Blog Subject: Lekh Lekha
First and last name: TonyaM
City, State and Country: El Paso Texas, USA

Inquiry: Shalom,

Thank you for your response on "Marriage".

I have read the Torah portion for the week:

• 1. what I've learned thats new- never considered Sarah to have possibly been Haran's wife although there could be a possibility.

  

  
  

  I can see you've been studying. Excellent!

  To clarify for casual readers who haven't studied the pâ•râsh•âhꞋ , Sâr•aiꞋ  seems likely to have been Hâ•rân's widow (rather than wife) when she married Av•râmꞋ .

• 2. What I didn't understand:

  • -In 5755, you mentioned that Avraham was conflicted about circumcising his son, I do know that was an issue with Moses so where would that information be found?

    

    
    

    That was in the Tor•âhꞋ  portion of 5755. I didn't comment on the Ha•ph^Ətâr•âhꞋ , •marꞋ  RibꞋ i Y^әho•shuꞋ a or M^әnor•atꞋ  ha-Mâ••orꞋ  by Yitz•khâqꞋ  Abu•havꞋ  that year.

    What I wrote was that they seem conflicted about when to circumcise their son, not whether to circumcise their son.

    Are you asking where the information about circumcising the son would be found for Av•râ•hâmꞋ  or for Mosh•ëhꞋ ? To help you in future, you need to begin accumulating the tools you'll need to study Tor•âhꞋ . In this case, an Iv•ritꞋ -English concordance makes it a simple matter for you to look up, under <>ברית, בן or the proper name (אברהם or משה).

  • -In chap 15 vs 16 could you explain "the amorite shall not yet be full until then

    

    
    

    You skipped an essential qualifier: "לֹא-שָׁלֵם, עֲוֹן הָאֱמֹרִי עַד-הֵנָּה."

    This refers to the war against Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ  (the עֲוֹן) that the אֱמֹרִי would wage when Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ  would eventually return from the gâl•utꞋ  in Mitz•raꞋ yim, then 400 years in the future.

  • -In 5764, you mentioned unholy spirits were defined by Torah, where would I find that?

    

    
    

    Again, while it's essential to indicate which year of commentary, the primary consideration is which section: Tor•âhꞋ  portion (in contradistinction to the other sections: the Ha•ph^Ətâr•âhꞋ , M^әnor•atꞋ  ha-Mâ••orꞋ  by Yitz•khâqꞋ  Abu•havꞋ  and •marꞋ  RibꞋ i Y^әho•shuꞋ a sections). Here, you again refer to the commentary on the Tor•âhꞋ  section.

    You'll find "spirits" in your Iv•ritꞋ -English concordance as רוּחות. The entry will be the singular: רוּחַ (ruꞋ akh). Δαιμον (daimon; demon) is a Hellenist (gentile, and Christian) concept denoting an "inferior deity" (Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words, p. 283) alien to Tor•âhꞋ .

    Tor•âhꞋ  defines קֹדֶשׁ. A priori, if something doesn't fall within the Tor•âhꞋ  definition of קֹדֶשׁ then it is לֹא קֹדֶשׁ (not holy, unholy = חֹל).

    It is a mitz•wâhꞋ  to separate between קֹדֶשׁ and חֹל ( wa-Yi•q^әr•âꞋ  10.10).

  • -In 5767, you mentioned the idea of Mashiakh wasn't conceived until milllenia after Avhaham but in 5764, you mentioned that the "symbolism of the dual parties to the brit in this weeks parashah represents the 2 roles of the Mashiakh" would you please explain in laymens terms.

    

    
    

    Again, I commented in those years only in the Tor•âhꞋ  sections. So your question refers to my comments on the Tor•âhꞋ  section in those years.

    The concept of Mâ•shiꞋ akh as it is found in Y^әsha•yâhꞋ u was unknown when the term is used simply as "anointed" beginning in wa-Yi•q^әr•âꞋ  4.3,5,16. Neither was it known when the m^Əlâkh•imꞋ  of Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ  were "anointed." At this point, there were two "anointeds": Ko•heinꞋ  and mëlꞋ ëkh. The concept developed and evolved over the ages to a national military champion-king who, after the pattern of Dâ•widꞋ  ha-MëlꞋ ëkh, would הוֹשִׁיעַ the nation of Yi•s^ә•râ•eilꞋ  from her enemies; a hybrid of Ko•heinꞋ  and mëlꞋ ëkh as found in Y^әsha•yâhꞋ u 53.

    As below, you are directed to study and absorb all of our History Museum pages.

    -why wasn't the Mashiakh named "Ribi Immanuel" as mentioned in yeshayahu 7:14?

    

    
    

    You'll find the answer to this question in our History Museum (click on Mâ•shiꞋ akh in top menu → (first) "Burning Issues" button → Y^әsha•yâhꞋ u 7.14). You should thoroughly go through and study all of our History Museum to forestall asking questions answered there.

  • -In 5771, why did Miryam have to be a virgin to be pregnant and not married? Was she an Almah or bethulah? In laymens terms how did she get pregnant, was it by way of mikvey?

    

    
    

    You'll find the answer to this question in our History Museum (click on Mâ•shiꞋ akh in top menu → (first) "Burning Issues" button → Y^әsha•yâhꞋ u 7.14). You should thoroughly go through and study all of our History Museum to forestall asking questions answered there.

  • -In 5767 you mentioned of an online Hebrew course taught by Israeli Jews, where on your website would it be located.

    

    
    

    A legitimate native Israeli Hebrew course can be found in Israeli English newspapers like The Jerusalem Post, etc. Don't take a Hebrew course from any religious organization, because they translate with a religious agenda, nor from anyone who isn't a native Israeli. A couple of our tal•mid•imꞋ  have found courses they're pleased with. I'm sure several can recommend a course.

Thank you, Tonya