In Numbers 12, we are aware of the disagreement in the most important family in the Isarelites, while there were in the wilderness. More about the this disagreement you will hear in our Biblical Hebrew Summit that will take place on 24/5/2012 Thursday evening 8:00-11:00 P.M. Eastern time. Today we will encounter just the outcome of this argument as is written in Numbers 12:9-13-

" וַיִּחַר-אַף יְהוָה בָּם, וַיֵּלַךְ. וְהֶעָנָן סָר מֵעַל הָאֹהֶל, וְהִנֵּה מִרְיָם, מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּׁלֶג; וַיִּפֶן אַהֲרֹן אֶל-מִרְיָם, וְהִנֵּה מְצֹרָעַת. וַיֹּאמֶר אַהֲרֹן, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה: בִּי אֲדֹנִי--אַל-נָא תָשֵׁת עָלֵינוּ חַטָּאת, אֲשֶׁר נוֹאַלְנוּ וַאֲשֶׁר חָטָאנוּ. אַל-נָא תְהִי, כַּמֵּת, אֲשֶׁר בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵרֶחֶם אִמּוֹ, וַיֵּאָכֵל חֲצִי בְשָׂרוֹ. וַיִּצְעַק מֹשֶׁה, אֶל-יְהוָה לֵאמֹר: אֵל, נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ"

" So the anger of the LORD burned against them and He departed. But when the cloud had withdrawn from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. As Aaron turned toward Miriam, behold, she was leprous. Then Aaron said to Moses, “Oh, my lord, I beg you, do not account this sin to us, in which we have acted foolishly and in which we have sinned. Oh, do not let her be like one dead, whose flesh is half eaten away when he comes from his mother’s womb!” Moses cried out to the LORD, saying, “O God, heal her, I pray!” FULL POST

Every time when I teach Course D in Biblical Hebrew, the students start their Journey with the story of Elijah, one of the greatest prophets in the Hebrew Bible. Elijah is one of a kind; He came from nowhere-without any clear story of his dedication to be a prophet- and he went to a place that only G-d and his angles knew.

After the ravens fed him for a while in the Vadi of Carith, he went northwest to encounter a widowed woman and her son, two poor people, that the lack of rain influenced them and also on the rest of the people in this area and even more.

When he met the widow, he asked something, that might be rude or naughty to some of us as readers, as written:

" ...וַיִּקְרָא אֵלֶיהָ וַיֹּאמַר, לִקְחִי-נָא לִי פַּת-לֶחֶם בְּיָדֵךְ. וַתֹּאמֶר, חַי-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אִם-יֶשׁ-לִי מָעוֹג, כִּי אִם-מְלֹא כַף-קֶמַח בַּכַּד, וּמְעַט-שֶׁמֶן בַּצַּפָּחַת; וְהִנְנִי מְקֹשֶׁשֶׁת שְׁנַיִם עֵצִים, וּבָאתִי וַעֲשִׂיתִיהוּ לִי וְלִבְנִי, וַאֲכַלְנֻהוּ, וָמָתְנוּ. וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ אֵלִיָּהוּ אַל-תִּירְאִי, בֹּאִי עֲשִׂי כִדְבָרֵךְ; אַךְ עֲשִׂי-לִי מִשָּׁם עֻגָה קְטַנָּה בָרִאשֹׁנָה, וְהוֹצֵאת לִי, וְלָךְ וְלִבְנֵךְ, תַּעֲשִׂי בָּאַחֲרֹנָה."

"… He called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” But she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.” Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first and bring it out to me, and afterward you may Make one for yourself and for your son."(1 Kings 17:11-13 FULL POST

One of the amazing things that you can find while reading the Hebrew Bible is the amount of different, some will say odd, laws that you must maintain and keep.

Today we will meet one of them, that appears in Deuteronomy 25:13-16-

" לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ, אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן: גְּדוֹלָה, וּקְטַנָּה. לֹא-יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ, אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה: גְּדוֹלָה, וּקְטַנָּה. אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ, אֵיפָה שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ—לְמַעַן, יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמֶיךָ, עַל הָאֲדָמָה, אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ. כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, כָּל-עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה: כֹּל, עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל"

"You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. For everyone who does these things, everyone who acts unjustly is an abomination to the LORD your God."

We carry stones in our pocket, metaphorically of course, stones that must be according to the law, in the same size, stones that are the symbol of constancy and stability- this is the only way to live and not to do evil in our world. FULL POST

One of the most beautiful passages in the Haggadah is taken from the Old Testament. Every year we sit around the table, singing the songs of Passover, one of them is this-

" בְּצֵאת יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִמִּצְרָיִם; בֵּית יַעֲקֹב, מֵעַם לֹעֵז. הָיְתָה יְהוּדָה לְקָדְשׁוֹ; יִשְׂרָאֵל, מַמְשְׁלוֹתָיו. הַיָּם רָאָה, וַיָּנֹס; הַיַּרְדֵּן, יִסֹּב לְאָחוֹר. הֶהָרִים, רָקְדוּ כְאֵילִים; גְּבָעוֹת, כִּבְנֵי-צֹאן. מַה-לְּךָ הַיָּם, כִּי תָנוּס; הַיַּרְדֵּן, תִּסֹּב לְאָחוֹר. הֶהָרִים, תִּרְקְדוּ כְאֵילִים; גְּבָעוֹת, כִּבְנֵי-צֹאן."

"When Israel went forth from Egypt, The house of Jacob from a people of strange language, Judah became His sanctuary, Israel, His dominion. The sea looked and fled; The Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, The hills, like lambs. What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?"(Psalms 114:1-6)

Why won't you listen to this song?

When the Israelites went out of Egypt, from slavery to freedom, from the hands of Pharaoh of G-d's redemption, all the nature respected the exile by dancing, by running away from the hands of G-d. One of the reasons that Passover is the most important feast in the Jewish tradition is that on that day all the world saw how mighty is The Lord, how much strength and influence he had. FULL POST

One of my dearest students in E-teacher asked me to explain to him about the ninth plague, the darkness. So today we are going to discuss the "choshech", meaning darkness in Hebrew. The first time that we encounter this word is in Genesis 1:2, where we see the state of the world, before the beautiful creation of G-d. The second time is in Egypt, when G-d decided that there won’t be light anymore for the Egyptians as written in Exodus 10:21-23

" וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, נְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל-הַשָּׁמַיִם, וִיהִי חֹשֶׁךְ, עַל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם; וְיָמֵשׁ, חֹשֶׁךְ. וַיֵּט מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יָדוֹ, עַל-הַשָּׁמָיִם; וַיְהִי חֹשֶׁךְ-אֲפֵלָה בְּכָל-אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים. לֹא-רָאוּ אִישׁ אֶת-אָחִיו, וְלֹא-קָמוּ אִישׁ מִתַּחְתָּיו--שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים; וּלְכָל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָם."

"Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.” So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings" FULL POST

In the Hebrew Bible we encounter some passages where there are changes in the name of a person, place or even people. One of the most famous examples can be found in Genesis 17, as written:

"וְלֹא-יִקָּרֵא עוֹד אֶת-שִׁמְךָ, אַבְרָם; וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם, כִּי אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ."

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; For the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee."(Genesis 17:5)

Here Abram becomes a father of nations, after he had been just a high father of his family.

When Rachel entered the Promised Land, she gave birth to her second son Jacob, as we can see in Genesis 35:18-

"וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ, כִּי מֵתָה, וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ, בֶּן-אוֹנִי; וְאָבִיו, קָרָא-לוֹ בִנְיָמִין"

"And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing--for she died--that she called his name Ben-oni; But his father called him Benjamin"

There are two names for her second son, but only the last name is remembered by the people of this planet, meaning the son of the right side, the of G-d.

When we read the words of Isaiah in chapter 62, we can learn about new names for Jerusalem and for the land of Cannan:

"לֹא-יֵאָמֵר לָךְ עוֹד עֲזוּבָה, וּלְאַרְצֵךְ לֹא-יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שְׁמָמָה--כִּי לָךְ יִקָּרֵא חֶפְצִי-בָהּ, וּלְאַרְצֵךְ בְּעוּלָה: כִּי-חָפֵץ יְהוָה בָּךְ, וְאַרְצֵךְ תִּבָּעֵל" FULL POST

In the Hebrew Bible we encounter some passages where there are changes in the name of a person, place or even people. One of the most famous examples can be found in Genesis 17, as written:

"וְלֹא-יִקָּרֵא עוֹד אֶת-שִׁמְךָ, אַבְרָם; וְהָיָה שִׁמְךָ אַבְרָהָם, כִּי אַב-הֲמוֹן גּוֹיִם נְתַתִּיךָ."

"Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; For the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee."(Genesis 17:5)

Here Abram becomes a father of nations, after he had been just a high father of his family.

When Rachel entered the Promised Land, she gave birth to her second son Jacob, as we can see in Genesis 35:18-

"וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ, כִּי מֵתָה, וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ, בֶּן-אוֹנִי; וְאָבִיו, קָרָא-לוֹ בִנְיָמִין"

"And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing--for she died--that she called his name Ben-oni; But his father called him Benjamin"

There are two names for her second son, but only the last name is remembered by the people of this planet, meaning the son of the right side, the of G-d.

When we read the words of Isaiah in chapter 62, we can learn about new names for Jerusalem and for the land of Cannan:

"לֹא-יֵאָמֵר לָךְ עוֹד עֲזוּבָה, וּלְאַרְצֵךְ לֹא-יֵאָמֵר עוֹד שְׁמָמָה--כִּי לָךְ יִקָּרֵא חֶפְצִי-בָהּ, וּלְאַרְצֵךְ בְּעוּלָה: כִּי-חָפֵץ יְהוָה בָּךְ, וְאַרְצֵךְ תִּבָּעֵל" FULL POST

When you read the beginning of Ezra, you might discover two different perceptions about The Almighty. Cyrus, the Persian king, who just conquered the Babylonian Empire, woke up with the help of G-d, probably at night as written:

" וּבִשְׁנַת אַחַת, לְכוֹרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס, לִכְלוֹת דְּבַר-יְהוָה, מִפִּי יִרְמְיָה: הֵעִיר יְהוָה, אֶת-רוּחַ כֹּרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ-פָּרַס, וַיַּעֲבֶר-קוֹל בְּכָל-מַלְכוּתוֹ, וְגַם-בְּמִכְתָּב לֵאמֹר. כֹּה אָמַר, כֹּרֶשׁ מֶלֶךְ פָּרַס--כֹּל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָרֶץ, נָתַן לִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי הַשָּׁמָיִם; וְהוּא-פָקַד עָלַי לִבְנוֹת-לוֹ בַיִת, בִּירוּשָׁלִַם אֲשֶׁר בִּיהוּדָה."

"In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says 'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah."(Ezra 1:1-2)

From these verses we can learn that G-d can be in Persia in order to speak with Cyrus, who said that G-d has given him all the kingdoms of earth- this is a description of a universal G-d, who is everywhere and controls history! FULL POST

As a biblical Hebrew teacher one of the things that bothers me is the end of a book or a passage in the Bible that is full with the elements of revenge.

I already explained that if I could erase the end of Psalm 121, I would have done it.

Of course that some will say that the revenge is something that is understood in the human nature, or that it appears in The Scriptures in order to warn us from it and not actually to do it.

However, when we read the end of Esther, we can't avoid the thought that something is wrong here, as written in Esther 9:13-16-

" וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר, אִם-עַל-הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב--יִנָּתֵן גַּם-מָחָר לַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּשׁוּשָׁן, לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּדָת הַיּוֹם; וְאֵת עֲשֶׂרֶת בְּנֵי-הָמָן, יִתְלוּ עַל-הָעֵץ. וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהֵעָשׂוֹת כֵּן, וַתִּנָּתֵן דָּת בְּשׁוּשָׁן; וְאֵת עֲשֶׂרֶת בְּנֵי-הָמָן, תָּלוּ. וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ היהודיים (הַיְּהוּדִים) אֲשֶׁר-בְּשׁוּשָׁן, גַּם בְּיוֹם אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר, וַיַּהַרְגוּ בְשׁוּשָׁן, שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ; וּבַבִּזָּה--לֹא שָׁלְחוּ, אֶת-יָדָם. וּשְׁאָר הַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בִּמְדִינוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ נִקְהֲלוּ וְעָמֹד עַל-נַפְשָׁם, וְנוֹחַ מֵאֹיְבֵיהֶם, וְהָרוֹג בְּשֹׂנְאֵיהֶם, חֲמִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעִים אָלֶף; וּבַבִּזָּה--לֹא שָׁלְחוּ, אֶת-יָדָם." FULL POST

When we look at the first chapter of Esther, we can find a lot of information about the richness and wealth, manipulation of the Persian King Xerxes and more. However, another way to look at this chapter is with a spot on the King's wife- Vashti, as we can read in Esther 1:9-12-

"גַּם וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה, עָשְׂתָה מִשְׁתֵּה נָשִׁים--בֵּית, הַמַּלְכוּת, אֲשֶׁר, לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ. בַּיּוֹם, הַשְּׁבִיעִי, כְּטוֹב לֵב-הַמֶּלֶךְ, בַּיָּיִן--אָמַר לִמְהוּמָן בִּזְּתָא חַרְבוֹנָא בִּגְתָא וַאֲבַגְתָא, זֵתַר וְכַרְכַּס, שִׁבְעַת הַסָּרִיסִים, הַמְשָׁרְתִים אֶת-פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ. לְהָבִיא אֶת-וַשְׁתִּי הַמַּלְכָּה, לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ--בְּכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת: לְהַרְאוֹת הָעַמִּים וְהַשָּׂרִים אֶת-יָפְיָהּ, כִּי-טוֹבַת מַרְאֶה הִיא. וַתְּמָאֵן הַמַּלְכָּה וַשְׁתִּי, לָבוֹא בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֲשֶׁר, בְּיַד הַסָּרִיסִים; וַיִּקְצֹף הַמֶּלֶךְ מְאֹד, וַחֲמָתוֹ בָּעֲרָה בוֹ"

"Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes. On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Karkas—to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger." FULL POST