Having
a Hebrew Mind
By
Brother Rabbi Dani’el
Rendelman
Emet Ministries
ravemet@comcast.net
MEMBER
OF BNAI YAHSHUA SYNAGOGUES
WORLDWIDE
Ok.
Imagine we are small ugly
caterpillars. Our purpose
in life is make it long
enough to be transformed
into a beautiful butterfly.
The process is tedious.
We must eat and prepare,
and eat and prepare some
more. Then we must make
our own cocoon and exit
this world of small countless
legs. Goodbye yummy green
leafs. This change will
take some time, yet the
outcome is extraordinary.
Through the process of metamorphasis
we can trade our earth bound
hairy legs for water-color
wings that can soar in the
heavens. In the same way,
through metamorphasis, our
minds can change from being
“earthy” to become “heavenly.”
Through our mind and our
lives being made new we
can know and accomplish
the Creator’s purposes and
plans. “Therefore, I urge
you, brothers, in view of
Elohim's mercy, to offer
your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to Elohim
-- this is your spiritual
act of worship. Do not conform
any longer to the pattern
of this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your
mind, that you may prove
what Elohim's will is--his
good, pleasing and perfect
will,” Romans 12:1-2. This
is just the start, to our
mind being renewed and our
wings busting out of the
cocoon of the world.
Friend,
let us consider that the
renewed mind is like a dairy
milking stool, one with
three legs. The seat of
the stool is the Torah,
as revealed in the first
five books of the Bible
and as interpreted by Rabbi
Yahshua. Thus the seat,
or base of the renewed mind,
is the Torah. The three
legs are the three impact
areas that must be considered.
Without one of these legs
the stool is unbalanced,
unable to stand. So, it
is really important to grasp
all three of these dynamics.
Let us not allow the simplicity
of these areas fool us.
They are easy to understand,
yet, they are also easy
to misunderstand.
Renewal
Stool Leg One: Engage Your
Focus
Do
we ever wonder why a lion
tamer would enter the circus
ring with bar stool? Sure,
the whip and the pistol
make excellent tools to
ward off dangerous lions,
but why a bar stool? Well,
lion tamers use the stool
to confuse lion. They hold
the stool out by its seat
and push the ferocious animal
away with the legs. The
lion actually tries to watch
all three legs at one time
and gets dizzily confused.
The stool is the most important
item used in the ring because
it messes up the focus of
the beast. The king of the
jungle is nothing but a
baby kitten when its focus
is off. We, too, are easily
off guard when our concentration
is broken and we don’t control
our thoughts.
In
life, we get that on which
we focus. The person at
the summit of a mountain
did not fall there. Likewise,
it takes effort to reach
the pinnacle in our spiritual
life. If we are negative,
if we complain a lot, if
we just can’t seem to have
any joy, then, we probably
need to really engage our
focus. There is a Biblical
principle that states that
we reap what we sow. When
we plant positive, Torah-based
thoughts, our life will
then reap positive, Torah-based
outcomes. This doesn’t mean
that things will be easy
or everything will go our
way. What engaging our focus
does though, is preparing
our soul to look to YHWH
in the good times and in
the bad. If we are focused,
then we are determined,
we are alert, and we are
unwavering. The key here
is found in Tehillm 16:8.
“I have set YHWH always
before me. Because of his
right hand, I will not be
shaken.” We need to memorize
this pasuk. We can write
this verse down on a note
card and keep it before
ourselves. “I have set YHWH
always before me. Because
of his right hand, I will
not be shaken,” Psalm 16:8.
Looking
to YHWH, really seeing His
hand throughout the events
of our day will lead to
a great transformation.
The seemingly bad things
that happen will turn into
learning events. The good
things will bring about
praise the Almighty. The
humdrum stuff will provide
even more opportunities
to learn and rejoice. “Remember
the YHWH in a distant land,
and think on Yerushalyim,”
says Yermiyahu 51:50. And
even Rabbi Sha’ul wrote
that, “whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever
is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever
is admirable—if anything
is excellent or praiseworthy—think
about such things,” Phillipians
4:8. We can't let our mind
wander, or wonder, when
things go crazy or bad.
We look to YHWH. We pray.
We control our thoughts.
We can ask, “How would Yahshua
handle this situation?”
Reading the Torah daily
strengthens our renewal.
What we put in is what we
get out. Now is the time
to start putting Torah into
our mind.
Renewal
Stool Leg Two: Accept halakhah,
reject theology
Caution.
This is a "no spin"
zone. The acceptance of
halakhah and the rejection
of theology is one of the
absolute hardest battles
believers face. We will
continue reading at our
mind’s own risk.
To
have our mind renewed we
must accept halakhah and
reject man’s ways. “Halakhah”
is a Hebrew word that literally
means ‘a way to walk or
act’ or the way ‘to go’
in obeying the commands.
It is found throughout the
scriptures and is based
on a verse from Shemot.
“And thou shalt show them
the way wherein they are
to go and the work that
they must do," Shemot
(Exodus) 18:20. When a teacher/Rabbi
sets halakhah that teacher
is saying, “we’re going
to obey this command in
this manner.” It's root
is in the word ‘yaw-lak,’
defined as to ‘walk, prosper,
grow, and carry.’ Halakhah
is interpretation of scripture
with ideas and descriptions
on how to live out the commandments.
IT is a way of application
of Torah to everyday life.
Halakhah may differ from
teacher to teacher and from
family to family. Some halakhah
is strict, with boundaries
of protection fenced around
the Torah. Some halakhah
is loose and liberal. Even
other groups have ‘minhag’
or local customs on halakhah
of certain issues. It can
be wide, but it must not
break Torah and Torah’s
literal interpretation.
Just like walking, halakhah
takes effort. It is easy
to receive theological rhetoric
from a priest or professor.
It is hard to “study to
show thyself approved unto
Elohim, a workman that needeth
not to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth,”
1 Timothy 2:15 KJV.
Like
a friendly, next-door neighbor,
we have grown up with our
theologies and have trusted
them to be the answers to
some of our deepest questions.
The problem is that most
of man’s theologies are
just that – man’s theologies
…or man’s theories. According
to the Online Etymolgical
Dictionary the word ‘theology’
is from the Greek language
and literally means the
“account or treating of
the gods.” The Baptists,
Catholics, and Lutherans
all have their theology
figured out and have placed
their ‘g/d’ in a tightly
made box of ideals. The
dilemma is that YHWH is
‘Ayn Sof” or 'incomprehensible
and beyond knowledge'. YHWH
is so great we really cannot
understand Him. This doesn’t
settle well with our mind
because we have always been
taught various ideas that
box Him in, various boxes
into which He fits,
Get
ready for a spring cleaning
from the theologies of the
trinity, eternal security
and the causes of sickness
and death. Elohim is greater
than our understanding and
bigger than our boxes of
theology like the “Baptist
Faith and Message” or Benny
Hinn’s latest book. Our
theologies have Him tied
around our little finger
and have Him all figured
out. However our theologies
are wrong because they are
not based upon Torah. Our
theological thinking is
full of man, paganism, and
ancient lies. We may want
a denomination, or union
of rabbis, to dictate how
we are to live and think,
but that is just not the
way it is supposed to be.
We
have the Scriptures, His
infallible written Torah.
His Word is our guide. Yet
even with six hundred and
thirteen commandments there
are literally thousands
upon thousands of ways to
do them. If you ask two
rabbis the same question
you will usually get three
answers. No two people keep
Torah the same. This is
exactly where halakhah comes
in. Goodbye theology and
hello to a new way to walk!
Halakhah
leaves room for differences
as long as the Torah is
upheld. As Rabbi Nydle has
put it, “Torah is the doctrine
and halakhah is the way
to walk. There is much freedom
in halakhah.” Theology leads
to walls of separation that
shout, “If you don’t believe
exactly as I do, then, you
are not welcome or you are
not going to heaven.” Halkhah
provides freedom and room
for growth. Halakhah says,
“We do it this way, yet
you may do it another way.
The important thing is that
we are doing YHWH’s Will
of the Torah.” The Scriptures
allow congregations, Rabbis,
and families to fulfill
the mitzvot in different
yet meaningful ways. Theology
on the other, leaves no
room for difference.
Throughout
the world, Rabbi’s halakhah
differ on how to do certain
things, say Hebrew words,
and obey the various commands.
Haven’t you ever struggled
with the “correct” way to
keep a command? Halakhah
conquers that struggle with
a scriptural answer. Sometimes
halakhah includes several
different scriptural answers.
This is why two groups can
perform a mitzvah differently,
yet both are in their own
eyes “right.”
While
theology is formal, halakhah
isn’t. This is hard to grasp
because it actually leads
to more questions than answers.
We want YHWH tightly defined
and all contradictions of
Scripture solved. We want
our theological statement
to bounce ideas off and
compare with other groups.
Yes,
yes. There are certain areas
that are crystal clear that
should be agreed upon and
accepted. The truth of Torah
is not up for debate. Yet,
a proper understanding of
halakhah would not break
fellowship over simple issues.
One person may say “Yahhuah”
another may say “Yahveh”
– both are saying the Name
YHWH. One group may use
the Jewish calendar; another
may use another calendar
– both are trying to keep
the feasts on the specified
days. One Rabbi may teach
to take a magic marker and
write Scriptures verses
on the doorframes of your
house while another Rabbi
may encourage the use of
a mezuzah – both are upholding
Devarim 6. Theology leads
to judgmental attitudes
and rejection, while halakhah
will usher in acceptance
and deeper devotion. A proper
acceptance of halakhah will
further our mind's renewal
and it will allow us to
engage our focus upon YHWH,
to reject putting Him in
the box of theology, and
to accept the freedom found
in the way to walk Torah.
Renewal
Stool Leg Three: Choose
the Hebrew Way
Life
is full of choices. We choose
what side of the bed to
wake up on, what flavor
toothpaste to use, and what
color socks to wear. Some
decisions are minimal while
others are major. To experience
the renewed mind on a higher
level we must daily decipher
and decide upon the Hebrew
way.
Unfortunately,
the way of life that has
emerged in the world today
is staunchly opposite to
the mitzvot of Torah. Like
a computer, we have been
programmed to operate within
the world’s parameters.
All we know is how the world
acts. The Christian church
mirrors the current culture,
yet we must mirror the ancient
paths. We now have to be
re-programmed or renewed
towards Yah’s ways. The
Hebrew road is our pathway
towards YHWH’s “good, pleasing,
and perfect will.”
The
Hebrew approach is a Torah-based
method for life’s decisions.
This worldview covers everything
from faith to family to
finances. It will cause
us to think and therefore,
to act more like the Ivrim
of the Scriptures. Life,
every thought, word, and
action will be YHWH-oriented.
One
fundamental difference between
the Hebrew way and the worldly
or Greek mindset is between
knowing and doing. While
the ancient Greeks and the
modern person is concerned
with knowledge and belief,
the Hebrew wants to do right.
Society's accommodation
of differences says we can
separate what we believe
from what we actually do.
President Clinton’s Lewinsky
affair is a prime example
of how our culture allows
the notion of separating
actions and devotion. The
President said he was devoted
to his wife, yet his actions
proved the opposite. While
the church teaches that
faith is all about belief,
the Hebrew way, according
to Ya’acov 2:14, faith is
all about action and doing.
“What good is it, my brothers,
if a man claims to have
faith but has no deeds?
Can such faith save him?”
(For more examples of the
differences between the
Hebrew and the Greek/Western
types of thinking, we have
prepared a short graph at
the bottom of this teaching.)
The
world separates the religious
from the secular. For most
in this world, there is
recreation time, work shifts,
and the worship hour on
Sunday. For the Hebrew,
everything is spiritual.
The lines are blurred between
the religious and, pretty
much everything else. The
hand of the Creator can
be seen behind the events
of the day; the 7pm news
broadcast is an expose of
the signs of the times.
As a believer you must acknowledge
that you are not just an
American or an African –
you are a Hebrew who is
on a quest to reclaim your
culture and heritage.
The
Yisraelite lifestyle is
founded on two important
areas. The first is the
Torah itself. Like a blueprint
for a building, the Torah
gives specific instructions
and directions for how we
can achieve our full potential
and please the Creator.
Torah, specifically the
first five books of Moses,
should be the foundation
upon which our faith is
built. Torah is the standard
from which life and life’s
decisions should be determined
and judged. Every idea,
doctrine, and teaching must
pass the Torah test.
“Torah”
is the Hebrew word for teaching
and instruction usually
translated as “law” in English
Bibles. Over time, “Torah”
has become the title for
the first five books of
the Bible, which were given
to Moses by the Almighty.
The Torah is the revelation
of the Creator’s will for
mankind. It is also the
Bible that Yahshua read
and used. Without a firm
foundation in the Torah,
sin is excused, false theology
is accepted, and the character
of Yahweh is altered. Psalm
11:3, “When the foundations
are being destroyed, what
can the righteous do?” To
know how a Hebrew should
think and act we must know,
really know Torah. Memorize
verses from the writings
of Moshe. Search the scriptures
before making a decision.
Follow the path that has
been laid before us within
the teachings of Torah.
The
second aspect of a Hebrew
worldview is the very controversial
issue of Judaism and tradition.
One simple fact to consider
is that the Jewish people
have had the Torah and have
kept the seventh-day Sabbath
for thousands of years.
The Jews know how to kill
animals in the prescribed
way as found in the Torah.
The Jews know how to tie
tzittzit, to make tefillin,
and to keep the feast days.
They have inherited the
faith of our ancestors Avraham,
Moshe, and David. We, as
believers, can look to the
Jews for aid and assistance
when it comes to understanding
rituals, traditions, customs,
and difficult passages of
Scripture. They know how
to keep Torah and we don’t.
So the more we learn about
the faithful Jewish people,
the more we can learn about
Torah observance.
In
fact, historical writings
prove that the early followers
of Yahshua were so Jewish
that most people could not
tell them apart from the
majority of the Jews. “The
Nazarenes do not differ
in any essential thing from
[the Orthodox Jews], since
they practice the customs
and doctrines prescribed
by Jewish Law; except that
they believe in Messiah.
“They believe in the resurrection
of the dead, and that the
universe was created by
the Almighty. They preach
that Yahweh is One, and
that Yahshua is his Son...
They are very learned in
the Hebrew language. They
read the Law.”, wrote the
early Church Father Epiphanius
in his doctrinal book: “Adversus
Haereses (Against Heresies)”
Panarion 29 – sacred names
added. And remember that
the Savior did say, “what
we do know is salvation
is from the Jews,” in John
4:22.
To
know and live in a Hebraic
mindset, the traditions
and customs of Judaism are
a great asset. It is difficult
and maybe, even impossible,
to have a world-view based
upon Torah without looking
to Judaism for answers as
to how the Jewish people
live. The Jews have kept
the Torah for thousands
of years. They have an understanding
of what it means to obey
the majority of the commandments.
The Rabbis and Sages of
Judaism have studied, discussed,
fussed, and made decisions
on the various mitzvah or
commands. A single action
of obeying a Torah command
has over time developed
into a tradition, through
repetition. The action has,
also progressed into the
culture as an accepted practice,
thus becoming part of the
Jewish identity.
What
advantage is there?
When
we look to Judaism for answers
on the Hebrew mindset, we
must deal with the issue
of tradition. The Hebrew
word for tradition is “masoret.”
The Encyclopedia Judaica
says, "Masoret is the
general name for tradition.
It is found in Ezekiel 20:37
and means originally 'bond'
or 'fetter'." Tradition
is the discipline that establishes
the correct practice and
interpretation of the Torah
and was therefore regarded
as a hedge or fetter about
the Law (Avot 3:14). Since
this knowledge was handed
down by successive generations,
it was also associated with
the Hebrew word masor, denoting
"to give over."
In the talmudic literature,
the term masoret is used
to include all forms of
tradition, both those which
relate to the Bible and
those which concern custom,
law, historical events,
folkways, and other subjects.”
Masoret remain virtually
unchanged over long periods
of time to provide examples,
uniformity, and help with
belief.
Friend,
obedience to the Torah requires
a different lifestyle than
that of the world. Believers
in the Bible must make a
decision about the Torah.
Either we will dismiss the
Torah or we will accept
the Torah. Either we will
follow the Messiah’s example
and keep the commands of
Moshe or we will follow
the preachers’ example and
pig out on pork. Either
we will agree to the traditional
way of obeying a command
or we will make it up as
we go. We can dismiss the
Torah and traditions as
being “too Jewish” or we
can accept the Torah and
strive to obey it, the choice
is ours. Yet when we choose
to obey the Torah we will
soon be confronted with
another big problem. This
is the problem of “how.”
Yes,
the Jewish people have kept
the Torah for thousands
of years. They have hashed
out the difficult verses
and set standards on the
way to live. The majority
of Jewish observances concerning
the Torah are of benefit.
By following the traditional
adherence to the Torah,
our actions can model that
of the first believers in
Messiah. The early Believers
were “just like the Torah
keeping Jews” and their
accepted practices differed
in no way, teaches the church
historian Eusebius.
When
Yahshua spoke about masoret
he was rebuking a group
of Torah teachers who were
exalting their traditionalism
over the Torah. “You have
let go of the commands of
Elohim and are holding on
to the traditions of men.
You have a fine way of setting
aside the commands of Elohim
in order to set up your
own traditions!” said Yahshua
in Mark 7:8-93. Notice that
he did not tell them to
get rid of their traditions.
What the Messiah did do,
though, is rebuke the teachers
who valued, upheld, and
created traditions that
replaced obedience to the
Torah. If any tradition
takes the place of Torah,
negates Torah, or hinders
our walk of Torah then this
is a tradition that needs
to be dropped and replaced.
Good
or “tov” traditions will
lead us towards intimacy
with Yahweh. But with so
many customs, web sites,
articles, books, teachers,
and ways to do things how
do we know what to do? What
should we do about how to
exactly obey the various
mitzvah? In looking to Judaism
for information on Torah,
what should we accept and
what should we reject? Jewish
obedience to the Torah is
not just mindless or faithless
work. No, their practice
of Torah has over time developed
into a culture of events
that express a lifestyle.
It is not just about a religion.
“Tradition has given Judaism
a continuity with its past
and preserved its character
as a unique faith with a
distinct way of life,” says
one source.
"Truth
Search"
Finally,
here’s some help! Here’s
a short “Truth Search ”
to use when deciding what
traditions to use and what
traditions to avoid. When
our family or ministry is
making a decision on how
to keep the commandments,
we can use this three-part
litmus test to assess the
situation. The truth will
set us free, while pagan
rituals, false worship days,
and legalistic religious
actions will bind us. We
have a rich culture and
heritage of Biblical customs
and traditions awaiting
us that will aid in our
desire to know YHWH’s will
for our life.
Truth
Search
To
examine our actions and
to help us decide which
traditions we should receive
with open arms, let us answer
these three questions:
1.
Is it Biblical?
Does
this custom or action go
against verses or principles
found in the Scriptures?
2.
Is it pagan?
Does
this custom or action have
pagan roots / affiliation
/ connotations to it?
3.
Does it grieve the Ruach
HaKodesh (Holy Spirit)?
Do
we have peace with doing
this?
Does
it promote unity, love,
and shalom?
Do
we feel the Spirit’s tug
when we do or don’t do it,
this way?
|
Western
Approach
|
Hebraic
Approach |
Life
analyzed in precise
categories.
|
Everything
blurs into everything
else.
|
A
split between natural
& supernatural
|
Supernatural
affects everything.
|
Linear
logic
|
Contextual
or "block"
logic
|
"Rugged
Individualism"
|
Importance
of being part of group
|
| Equality
of persons |
Value
comes from place in
hierarchies
|
| Freedom
orientation |
Security
orientation
|
| Competition
is good |
Competition
is evil (cooperation
is better) |
Man-centered
universe
|
Elohim/tribe/family-centered
universe
|
| Worth
of person based on money/material
possessions/power |
Worth
derived from family
relationships |
Biological
life sacred
|
Social
life supremely-important
|
Chance
+ cause & effect
limit what can happen
|
YHWH
causes everything in
his universe
|
| Man
rules nature through
understanding and applying
laws of science |
YHWH
rules everything, so
relationship with YHWH
determines how things
turn out. |
| Power
over others achieved
through business, politics
and human organizations. |
Power
over others is structured
by social patterns ordained
by YHWH. |
All
that exists is the material
|
The
universe is filled with
powerful spirit beings
|
| Linear
time divided into neat
segments. Each event
is new. |
Cyclical
or spiraling time. Similar
events constantly reoccur. |
| History
is recording facts,
objectively and chronologically. |
History
is an attempt to preserve
significant truths in
meaningful or memorable
ways. This, whether-or-not
details are objective
facts. |
Oriented
to the near future
|
Oriented
to lessons of history
|
Change
is good = progress
|
Change
is bad = destruction
of traditions
|
Universe
evolved by chance
|
Universe
created by YHWH
|
| Universe
dominated and controlled
by science and technology |
YHWH
gave man stewardship
over his earthly creation;
accountability is to
YHWH. |
| Material
goods = measure of personal
value |
Material
goods = measure of YHWH’s
blessing |
| Blind
faith |
Knowledge-based
faith
|
| Time
as points on straight
line ("at this
point in time…") |
Time
determined by content
("In the day that
the YHWH did…")
|
Sources:
Irrational Man,
by William Barrett;
Christianity
With Power by Charles
Kraft;
Hebrew
Thought Compared With Greek
by Thorleif Boman;
Judaism
and Christianity – The Differences
by Trude Weiss-Rosmarin,
Our
Father Abraham, by
Marvin Wilson,
God
in Search of Man by
Abraham Heschel.
*
This teaching is available
in cd audio format.
For
information contact ravemet@comcast.net
