Now we are in the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus)
Vayikra: Verse 29
ד”א בָּאתִי לְגַנִּי, דָּא גַּן עֵדֶן דִּלְעֵילָּא. אֲחוֹתִי כַלָּה, דָּא כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּבְהַהוּא יוֹמָא אִזְדַּוְּוגוּ זִוּוּגִין בְּכֹלָּא, אִזְדַּוְּוגוּ זִוּוּגִין בְּהַהוּא גַּן עֵדֶן, בְּגִין דְּאִתְבָּרְכוּ כֻּלְּהוּ מִשַּׁקְיוּ דְּנַחֲלָא, וְאִתְקַשָּׁרוּ כָּל חַד בְּחַבְרֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב אָרִיתִי מוֹרִי עִם בְּשָׂמִי אָכַלְתִּי יַעְרִי עִם דִּבְשִׁי שָׁתִיתִי יֵינִי עִם חֲלָבִי כֻּלְּהוֹן אִתְשַׁקְיָין וְאִתְרַוּוּ מִמַּבּוּעָא דְּנַחֲלָא.
Another explanation: “I came to my garden” refers to the upper Garden of Eden. “My sister, my bride” refers to the Congregation of Yisrael. On the day , pairs were coupled in all Pairs were also coupled in that Garden of Eden , for all of them were blessed from the flow of the river, and each bonded with its fellow. Thus, it is written, “I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk” (Ibid.), for they were all irrigated and saturated from the fountain spring of the river.
Revelation 21
21:1 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.
Here is Revelation 22
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
Both in the Book of Revelation and this passage in the Zohar we see a Correlation with God’s true followers being God’s Bride along with the Garden of Eden and also water.And it shows that nothing changed theologically from the Old to New Testament but that the Messiah Jesus brought the word to flesh as John chapter 1 explains.
Now we come to a fun subject everyone loves ,Lilit or better known as Lillith לִילִית ,the female demon of the night.
Vayikra: Verse 316
תָּא חֲזֵי, מִנוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא עִלָּאָה, אִשְׁתְּכַּחַת חַד נוּקְבָּא רוּחָא דְּכָל רוּחִין, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא לִילִית שְׁמָהּ. וְהִיא אִשְׁתְּכַּחַת בְּקַדְמֵיתָא לְגַבֵּי אָדָם. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם, וְאִשְׁתְּלִים גּוּפֵיהּ, אִזְדְּמָנוּ עַל הַהוּא גּוּפָא אֶלֶף רוּחִין מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא. דָּא בְּדָא לְאַעֲלָא בֵּיהּ, וְדָא בָּעָא לְאַעֲלָא בֵּיהּ, וְלָא הֲווֹ יַכְלֵי, עַד דְּגָעַר בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאָדָם הֲוָה שָׁכִיב גּוּפָא בְּלָא רוּחָא, וְחֵיזוּ דִּילֵיהּ יְרוֹקָא הֲוָה, וְכָל אִינּוּן רוּחִין סָחֲרָן עָלֵיהּ.
Come and see: In a hole by the great, supernal abyss, there is a certain female, a spirit above all spirits. We have explained that its name is Lilit. She was first with Adam. When Adam was created and his body perfected, a thousand spirits came on the body from the left side. This one wanted to enter it and that one wanted to enter it, but they could not.The Holy One, blessed be He, scolded them. Thus, Adam lay down spiritless, green in appearance, with all those spirits around him.
Ok so the story of Lillith is not from the Zohar or Talmud and the famous story is not from the Bible at all.Although the Bible in Isaiah does mention Lillith Here is Isaiah 34:14
וּפָֽגְשׁ֚וּ צִיִּים֙ אֶת־אִיִּ֔ים וְשָׂעִ֖יר עַל־רֵעֵ֣הוּ יִקְרָ֑א אַךְ־שָׁם֙ הִרְגִּ֣יעָה לִּילִ֔ית וּמָֽצְאָ֥ה לָ֖הּ מָנֽוֹחַ
And they shall meet ,wild beast’s of the desert , jackals ,wild goats all of their companions and they shall cry out there and will rest the night creature (lillith לִּילִ֔ית meaning in Hebrew from or of the night) and will find for herself a resting place.
So you see what Yeshayahu or Isaiah says here that a night creature lives with desert beasts, jackals and wild goats. And it is a she because this pronoun here lah לָ֖הּ means “she” and so from scripture we do have a female night creature. However the Bible never mentions her as Adams first wife who rebelled and became a demon who snatched children and was blamed for pre medical SIDS or crib death in early times.
So where is the Lillith legend from ? The Alef-Beit (Alpha-Bet) of Ben Sirach. So you then ask ,what is the Alpha Bet of Ben Sirach? It was a book of proberbs written in Medieval Babylon or Arabia maybe (not fully known) around 700-1000 CE. It contained 44 proverbs, one each from the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alef Beit or Alpha Bet.1 proverb for each letter in Hebrew and one for each letter in Judeo Babylonian Aramaic, so 44 proverbs in total.The first mention of the tale of Lillith as Adams first wife and becoming a baby snatcher.
So Lillith is mentioned in the Talmud a few times “Niddah 24b” and “Shabbat 151b” and maybe a couple other places.Shabbat 151 B-10 simply says if a man sleeps alone Lillith with pounce and cause nocturnal ommisions.And here is what Tractate Niddah 24b-10 says:
§ Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: In the case of a woman who discharges a fetus that has the form of a lilith, a female demon with wings and a human face, its mother is impure with the impurity of a woman after childbirth, as it is a viable offspring, only it has wings. This is also taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yosei said: An incident occurred in Simoni involving a certain woman who discharged a fetus that had the form of a lilith, and the incident was brought before the Sages; and they said that it is a viable offspring, only it has wings.
So neither the Bible or Talmud say Lillith was Adams first wife and as far as Lillith or Lilit being a female demon or night creature we do not know really ,the Bible hints at it but nothing clear on it .I would would strongly believe the first wife of Adam thing is legend but could female night creatures exist? Maybe or maybe not, Revelation talks about the ghost of Izibel or Jezebel as she is often known. So for now it is simply a myth or a legend and the Zohar addresses her as a mystical text so it is not a scriptural thing.
Here is more Zohar on Lillith but again likely more myth.
Vayikra: Verse 323
מַאן דְּיַנְקָא לְרַבְיָּא, לָא תִּזְדַּוֵּוג לְבַר נָשׁ, אֶלָּא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּרַבְיָא נָאִים. וּלְבָתַר לָא תָּנִיק לֵיהּ, עַד שַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא, כִּתְרֵין מִילִּין, אוֹ חַד מִיל, אִי לָא יַכְלָא בְּגִין צַעֲרָא דְּרַבְיָא, בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ בָּכֵי. וּבְדָא לָא מִסְתָּפֵי מִנָּהּ לְעָלְמִין.
A woman who suckles her child must not have intercourse with her husband unless the child is asleep. She should not afterwards suckle her baby for an hour, two mile , or one mile, if she cannot , so as not to distress the baby, if the baby cries! If she does this, she will never have anything to fear her.
The Faithful Shepard is back in verse 335
Vayikra: Verse 335
(רעיא מהימנא) פִּקּוּדָא דָּא לְהָבִיא קָרְבָּן עַל סַנְהֶדְּרֵי גְּדוֹלָה שֶׁטָּעוּ, תָּנָאִין וַאֲמוֹרָאִין ע’ סַנְהֶדְּרֵי גְּדוֹלָה הָיוּ, וּמֹשֶׁה עָלַיְיהוּ. וְע’ סַנְהֶדְּרֵי קְטַנָּה הֲווֹ, וְאַהֲרֹן עָלַיְיהוּ. וּבְגִין דָּא אָמְרוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין, מֹשֶׁה שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַלְכָּא הֲוָה, וְדָא תִּפְאֶרֶת, מִתַּמָּן סַנְהֶדְּרֵי גְּדוֹלָה. אַהֲרֹן שׁוּשְׁבִינָא דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא, וְדָא מַלְכוּת, הֵ”א זְעֵירָא קָרֵינָן לֵיהּ, כְּגוֹן אֶעֱבָדְךָ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים בְּרָחֵל בִּתְּךָ הַקְּטַנָּה. וְעַל שְׁמָהּ אִתְקְרֵי סַנְהֶדְּרֵי קְטַנָּה.
Ra’aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). It is a precept to bring an offering for the greater Sanhedrin if they erred. Tannaim and Amoraim, there were seventy members in the greater Sanhedrin when Moses was over them and seventy in the smaller Sanhedrin when Aaron was over them. The sages therefore said that Moses was the best man of the King, Tiferet. There from is the Sanhedrin great. Aaron was the best man of the Queen, Malchut, whom we call the small Hei, as in: “I will serve you seven years for Rachel your younger (lit. ‘smaller’) daughter” (Beresheet 29:18).And they are called the smaller Sanhedrin after her.
I know this is far from literal but I see this as Jesus the Good Shepherd or Faithful Shepherd. He is the sacrifice in the Sanhendrei gadolah or the Great court. Allegorically here it means his sacrifice of his body satisfied every shortcoming of man in the Court of Heaven “it is finished” every sin paid for once and for all.
Here we have Tzav chapter 5 verse 42
Tzav: Verse 42
שֶׂה אִיהוּ לְעוֹלָה, דִּכְתִּיב וְאַיֵּה הַשֶּׂה לְעוֹלָה. וְאִתְּמַר בֵּיהּ שֶׂה תָמִים זָכָר, הה”ד אִישׁ תָּמִים. וְהָא צָרִיךְ לְמִשְׁאַל, דְּהָא שֶׂה אִיהוּ לִימִינָא, שָׂעִיר אִיהוּ לִשְׂמָאלָא, דְּהַיְינוּ שְׂעִיר עִזִּים אֶחָד לְחַטָּאת, וְאִית שָׂעִיר, וְאִית שָׂעִיר. שָׂעִיר אֶחָד לַיְיָ,’ וּשְׂעִיר אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵל. וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, וְנָתַן אַהֲרֹן עַל שְׁנֵי הַשְּׁעִירִים גּוֹרָלוֹת גּוֹרָל אֶחָד לַיְיָ’ וְגוֹרָל אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵל. וּבְהַהוּא שֵׂעִיר, אִתְּמַר בְּעֵשָׂו, אִישׁ שָׂעִיר. וְדָא כָּבֵד. דְּנָטִיל כָּל אִינּוּן שְׁמָרִים דְּדָם. שְׁחִין אֲבַעְבּוּעוֹת פּוֹרְחוֹת, סַפָּחֹת, וְכָל מִינֵי צָרַעַת. וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב, וְנָשָׁא הַשָּׂעִיר עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנוֹתָם אֶל אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה. וְאִינּוּן עֲוֹנוֹת תָּם, דְּאִיהוּ לִבָּא, וּכְדֵין אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִלְּעָרְבָא בְּלִבָּא, וּכְדֵין אִתְבְּסָם, וְאִיהוּ כָּבֵד בְּאִלֵּין חוֹבִין, וְלָא קָל לְסַלְּקָא לְגַבֵּי יַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם. חֲדוּ מָארֵי מַתְנִיתִין דִּמְתִיבְתָּאן, דְּקָא נַחְתֵּי עִם תָּנָאִין וְאָמוֹרָאִין.
A lamb is sacrificed as a burnt offering, as written: “But where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” (Beresheet 22:7). It says of it: “Your lamb shall be without blemish (Heb. tamim), a male,” (Shemot 12:5) as, “a plain (Heb. tamim) man,” (Beresheet 25:27). The lamb is to the right and a he-goat is to the left, namely, “and one kid of the goats for a sin offering. There is a he-goat and there is a he-goat,one he-goat for Hashem and one he-goat for Azazel, as written: “And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for Hashem and the other lot for Azazel” (Vayikra 16:8). It was concerning this he-goat (Heb. seir) that it says of Esav, that he is “a hairy (Heb. sair) man” (Beresheet 27:11). This is the liver (Heb. kaved lit. ‘heavy’), which receives AND ABSORBS all the yeast in the blood, WHICH ARE boils, smallpox, skin sores and all kinds of leprosy. Hence, it is written: “And the goat shall bear upon itself all their sins (Heb. avonotam) to a barren land” (Vayikra 16:22). Avonot-tam, the sins of the perfect, that is, the heart, It then stops being a part of the heart, which is then perfumed, and is made heavy with those sins and is not light enough to rise to Jacob, the perfect man. The sages of the Mishnah and the heads of the Yeshivah, who came down with the Tannaim and the Amoraim, rejoiced.
Here from Matthew 25
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Here is parashah Shmini
Shmini: Verse 2
וּבְאוֹרַיְיתָא אִתְבְּרֵי ב”נ, הה”ד וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאוֹרַיְיתָא, בָּעֵינָא לְמִבְרֵי אָדָם. אָמְרָה קַמֵּיהּ, הַאי ב”נ זַמִּין לְמֶחֱטֵי וּלְאַרְגְזָא קַמָּךְ, אִי לָא תַּאֲרִיךְ רוּגְזָךְ עָלֵיהּ, הֵיךְ יְקוּם בְּעָלְמָא. אָמַר לָהּ, אֲנָא וְאַתְּ נוֹקִים לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא, דְּהָא לָאו לְמַגָּנָא אִתְקָרֵינָא אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם.
And man was created by the Torah, as it is written: “And Elohim said: ‘Let us make man’” (Beresheet 1:26). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Torah: ‘I wish to create man.’ She replied: ‘This man is destined to sin and provoke You. Unless You are long-suffering with him, how then shall he endure? And He replied to her: you and I shall maintain him in the world, for I am not called ‘long-suffering’ for no reason.
What is the Torah ,it is the word or literally it is instruction or teaching from the word yarah meaning shooting.The Torah was the first Judeo-Christian Holy book before the whole Bible was completed.
Here is John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Yeshua/Jesus was the word made flesh and through him all things were created.
This might be a good time to talk about the Torah and what it is.
It is not the full Old Testament ,that is the Tanakh an acronym for Torah (teachings) Nevi’im (prophets) Ketuvim (writings).
The Torah is the first five books of the Bible also known as the five books of Moses or the Pentateuch or the chumash (meaning five of five in Hebrew) and has the books of:
Genesis-B’reishit בראשית
Exodus-Sh’mot שמות
Leviticus-Vayikra ויקרא
Numbers-Bamidbar במדבר
Deuteronomy-Devarim דברים
Both Genesis and B’reishit mean in the beginning,n Sh’mot means “Names” and Vayikra means “And he called” and “B’midbar” means in the desert or wilderness. Deuteronomy means second law and Devarim means “Words” so the Greek and Hebrew only coincide on Genesis for whatever reason.
So before I give a true believers explanation on the writing of the Bible’s oldest section let me give you what mainstream history says just for context.
Did Moses take the whole Torah on Mt Sinai or was it written in the Davidic era by several authors. I think most people have heard of the The Documentary Hypothesis and that the Torah was written by a series od authors. The J,E,P,D test theory with the oldest thread being likely a female from the court of Somomon/Shlomo which would dates to the 10th century(900’s) BCE. This is the J text which stands for the text using JHVH or YHVH as the name for God.
The E or Elohist text which dates to an unknown author in the 9th century(800’s) BCE. For the single use of Elohim for God.
The P or priestly text which is believed to have been written by Levitical priests in Judah before and maybe just after the Babylonian exile, so we are looking at late 7th early 6th century BCE.
D text is for Deuteronomy(Devarim), Deuteronomy means second law or said again and the Hebrew Devarim means words or matters/issues. The D text is believed to be the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and maybe Kings. Some believe the lost scroll found by King Josiah was Deuteronomy.
This is the belief by most modern secular scholars have that the Torah had 5 basic threads that were woven together by scribes that created a Torah in the fourth century in the era of Ezra. Those of faith do not dispute that Ezra was the first to call the 5 most important scrolls “Torah” meaning teachings and make them 5 parts of one book. Those who truly believe the Bible does go back to Moses believe the 5 scrolls existed as 5 different books going back to about 1450-1350 bce ( I think around 1440 bce). all accept that it was Ezra who took the ancient 5 scrolls and called them one book called Torah or Chumash (Greek,Pentateuch) Chumash mean of 5 or 5 of (5 books)
The difference is that secular scholars believe it took from the 10th century BCE to the era of Ezra for the Torah to evolve, whereas I believe the Pentateuch existed since Moses but Ezra simply organized it.
What is the J text, it’s a thread that people feel was part of scribes weaving the books of the early Torah and is called J for the use of the Holiest name for God (YHVH יהוה ) to refer to God in certain parts of the early Bible
People I know who are super shrewed in human language grammar can tell or feel a scribal change in the Hebrew text (I’m not that clever with semantics LOL) has happened. Many people feel J was a woman not just by a more feminine tone in grammar but in the female hero stories like Rivkah, Leah or Sarah for instance. A theory is that the J was written in the court of Solomon , maybe a concubine or something. I don’t doubt female scribes may have copied the Bible and before the printing press at times slight tweeks may have been made in texts and also don’t feel that scribal error rules out divine inspiration, scribal error may have been part of divine inspiration. If you read some versions of the Hebrew text old scribal errors are left in. God may have used scribal tweeks and scribal error over time as a means to improve the Bible. So yes changes in text maybe improved the hard copy source Moses first took in stone in 1350 bce. Remember the J text is not a physical scroll but a theory of a written thread that wove scrolls over time. The J text is hypothetical not actual.
So what do I think? I think Moses or Moshe had contact with God on Mt Sinai and took a simply for of the Torah likely from mid Exodus (Sh’mot) through Numbers (Bamidbar). So why did Moses likely not take Genesis or Deuteronomy on Sinai. He most likely did not take Genesis because there was no reason to. Genesis had early history accounts everyone knew, no one knew the Ten Commandments or Priestly codes until God told it to them but from creation through the flood and Abraham every already knew. So also early Exodus would have been known because Israel experienced it all so why would God need to tell them that. Moses was dying as Deuteronomy unfolded and I would guess with scribal help Joshua wrote most of Deuteronomy most likely.Also much of Deuteronomy repeats much of the rest of the Torah so why would God need to say it twice which is what Deuteronomy means “second law” in Greek. So the Hebrew Devarim is plural for words so maybe “said twice”. This was just my thoughts on the original Sinai Torah , I’m not saying that it is precisely true, just my speculation on how Moses himself, scribes and the Holy Spirit colaborated in giving of scripture.
So the oldest Torah was written by Moses and Joshua in Proto-Sinaitic script a primitive Semitic Alpha bet and the Mt Ebal curse tablets found by Dr Scott Stripling prove that. Then this is where the J,E,P,D theory may have some validity ok. Being that in those days language is simple and as you read the Tanakh or Old Testament in Hebrew as the books progress the grammar gets more complex. For instance Psalms are grammatically light years ahead of Exodus and Isaiah is even more complex in grammar than Psalms, so you get the idea. If you recall the story of the Ethiopian Eunach in Acts chapter 8, he was having trouble understanding it. Those who do not know Hebrew would think it was the theology he was not understanding but those who know Hebrew would think it was the language itself he did not understand.I have read Isaiah/Yeshayahu in Hebrew and it is by far the most difficult book in the Hebrew Bible, it is brutal, trust me! I do believe over time scribes did improve on the grammar and make a touch up here and a touch up there. So that could explain the The “JEDP theory,” also known as the Documentary Hypothesis. However they did not write the Torah , Moses did on Sinai but they improved the Grammar and modernized the language because likely Moses-Joshua Hebrew would have been hard to understand to those in later times.
Here is sort of a Hebrew timeline
1500-1000 Pre Biblical Hebrew (Proto Sinaitic script)
1000-530 BCE Early Biblical Hebrew (Phoenician script or also called Paleo Hebrew script)
530-300 BCE Late Biblical Hebrew (Phoenician script)
300 BCE-1 CE A transition time this is when the Dead Sea scrolls were written and the transition from the Phoencian script to the modern square script used today as found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
1 CE to 500 CE Mishnaic Hebrew (The language of the Mishnah)
500-1947 Medieval or late Rabbinical Hebrew
1948 Modern Hebrew
So although the Torah existed in scrolls from ancient times it was in the time of Ezra when the Torah was five full scrolls and called the Torah and the Chumash in about 400 or so BCE. The rest of Tanakh or the Old Testament existed also in scrolls but was not formally organized until about 100 CE Which is confirmed by the late Biblical scholar Michael S. Heiser. Containing book’s consistent with the Protestant Old Testament.
Now into parashah Tazria chapter 9 verse 37
Tazria: Verse 37
אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְגוֹ.’ ר’ יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיְיָ’ כִּי אֵין בִּלְתֶּךָ וְאֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ, הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, אֵין קָדוֹשׁ כַּיְיָ,’ מַשְׁמַע דְּאִיכָּא קָדוֹשׁ אָחֳרָא, בְּגִין דִּכְתִּיב כַּיְיָ,’ וְאֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵינוּ, מַשְׁמַע דְּאִיכָּא צוּר אָחֳרָא.
“If a woman has conceived seed, and gave birth to a male child” (Vayikra 12:2). Rabbi Yehuda opened with, “There is none holy as Hashem. For there is none beside You. Neither is there a rock like our Elohim” (I Shmuel 2:2). This is a difficult verse. There is none holy as Hashem” it would mean there is something else holy , as it says, “as Hashem.” “Neither is there a rock like our Elohim” means there is another rock .
This again is alluding a second power in heaven (the Messiah before incarnation) and also notice the term “the rock” here also and see:
1 Corinthians 10:4
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
So not only alluding to the Trinity but a name Jesus would be known by (the rock)!
So now to a modern controversy Isaiah 7:14
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
A lot of people with some Hebrew education who are not big fans of Jesus are taking issue with this as a prediction of the virgin birth.Why you ask ? Let us look here at the Hebrew text in Isaiah 7:14 and what it says.
לָ֠כֵן יִתֵּ֨ן אֲדֹנָ֥י ה֛וּא לָכֶ֖ם א֑וֹת הִנֵּ֣ה הָֽעַלְמָ֗ה הָרָה֙ וְיֹלֶ֣דֶת בֵּ֔ן וְקָרָ֥את שְׁמ֖וֹ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל
Thus,The Lord himself will give you a sign,behold a virgin/young woman is pregnant with a male child and his name is called God is with us (Emanuel)
So whats the problem , well some people point out that the word here used to indicate virgin actually means young woman.The word used is Almah עַלְמָ֗ה which means a young woman or maiden. The Hebrew word for a female virgin is betulah בתולה which comes from the word betulin meaning hymen in a women בתולים. The word almah (pronounced in Arabic likely as ghalmah) is a load word from Ugaritic meaning Royal bride and so the word almah has a broad meaning from maiden/young woman to virgin to even prostitute in slang.
So people say this cannot mean virgin at all but simply a young woman virgin or not. So what does the Zohar say about this?
Here is Acharei Mot chapter 6 verse 47
Acharei Mot: Verse 47
וּכְדֵין אִתְרַק מִשְׁחָא מִדַּרְגָּא לְדַרְגָּא, בְּאִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין דְּאִקְרוּן שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא, הה”ד, שֶׁמֶן תּוּרַק שְׁמֶךָ עַל כֵּן עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ. מַאי עֲלָמוֹת. כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא עוֹלָמוֹת, עוֹלָמוֹת מַמָּשׁ, ד”א עַל כֵּן עֲלָמוֹת אֲהֵבוּךָ. כד”א, עַל עֲלָמוֹת שִׁיר. וְכֺלָּא חַד.
The oil was then poured from level to level among the levels that are called the Holy Name, and the verse then reads, “For your flowing oil you are renowned: therefore do the virgins love you” (Ibid.). What is meant by “virgins” (Heb. alamot)? It is worlds (Heb. olamot), as we mentioned, actual worlds. Another explanation for alamot is as it is written, “A song to Alamot” (Tehilim 46:1), . It all comes to the same thing.
Here we have Hebrew and Aramaic speaking Rabbi’s refering to a virgin or in this case plural “virgins” as alamot which is plural of almah “עֲלָמוֹת” the plural of this word עַלְמָ֗ה.
So although it is true betulah is a more common word for virgin but almah can mean virgin also. If you hear this argument about Isaiah 7:14 being not about the virgin birth don’t buy into it ! This has been a major Biblical controversy because in Isaiah 7:14 has traditionally predicted the virgin birth of Jesus. Skeptics argue that the word for virgin is not actually used in this text below of Isaiah 7:14.
לָ֠כֵן יִתֵּ֨ן אֲדֹנָ֥י ה֛וּא לָכֶ֖ם א֑וֹת הִנֵּ֣ה הָֽעַלְמָ֗ה הָרָה֙ וְיֹלֶ֣דֶת בֵּ֔ן וְקָרָ֥את שְׁמ֖וֹ עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל
Thus,the Lord he shall give you a sign, behold, the young woman (or the virgin) is with a child and will bear a son and his name shall be called Imanu-El (more common written in English, Emanuel)
The discrepancy here is that the word used is almah עַלְמָ֗ה most common as meaning young woman and the common word for virgin is betulah which is a word related to a Hebrew word for the hymen in female anatomy. It is true that the word betulah is more common as a word meaning virgin. So people argue the use of the word almah disproves a reference to the virgin birth. Here we have definitive proof that in some context Hebrew speakers would use the word almah to mean virgin. In more slangy cases almah has meant prostitute but there is no context here for that, Hebrew words are very broad and abstract. You hear this often argued online as a counter apologetic but do not be fooled by this and into believing that the use of the word almah excludes a reference to the virgin birth. The word almah is a loan word from Ugaritic and it meant Royal Bride and a Royal bride would have been both a young woman and a virgin.
Here in Acharei Mot chapter 41 verse 244
Acharei Mot: Verse 244
וְעַד לָא בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, בָּרָא תְּשׁוּבָה, אָמַר לָהּ לִתְשׁוּבָה, אֲנָא בָּעֵינָא לְמִבְרֵי בַּר נָשׁ בְּעָלְמָא, עַל מְנָת דְּכַד יְתוּבוּן לָךְ מֵחוֹבֵיהוֹן, דְּתֶהֱוֵי זְמִינָא לְמִשְׁבַּק חוֹבֵיהוֹן, וּלְכַפְּרָא עָלַיְיהוּ. וּבְכָל שַׁעֲתָא וְשַׁעֲתָא תְּשׁוּבָה זְמִינָא לְגַבֵּי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, וְכַד בְּנֵי נָשָׁא תַּיְיבִין מֵחוֹבַיְיהוּ, הַאי תְּשׁוּבָה תָּבַת לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכִפֵּר עַל כֺּלָּא, וְדִינִין אִתְכַּפְיָין, וּמִתְבַּסְּמָן כֻּלְּהוּ, וּבַר נָשׁ אִתְדָּכֵי מֵחוֹבֵיהּ.
Before He created the world, He created repentance. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to repentance. ‘I wish to create man in the world on the condition if they turn to you from their sins, you will be ready to forgive their sins and render atonement.’ At every hour, repentance is available for mankind. When mankind repents from their iniquities, this repentance returns to the Holy One, blessed be He,and atones for all. The Judgments are all subdued and mitigated, and man is purified of his sins.
Here is states that teshuvah or repentance was created before the world. I found this compelling because it says repentance was there before the world.
Here is Ephesians 1:4
4 “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love”
This show that Rabbinical thinking was that the forgiven (those who would repent) were known before the creation of the world.Remember the aim of this book is not to make the Zohar scripture but to show where the Jewish mystical minds were at then and that even if they did not know it they supported Jesus.
Here we are on parashah Emor chapter 29 verse 162
Emor: Verse 162
רִבִּי אַבָּא וְרִבִּי חִיָּיא הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאוֹרְחָא, אָמַר ר’ חִיָּיא, כְּתִיב, וּסְפַרְתֶּם לָכֶם מִמָּחֳרָת הַשַּׁבָּת מִיּוֹם הֲבִיאֲכֶם אֶת עֹמֶר הַתְּנוּפָה. מַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אָ”ל, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא. אֲבָל ת”ח, יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּד הֲווֹ בְּמִצְרַיִם, הֲווֹ בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא, וַהֲווֹ אֲחִידָן בִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא, כְּאִתְּתָא דָּא, כַּד הִיא יָתְבָא בְּיוֹמֵי דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא. בָּתַר דְּאִתְגְּזָרוּ, עָאלוּ בְּחוּלָקָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִקְרֵי בְּרִית. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְאֲחָדוּ בֵּיהּ, פְּסַק מְסַאֲבוּתָא מִנַּיְיהוּ, כְּדָּא אִתְּתָא כַּד פַּסְקוּ מִנָּהּ דְּמֵי מְסַאֲבוּתָא. בָּתַר דְּאִתְפְּסָקוּ מִנָּהּ, מַה כְּתִיב. וְסָפְרָה לָּהּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים. אוּף הָכָא, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאלוּ בְּחוּלָקָא קַדִּישָׁא, פָּסְקָא מְסָאֲבוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, וְאָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה חוּשְׁבָּנָא לְדַכְיוּתָא.
Rabbi Aba and Rabbi Chiya were walking along the way. Rabbi Chiya said, It is written, “And you shall count for yourselves from the morrow after the Shabbat, from the day that you brought the Omer of the wave offering” (Vayikra 23:15). What does this mean? He said to him, Come and see. When Yisrael were in Egypt, they were under another power, and were attached to impurity as a woman sitting in her days of uncleanness. After they were circumcised, they entered the holy portion called covenant. Once they were attached to her, impurity stopped from among them, as a woman whose blood of uncleanness stopped from her. After stopped in her, it is written, “then she shall number to herself seven days” (Vayikra 15:28). Here too, once they came in the holy portion, their impurity stopped and the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘From now on it is a reckoning for purity.’
This is talking about counting the omer עמר a Jewish tradition of counting the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot.In the rabbinic chronology, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai happened on Shavuot. Thus, the omer period is one of preparation and anticipation for the giving of the Torah.If you are curious omer is a measurement for grain in the Bible.So what is the significance of this in a Christian world view.The counting of the omer is from Passover to Shavuot and Jesus died on Passover eve.Now Shavuot (called Pentecost by most Christians) was the holiday in the book of Acts where the Holy spirit returned after the death of Jesus.
Acts 2
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost (Pentecost is Shavuot)
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
The Faithful Shepherd introduces the explanation of the Biblical New Year Rosh Hashanah רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה also known as Yom Truah יוֹם תְּרוּעָה in the Bible.
Emor: Chapter 33 Verse 206
(רעיא מהימנא) בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ וְגוֹ.’ פִּקּוּדָא דָּא, לִתְקוֹעַ שׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה, דְּהוּא יוֹמָא דְּדִינָא לְעָלְמָא, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ דִּכְתִּיב, תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר בַּכֶּסֶה לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ. וְהָא אִתְּמַר. דְּהַאי אִיהוּ יוֹמָא דְּסִיהֲרָא אִתְכַּסֵּי בֵּיהּ, וְקָאֵים עָלְמָא בִּידָנָא בְּגִין, דְּהַהוּא מְקַטְרְגָא, חָפֵי וְכַסֵּי וְאַנְעָל פִּתְחָא עַל מַלְכָּא, אֲתַר דְּדִינָא שַׁרְיָא, לְמִתְבַּע דִּינָא עַל עָלְמָא.
Ra’aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month” (Vayikra 23:24). This commandment is to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah, which is Judgment day to the world as we explained. We explained the words, “Blow a Shofar at the new moon, at the full moon (or: ‘covering’) on our feast day” (Tehilim 81:4). We learned that this day is a day when the moon, is covered and the world is under Judgment. For the prosecutor covers and hides and locks the entrance to the King, a place where Judgment abides to demand justice from the world.
In Jewish oral tradition The Satan brings your sins against you on the Day of Rosh Hashanah or Yom Truah (day of the shofar blowing) and if you repent on Yom Kipur which is 9 days later your sins are excused in the court of heaven.Of course we even if that lore was true before Mashiach came when Mashiach died and rose from the dead all our sins past,present and future are all forgiven.And it is also believed by many the dead will rise on this day as well.
Rosh Hashanah is important for another reason ,the birth of the Mashiach (Messiah/Christ) .The late Biblical scholar Dr Michael S. Heiser proposed based on things in Revelation 12 which I cannot explain myself or fully understand.That Jesus ,Yeshua was born on Rosh Hashanah on (Roman year) Tuesday September 11th 3 BCE based on Revelation 12 (look up Michael Heiser online to find the video explaining all this).
Here we are in Bechukotai chapter 8 verse 30
Bechukotai: Verse 30
וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי בְּתוֹכְכֶם וְגוֹ.’ וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי, דָּא שְׁכִינְתָּא. מִשְׁכָּנִי: מַשְׁכּוֹנָא דִּילִי. דְּהִיא אִתְמַשְׁכְּנָא בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְנָתַתִּי מִשְׁכָּנִי, מַשְׁכּוֹנִי וַדַּאי. מְתַל לב”נ דַּהֲוָה רְחִימָא לְאָחֳרָא, אָ”ל וַדַּאי בִּרְחִימוּתָא עִלָּאָה דְּאִית לִי גַּבָּךְ, בָּעֵינָא לְדַיְּירָא עִמָּךְ. אָמַר הֵיךְ אֶנְדַּע דְּתֵידוּר גַּבַּאי, נָטַל כָּל כִּסּוּפָא דְּבֵיתֵיהּ, וְאַיְיתֵי לְגַבֵּיהּ, אָמַר הָא מַשְׁכּוֹנָא לְגַבָּךְ, דְּלָא אִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנָךְ לְעָלְמִין.
“And I will set My Tabernacle among you” (Vayikra 26:11). The Tabernacle is the Shechinah. “My Tabernacle,” means My pledge, as THE SHECHINAH was pledged because of the sins of Yisrael AND WENT INTO EXILE WITH THEM. “And I will set My Tabernacle,” My pledge, surely. This is like the fable about a man who loved his neighbor. He said to him: ‘I have the highest regard for you and wish to dwell with you.’ HIS FRIEND said: ‘How can I be sure you shall live with me?’ He took all the delightful objects of his house and brought them to him. He said: ‘Here is my pledge that I will never part from you.’
This here it is again talking about Acts 2 and the Holy Spirit (Sh’khinah) and making your body his Tabernacle.Which is what Sh’khinah means to indwell from the word shakhan meaning to dwell.And the Hebrew word for Tabernacle is mishkhan also a related word.The Sh’khinah is not so much the Holy Spirit but the Holy Spirit when indwelling the saved believer or in other words the concept of the Holy Spirit indwelling a person.
ס
Truth in Mikra 
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