Lamedh

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in the heavens.  Psalm 119:89  Chabad לְעוֹלָ֥ם יְהֹוָ֑ה דְּ֜בָֽרְךָ֗ נִצָּ֥ב בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם לְדֹ֣ר וָ֖דֹר אֱמֽוּנָתֶ֑ךָ כּוֹנַ֥נְתָּ אֶ֜֗רֶץ וַֽתַּֽעֲמֹֽד לְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ עָֽמְד֣וּ הַיּ֑וֹם כִּ֖י הַכֹּ֣ל עֲבָדֶֽיךָ לוּלֵ֣י תוֹרָֽתְךָ֣ שַֽׁעֲשֻׁעָ֑י אָ֖ז אָבַ֣דְתִּי בְעָנְיִֽי לְעוֹלָם לֹא־אֶשְׁכַּ֣ח פִּקּוּדֶ֑יךָ כִּי־בָ֜֗ם חִיִּיתָֽנִי לְֽךָ־אֲ֖נִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֑נִי כִּ֖י פִקּוּדֶ֣יךָ דָרָֽשְׁתִּי לִ֚י קִוּ֣וּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לְאַבְּדֵ֑נִי עֵֽ֜דֹתֶ֗יךָ אֶתְבּוֹנָֽן לְכָל תִּ֖כְלָה רָאִ֣יתִי…

An Acquired Taste

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Teach me good [y]discernment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments. Psalm 119:66  NASB Discernment – Do you like broccoli rabe?  How about onion ice cream?  Maybe something a bit more palatable like lambrusco?  Everyone’s tastes differ.  A lot of the time what we like is acquired through family recipes, traditions, cultural exposure, and just…

Begin Again

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1  NIV Teach us – Heschel wrote: “Prayer as a way of speaking is a way that leads nowhere.  The text must never be more important…

Theory or Practice

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1  NIV Teach – Do you know how to pray?  Do you know the purpose of prayer?  Do you understand the importance of prayer?  Great, you’re…

Shameful Prayer

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1  NIV Teach us – Do you find it odd that the disciples asked Yeshua to teach them to pray?  We know, of course, that they…

Why?

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

You shall also teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.  Deuteronomy 11:19  NASB Speaking – It should be obvious that Moses expects the people to instruct their children audibly.  He doesn’t direct them…

A Little Change Here, a Little Change There (3)

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

You favor man with perception and teach mankind understanding. Grant us knowledge, understanding and intellect from You. Blessed are You, Adonoy, Grantor of perception.  Amidah  (Ashkenazi version) Teach understanding – da’at is gifted.  bina is taught.  What’s the difference? First, the verb.  You’ll remember that the verb for da’at is nātan.  The first sequence is…

Prayers for Non-Professionals

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”  Luke 11:1 NIV Teach us – The disciples were Jewish, through and through.  They had been praying in the synagogue and in their homes since they were…

Take a Guess?

BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

Make me know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.  Lead me in Your truth and teach me,  Psalm 25:4-5a  NASB Know/teach – “The whole of Torah, writes Sefat Emet, is a complex of hints, allusions to the unattainable.”[1]  The rabbi’s statement shocks us.  Don’t we need to know the truth in unambiguous ways so that we can properly follow God and…