Torah is thought to be the highest form of prayer. There are many ritual prayers said throughout the day, as well as spontaneous prayers. And at one retreat with the men’s group from our parent synagogue I was surprised to hear them sing and play instruments for Shacharit.
Ma’ariv comes from the word erev, meaning evening. So this is an evening prayer. It has no set time, and the prayer was not obligatory. People felt they had to pray when the sun came up and at noon when the sacrifices were brought. But evening was not as important. Contrast this with Christian tradition and our “bedtime prayers” were thought to be the most important of the day!
Musaf is an irregular prayer that can be said if you missed one of the other prayers.
I have 2 Siddurim, and reading through them to get an understanding of all the prayers can be mind numbing for one raised in a Gentile environment. I recommend everyone get a Siddur and study the commentary as well as the prayers. I’ve underlined so many good quotes, but I think just one excerpt will suffice to give an idea of the depth of understanding to be gleaned from this resource. The following is from the Artscroll Siddur:
Mincha’s Uniqueness
The Tur (Orach Chaim ch 232) explains the special significance of Minchah by contrasting it with other prayers of the day. Whereas Shacharis is recited before a person becomes preoccupied with the pressures and details of earning a livelihood, and Maariv is recited in the evening, after one has distanced himself from the concerns of the workday, Minchah is often recited while one is at work. To extricate oneself not only physically but mentally, and to focus on the Jew’s special relationship with God and the responsibilities that accompany that relationship, is often a great challenge and sacrifice. …
Avudrahum comments that the afternoon prayer is called Mincah to allude to the translation of Onkelos on the verse “‘They [Adam and Eve] heard the sound of HASHEM God manifesting Itself in the garden toward evening” (Genesis 3:8). Onkelos translated the latter phrase limnach yuma. “as the day was setting.” Adam and Eve transgressed the word of God late in the afternoon, the time of Mincah, and God responded by granting them an audience with Himself, as it were, an opportunity to reflect on their actions and repent. Similarly, we are given the same opportunity as the day wanes; it is an opportune time (Psalms 69:14[13]) to reflect on the days activities. Perhaps the Aramaic limnach yuma can also mean “when the day is coming to a rest”; just as on Shabbos, a day of rest, yom menucha, we should reflect on the activities of the week, and on Yom Kippur we review the activities of the year, each day at Minchah we review and scrutinize the proceedings of the day.
Avudrahum further suggests that as the setting sun “bows” respectfully to God, we, too, should emulate nature and utilize the moment to grow closer to Him.
This brings our understanding of the ritual prayer time of Minchah into focus on its place in the grand scheme of our life and walk with HaShem. And it is only a fraction of the understanding to be gleaned from these writings in either Siddur.
These prayers, like our substitute oil of anointing* were instigated to continue the Temple order given by El Tsaddik, the Righteous God (Is 45:21). The prayers themselves are traditional, but the times are commanded by Ha’Elyon, The Most High (Deu 32:8). With this in mind, I was going to go back and list the commandments concerning sacrifices as applicable today. However our list is already getting unwieldy, and we are just now about to start Leviticus. So as we move into this book which will deal extensively with Temple worship and qorbanos, keep in mind this is how our Lord commanded us to worship. We should remember these prayer times and what they stand for, and possibly transfer their meanings to our prayer lives; praying at the appointed times.
I can also tell you that praying the Amidah in the morning if you have time, dressed as if before Melech ha’Kavod, the King of Glory (Ps 24:7) in tallit (one of the few times I wear a tallit gadol and kippah), kippah, and if at all possible a set of teffilin adds a lot of meaning to the experience. I don’t do this near as often as I should. Life sort of gets in the way. But we all need to make time for Boreh Ketzot HaAretz, the Creator of the Ends of the Earth (Is 40:28). And the times we make should be at the times He commanded; those times of the morning and afternoon sacrifices. And as a nod to our Christian past we could add Ma’ariv prayers as well.
I cannot make halacha, and even if I could it would only have meaning if you were submitted to my yeshiva or synagogue (both nonexistent). So I am not going to try and tell anyone which of the ritual prayers to pray, or when or how to pray. All I am going to say is if we are trying to do as commanded, and to go back to the way the Notsarim worshiped in the 1st cen, then we need to institute the prayer schedule given by HaShem and pray with the understanding of a 1st cen Jew. And that means getting a siddur, reading and studying it, contemplating and meditating on what it says and what the prayers are about, and then adjusting our prayer life with the idea of getting closer to HaSHem.
* edit: I wanted to clarify, that oil is my own interpretation, not that of any Jewish sect I am aware of.
Par’shah- Ex 38:21-40:38
Haftara- 1 Kings 7:40-8:21
D’rash: The only commandment here is:
Exodus 40:13-15 (NASB) You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them; and you shall anoint them even as you have anointed their father, that they may minister as priests to Me; and their anointing will qualify them for a perpetual priesthood throughout their generations.”
Now we are prohibited from making the Temple oil, however when ordaining officers of our assemblies, I would suggest some kind of anointing with oil be done as a remembrance. Most of us were raised Gentiles, and so we have an aversion to the prayers and rituals normal to Jewish life. But those are based on Temple worship as laid out by HaShem- the only type of worship explicitly commanded by Avinu Malkeinu, Our Father, Our King. Unless we follow the pattern of Temple worship given us by Kadosh Yisroel, the Holy One of Israel (Psalm 78:41), our worship is just something we made up. Many of the prayers were instituted during the Babylonian exile as a substitute for the sacrifices while there was no Temple, and then continued even after the Temple was rebuilt:
Acts 3:1 (ESV) Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. [3 p.m.]
This would have been the Mincha, afternoon prayers. So after the ascension, the apostles were keeping the prayer schedule, even in the Temple itself. These prayers were tied to the times of the perpetual daily sacrifices:
אֶת־הַכֶּ֥בֶשׂ אֶחָ֖ד תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה בַבֹּ֑קֶר וְאֵת֙ הַכֶּ֣בֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י תַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה בֵּ֥ין הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם
Numbers 28:4 (ESV) The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight;
עַרְבָּ erev, means evening. הָֽעַרְבָּֽיִם ha’erevim means between the evenings, or between the twilights. Between the sunsets. In the western world today we are precise with time. But for ancient peoples time was much more approximate. Day began as the sun came up and ended as it set. Night and day were each divided into 12 equal “hours,” regardless how long. So in winter the days were shorter, and so were the hours. But the nighttime hours were longer. They were also divided into 4 equal segments:
1st-3rd hr -> 3rd-6th hr -> 6th-9th hr -> 9th-12th hr -> repeat (new day or night times)
X-Morning Daytime X-Afternoon Evening <— Daytime
1st watch 2nd watch 3rd watch 4th watch <— Nighttime
[times marked with an X are times the daily sacrifices were made]
Shacharit is morning; shachar means sunrise. As soon as the sun begins to rise it is customary to pray. Shacharit is a set of several prayers, any of which can be said in the morning. Mincah means gifts, and corresponds to the sacrifices of the afternoon. The central part of the Temple is the קרבן qorban, usually translated “sacrifice.” The Hebrew carries the meaning of “drawing near, closer.” vs. the English idea of giving something up. Qarav is to draw close. The English word “sacrifice” doesn’t have the same majesty or beauty to it, It isn’t special or even spiritual. But in Hebrew that is exactly what it is. So to draw closer to Abishter, we give the qorban, or gift of prayer:
Psalm 116:17 (NASB) To You I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the Lord.
Hebrews 13:15 (NASB) Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
Psalm 107:21-22 (NASB) Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness, And for His wonderful acts to the sons of men! Let them also offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, And tell of His works with joyful singing.
There are many scriptures which talk of the sacrifice of our lips as prayer. Prayer is the act of praising El Shadai, God the Provider (Gen 28:3) for His works, kindness, marvels, wisdom, and good emanating from His will. We beseech Him alone for our needs, recognizing and praising Him as our sole source of everything. Therefore it is to Him alone we make our requests. In Judaism study of Torah is thought to be the highest form of prayer. There are many ritual prayers said throughout the day, as well as spontaneous prayers. And at one retreat with the men’s group from our parent synagogue I was surprised to hear them sing and play instruments for Shacharit.
Ma’ariv comes from the word erev, meaning evening. So this is an evening prayer. It has no set time, and the prayer was not obligatory. People felt they had to pray when the sun came up and at noon when the sacrifices were brought. But evening was not as important. Contrast this with Christian tradition and our “bedtime prayers” were thought to be the most important of the day!
Musaf is an irregular prayer that can be said if you missed one of the other prayers.
I have 2 Siddurim, and reading through them to get an understanding of all the prayers can be mind numbing for one raised in a Gentile environment. I recommend everyone get a Siddur and study the commentary as well as the prayers. I’ve underlined so many good quotes, but I think just one excerpt will suffice to give an idea of the depth of understanding to be gleaned from this resource. The following is from the Artscroll Siddur:
Mincha’s Uniqueness
The Tur (Orach Chaim ch 232) explains the special significance of Minchah by contrasting it with other prayers of the day. Whereas Shacharis is recited before a person becomes preoccupied with the pressures and details of earning a livelihood, and Maariv is recited in the evening, after one has distanced himself from the concerns of the workday, Minchah is often recited while one is at work. To extricate oneself not only physically but mentally, and to focus on the Jew’s special relationship with God and the responsibilities that accompany that relationship, is often a great challenge and sacrifice. …
Avudrahum comments that the afternoon prayer is called Mincah to allude to the translation of Onkelos on the verse “‘They [Adam and Eve] heard the sound of HASHEM God manifesting Itself in the garden toward evening” (Genesis 3:8). Onkelos translated the latter phrase limnach yuma. “as the day was setting.” Adam and Eve transgressed the word of God late in the afternoon, the time of Mincah, and God responded by granting them an audience with Himself, as it were, an opportunity to reflect on their actions and repent. Similarly, we are given the same opportunity as the day wanes; it is an opportune time (Psalms 69:14[13]) to reflect on the days activities. Perhaps the Aramaic limnach yuma can also mean “when the day is coming to a rest”; just as on Shabbos, a day of rest, yom menucha, we should reflect on the activities of the week, and on Yom Kippur we review the activities of the year, each day at Minchah we review and scrutinize the proceedings of the day.
Avudrahum further suggests that as the setting sun “bows” respectfully to God, we, too, should emulate nature and utilize the moment to grow closer to Him.
This brings our understanding of the ritual prayer time of Minchah into focus on its place in the grand scheme of our life and walk with HaShem. And it is only a fraction of the understanding to be gleaned from these writings in either Siddur.
These prayers, like our substitute oil of anointing* were instigated to continue the Temple order given by El Tsaddik, the Righteous God (Is 45:21). The prayers themselves are traditional, but the times are commanded by Ha’Elyon, The Most High (Deu 32:8). With this in mind, I was going to go back and list the commandments concerning sacrifices as applicable today. However our list is already getting unwieldy, and we are just now about to start Leviticus. So as we move into this book which will deal extensively with Temple worship and qorbanos, keep in mind this is how our Lord commanded us to worship. We should remember these prayer times and what they stand for, and possibly transfer their meanings to our prayer lives; praying at the appointed times.
I can also tell you that praying the Amidah in the morning if you have time, dressed as if before Melech ha’Kavod, the King of Glory (Ps 24:7) in tallit (one of the few times I wear a tallit gadol and kippah), kippah, and if at all possible a set of teffilin adds a lot of meaning to the experience. I don’t do this near as often as I should. Life sort of gets in the way. But we all need to make time for Boreh Ketzot HaAretz, the Creator of the Ends of the Earth (Is 40:28). And the times we make should be at the times He commanded; those times of the morning and afternoon sacrifices. And as a nod to our Christian past we could add Ma’ariv prayers as well.
I cannot make halacha, and even if I could it would only have meaning if you were submitted to my yeshiva or synagogue (both nonexistent). So I am not going to try and tell anyone which of the ritual prayers to pray, or when or how to pray. All I am going to say is if we are trying to do as commanded, and to go back to the way the Notsarim worshiped in the 1st cen, then we need to institute the prayer schedule given by HaShem and pray with the understanding of a 1st cen Jew. And that means getting a siddur, reading and studying it, contemplating and meditating on what it says and what the prayers are about, and then adjusting our prayer life with the idea of getting closer to HaSHem.
* edit: I wanted to clarify, that oil is my own interpretation, not that of any Jewish sect I am aware of.
